Carmen de Lavallade facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carmen de Lavallade
|
|
|---|---|
De Lavallade in 2017
|
|
| Born | March 6, 1931 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
|
| Occupation | Actress, choreographer, dancer |
| Years active | 1948–present |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Janet Collins (cousin) |
| Awards | |
Carmen de Lavallade, born on March 6, 1931, is a famous American actress, choreographer, and dancer. She was married to the talented actor, dancer, and director Geoffrey Holder for many years. In 2017, she received the Kennedy Center Honors. This award celebrates people who have made amazing contributions to American culture throughout their lives.
Contents
Early Life and Dance Training
Carmen de Lavallade was born in Los Angeles, California, on March 6, 1931. Her parents were Creole and came from New Orleans, Louisiana. She grew up with her aunt, Adele, who owned one of the first African-American history bookshops. Carmen's cousin, Janet Collins, was a very important dancer. She was the first Creole/African descendant prima ballerina at the Metropolitan Opera.
When Carmen was 16, she started studying ballet with Melissa Blake. After finishing Thomas Jefferson High School, she earned a scholarship. This scholarship allowed her to study dance with Lester Horton.
A Career in Dance and Acting
In 1949, Carmen de Lavallade joined the Lester Horton Dance Theater. She was a lead dancer there until 1954. Then, she moved to New York City with Alvin Ailey. At Horton's school, students learned many art forms. These included painting, acting, music, and costume design. They also studied ballet and other types of dance. Carmen also learned dancing from ballerina Carmelita Maracci and acting from Stella Adler.
In 1954, Carmen made her first appearance on Broadway. She danced with Alvin Ailey in a musical called House of Flowers. The famous singer Pearl Bailey also starred in this show.
Marriage and Signature Dance
In 1955, Carmen married dancer and actor Geoffrey Holder. They had met while working on House of Flowers. With Geoffrey, Carmen created her special solo dance called Come Sunday. This dance was set to a black spiritual song sung by Odetta. The next year, Carmen was the main ballerina in two operas. These were Samson and Delilah and Aida at the Metropolitan Opera.
Television and Film Roles
Carmen de Lavallade first appeared on television in a ballet by John Butler called Flight. In 1957, she was in a TV show by Duke Ellington called A Drum Is a Woman. She also acted in several plays that were not on Broadway. These included Othello and Death of a Salesman.
A famous singer, Lena Horne, introduced Carmen to movie executives. This led to more acting jobs between 1952 and 1955. She appeared in several films. These included Carmen Jones (1954) with Dorothy Dandridge. She was also in Odds Against Tomorrow (1959) with Harry Belafonte. Later, she appeared in Lone Star (1996).
Teaching and Later Dance Work
Carmen de Lavallade was a main guest performer with the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. They toured Asia together. In some countries, the company was even called the de Lavallade-Ailey American Dance Company. She also danced with Donald McKayle. In 1965, she appeared in Agnes de Mille's American Ballet Theatre shows.
In 1970, her friend John Butler encouraged her to teach. She began teaching at the Yale School of Drama. There, she was a choreographer and performer. She directed musicals, plays, and operas. Eventually, she became a professor and part of the Yale Repertory Theater. Some of her famous students included Meryl Streep and Sigourney Weaver. From 1990 to 1993, Carmen returned to the Metropolitan Opera. She worked as a choreographer for the operas Porgy and Bess and Die Meistersinger.
In 1996, Carmen de Lavallade, Gus Solomons jr., and Dudley Williams started a dance group. It was called PARADIGM. This group was for dancers over 50 years old. Their goal was to show and celebrate the talents of older artists on stage. PARADIGM toured and had new dances created for them.
In 2014, Carmen de Lavallade presented her solo show, As I Remember It. This show explored her dance history. She used performance, film, and storytelling to share her memories.
Personal Life
Carmen de Lavallade lived in New York City with her husband, Geoffrey Holder. He passed away on October 5, 2014. Their lives together were featured in a 2005 documentary. It was called Carmen and Geoffrey. The couple had one son named Léo.
Awards and Honors
Carmen de Lavallade has received many awards for her amazing career. In 2004, she got the Black History Month Lifetime Achievement Award. She also received the Rosie Award, which honors great achievements in theater. In 2006, she won the Bessie Award. The Capezio Dance Award followed in 2007.
She also received honorary degrees from universities. In 2006, she got an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from the State University of New York. In 2008, she received one from the Juilliard School.
In 2016, Carmen de Lavallade received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Obie Awards. This award celebrates excellence in off-Broadway theater. In April 2017, she was honored at The New Jewish Home's gala in New York City.
In December 2017, she received the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors Award. This is one of the highest awards for artists in the United States. On August 17, 2017, she announced she would not attend a reception at the White House. This reception was later canceled. However, she did attend a dinner hosted by the State Department.
On August 30, 2023, Carmen de Lavallade received another honor. She was given Richmond Ballet's Lifetime Achievement in Dance Award. This happened before a performance at the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts.
