Edna Guy facts for kids

Edna Guy (1907–1982) was an African-American dance pioneer. She helped create modern dance. Born in 1907 in Summit, New Jersey, Edna lived at a time when black and white performers usually did not share the stage.

When she was fifteen, Edna went to a dance show in Greenwich Village. There she saw Ruth St. Denis, a famous modern dance pioneer. This show inspired Edna and started her lifelong journey in modern dance. She especially focused on dance for African-Americans.

Early Years and Big Dreams

Edna's parents did not have much money. But they still helped their only child follow her dream of dance. They paid for her training as much as they could.

After seeing Ruth St. Denis, Edna was amazed. She sent St. Denis a note backstage, signing it "Edna Guy, colored girl." St. Denis was touched by the note. This started many letters between them. Edna greatly admired St. Denis. She even called her "utterly beautiful" in a poem.

Edna really wanted to dance at Denishawn. This was a famous dance school started by St. Denis and her husband, Ted Shawn. But St. Denis felt Edna was not ready yet. Still, St. Denis was very caring in her letters to Edna. She even wrote, "from that day until now I have become her white mama." This was important because Edna's own mother had passed away in 1920.

It was hard for black dancers to find jobs in concert dance. Edna tried out for chorus girl roles. But she was never chosen because her skin was considered "too dark." St. Denis wrote to Edna about her struggles. She said, "Yes, I know you have this race problem with you constantly... Some things cannot be forced or hurried." They both agreed Edna needed more training. So, Edna stayed with Ms. Linnel, her dance teacher in Harlem. Ms. Linnel taught entertainment dance. Edna longed to join the modern dance world. In 1924, she was finally accepted into the Denishawn School in New York.

Training at Denishawn

Edna started at Denishawn in October 1924. Her main teacher was Katherine Edison. She taught Edna dance technique and how to express feelings through movement. Edna also took private classes from Paul Mathis. She learned dances like ' 'Temple Bells' ' and ' 'Dancing Girl of Dehli' ' from Hazel Krans. Edna wrote to St. Denis about her time there: "The future holds much brightness for me—I smile, I learn, I dance and wait—and I’m happy."

While at Denishawn, Edna also took classes at Hunter College. She studied typing and shorthand. From 1927 to 1928, she traveled with St. Denis as her personal assistant. Through St. Denis, Edna met Soichi Sunami, a Japanese-American photographer. He took some of the few pictures we have of her.

Even after three years of training, Edna was only allowed to perform in small shows at the school. Her race was still a barrier. In 1930, she continued working as St. Denis’ seamstress and wardrobe assistant. Around this time, Edna and her friends created dances to Negro spirituals. These were songs her mother loved. Later, Edna had to leave the company because of a misunderstanding. But she and St. Denis became friends again later in life.

After Denishawn

After leaving Denishawn, Edna struggled at first. She took many different jobs, like maid, cook, and artist's model. She tried out for many dance roles but never got them. She felt it was because "the light skinned girls with the flashing eyes" got all the parts.

Edna started to connect with other artists. One was Hemsley Winfield, another African-American dancer and choreographer. She faced depression, which made it hard to start her own dance company. But by March 1931, she was performing with the New Negro Art Theatre. She was a main performer alongside Winfield. For this show, she created and performed Madrassi Nautch. This was a type of dance similar to one of St. Denis’ popular styles.

Soon after, in April 1931, Edna helped direct the “First Negro Dance Recital In America” with Winfield. She performed a piece called A Figure From Angkor Wat. That year, she also put on other shows, including her “dance spirituals.” These were performed at the Chanin Theatre. In May 1931, she held a concert at the Harlem 138th Street Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA). Her dances were followed by a lecture from St. Denis. Edna was also mentioned in Dance Magazine in August 1931. The magazine announced she would be in a play called Salome by Oscar Wilde. She would perform with Asadata Dafora, a dancer from Sierra Leone. On May 7, 1932, Edna put on a concert at Roerich Hall. She performed five solo dances. One was African Plastique, her first piece using African themes.

In 1937, Edna became a key organizer in the African-American dance community. She and Allison Burroughs put on a show called Negro Dance Evening on March 7. This show helped make Katherine Dunham’s dance company famous. The concert showed different cultures from the African diaspora. In one part of the show, Edna and Burroughs performed a piece called Shout. In the final section, Edna performed her solo After Gauguin. The show ended with Negro Songs of Protest, a dance she co-created with Burroughs. Dance Magazine called the show “spectacular entertainment.”

That same year, Edna organized “Dance International” at Rockefeller Center. About forty dance groups performed there. In 1938, Edna opened a dance school in New York. In 1939, she served on a committee for the American Dance Association.

Later Life

Edna Guy married Walter McCully on May 21, 1939. They later moved to Enfield, New Hampshire. By this time, she had stopped her dance career. This was partly because of the Great Depression. She had several heart attacks in the mid-1940s. By the 1960s, she was living in Hudson, New York. Edna Guy passed away in 1983 in Fort Worth, Texas. She had lived there for the last seven years of her life.

Works by Edna Guy

• Madrassi Nautch (1931)
• Luleta’s Dance (1932)
• After Gauguin (1932)
• Gimme Yo Han (1932)
• Juba (1932)
• Negro Songs of Protest (co-choreographed with Alison Burroughs; 1937)