Joan Myers Brown
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Joan Myers Brown | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 25, 1931 |
| Occupation(s) | Director, educator, dancer |
| Years active | 1970- |
| Awards | National Medal of Arts |
Joan Myers Brown (born 25 December 1931) is an American dance company director and former dancer. In 1970, she founded PHILADANCO, a modern dance company in Philadelphia.[1] In 2012, she received a National Medal of Arts in recognition of her career.[2]
Brown is the only child of Nellie Lewis, a nuclear scientist, and Julius Myers, a chef and restaurateur, born on 25 December 1931 in Philadelphia. Native to both Philadelphia and North Carolina, she grew up mainly on 47th Street and Paschall Avenue of Southwest Philadelphia.[3]
Brown's first dance instructors and role models were Essie Marie Dorsey, Sydney Gibson King, and Marion Durham Cuyjet. As a child she wished to shatter the social barriers prohibiting African Americans from becoming famous in the world of dance.[4]
During a time where famous dance personalities were predominantly light-skinned, Brown worked hard to make sure that people of color acquired equal status in mainstream dance. She dreamed of a school where African Americans could learn and develop through methods tailored specifically to their individual needs - a program that was specially created for ethnic bodies.[4]
Accomplishments
Brown's accomplishments were many:[3]
- 1960: Established The Philadelphia School of Dance Arts
- 1970: Founded The Philadelphia Dance Company (more commonly known as Philadanco)
- 1988: Founded the International Conference of Black Dance Companies
- 1991: Created the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD)
- 1995–: Distinguished guest, dance faculty at Howard University