Hope Clarke facts for kids

Hope Clarke (born March 23, 1941) is an American actress, dancer, vocalist, choreographer, and director. She was nominated for a Tony Award. In 1995, Hope Clarke made history. She became the first African-American woman to direct and choreograph a major show of the famous opera, Porgy and Bess.

Clarke started her career as a main dancer. She danced with the Katherine Dunham Company and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. As an actress, she appeared in many plays, movies, and TV shows. As a choreographer, Clarke created dances and movements for over 30 shows. These shows were both on and off Broadway.

Early Life and Dance Training

Hope Clarke was born in Washington, D.C.. Her parents were Maurice Aloysius Clarke and Hope Aldridge. She grew up with her sister, Barbara. They lived in a close-knit Black community. Clarke remembered that people in her community cared for each other. They watched out for each other's children.

Clarke and her sister began studying dance early. They went to the Alma Davis Dance School in Washington, D.C. She attended Spingarn High School and finished in 1959. In her last year of high school, she was a lead dancer. She performed with Doris W. Jones and her dance company.

A Career on Stage

From Broadway to Opera

In 1959, Clarke got a role in the touring cast of West Side Story. She joined the show in Chicago. She stayed with the cast until April 1960. In 1961, Clarke appeared in the play Kwamina. This show featured dances by Agnes de Mille. In 1967, she was part of the cast in Hallelujah, Baby!. This musical won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

Clarke also performed in opera. In 1966, she danced in the Metropolitan Opera's first show, Antony and Cleopatra. In 1970, she was a dancer in the musical “Purlie.” In 1972, she performed in “Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope.” This was the first Broadway musical directed by an African American woman, Vinnette Carroll.

Dancing with Famous Companies

Hope Clarke was a main dancer for two very important companies. These were the Katherine Dunham Company and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. With the Ailey company, she traveled all over the world. She received great reviews and cheers from audiences. Besides dancing with Dunham and Ailey, Clarke also performed with other dance groups. These included companies led by Tally Beatty, George Faison, and Louis Johnson.

Clarke also helped start a dance company. It was called the 5 Plus Ensemble. This group was created to show the work of dancers, choreographers, and musicians who were over 50 years old.

Film and Television Roles

After dancing on Broadway and around the world, Clarke moved to Hollywood, California. She had some memorable movie roles. She acted with Sidney Poitier in A Piece of the Action (1977). She also worked on the movie A Book of Numbers. Later, she played Jean-Michel Basquiat's mother, Matilde, in Basquiat (1996).

Clarke appeared in many TV shows. She had guest roles on Hill Street Blues, Amen, Another World, As the World Turns, Beat Street, Hart to Hart, The Jeffersons, The Ropers, ... and the City, and Three's Company. She was also in the TV miniseries King (1978). This series was about the life of Martin Luther King Jr..

Working with George C. Wolfe

In 1986, a Broadway director named George C. Wolfe hired Clarke. He wanted her to create movement for his play, The Colored Museum. This started a long partnership between them. Wolfe and Clarke worked together on 10 plays and musicals. These included the opera Amistad and the play Spunk. They also worked on Broadway shows like Jelly's Last Jam, Caroline, Or Change, and A Free Man of Color.

In 1992, Clarke was nominated for a Tony Award. This was for “Best Choreography” for her work in Jelly's Last Jam. The show started in New York and Los Angeles. It then became a big Broadway hit.

In 2003, she began working on Caroline, or Change. This musical featured many types of music. Clarke was in charge of the choreography. The show started off-Broadway. Then it moved to Broadway in 2004. It was nominated for six Tony Awards. It also won an Olivier Award in London for Best New Musical. In 2010, Clarke choreographed A Free Man of Color.

More Stage Work

Hope Clarke continued to work on many stage productions. In 1985, she played “Ruby” in the musical Grind. In 1995, she choreographed “The Tempest.” In 1997, Clarke directed Nobody Says Baby Like A Black Man. This play was a collection of African American love poems.

In 2017, she choreographed Fly. This play was about the Tuskegee Airmen. The show toured to many theaters across the United States. In 2025, Clarke choreographed Blues in the Night at the Arizona Theatre Company.

Directing Porgy & Bess

In 1995, Hope Clarke directed the Houston Grand Opera's show of Porgy & Bess. She was the first African American to direct a major professional U.S. production of this opera. Porgy and Bess is known as America’s greatest opera. The Houston Grand production toured across the United States. It also had performances in Italy and Japan.

In 2012, Clarke directed another production of Porgy & Bess. This was for Morgan State University. It was performed at the Murphy Fine Arts Center.

Hope Clarke's Thoughts

Hope Clarke has shared her thoughts on her work:

• “I want African Americans who come to see the opera to be proud. Proud that an African American is directing the show. And to recognize the people on stage.”
• "Black people and women have been kept from directing big shows for too long. It's time for us to tell our stories. And to direct them too."
• "As a director, I think I bring a female way of thinking. Since I'm also an actress, I try to help performers develop their characters. So they don't just sing or just act. Coming from a Black perspective, I understand how we think and feel. I understand the small details. That makes a difference."
• “In my shows, everyone works. Everyone has some kind of job. Just because you are poor doesn't mean you have to be messy or not smart."

Awards and Recognition

Hope Clarke has received many honors and awards for her work:

• 2020 – Elected to the Board of Directors for the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.
• 2018 – Honored at the 3rd Annual Project1VOICE HONORS. This celebrated artists who shape American culture.
• 2015-2018 and 2009-2012 – Served on the Tony Awards Nominating Committee.
• 2004 – Won the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Choreographer for Caroline, Or Change.
• 1993 – Nominated for a Tony Award for Best Choreography for Jelly's Last Jam. She shared this with Gregory Hines and Ted Levy.
• 1993 – Won the Outer Critics Award for Best Choreography for Jelly’s Last Jam.
• 1991 – Won the NAACP Image Award for Best Choreography for Jelly's Last Jam.
• 1988 – Won the Drama Logue Award for Outstanding Choreography for The Colored Museum.

Stage Performances and Choreography

Hope Clarke has been involved in many stage productions. She has worked as a performer, choreographer, and director.

TV and Film Appearances

Hope Clarke has acted and choreographed for television and movies.