Carolyn Adams (dancer)
Carolyn Adams | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 16, 1943 New York City, New York, United States |
| Education | Sarah Lawrence College (BA), Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, Fordham University (MSW), Sorbonne University |
| Occupation(s) | Dancer, choreographer, teacher |
| Spouse | Robert Kahn |
| Relatives | Julie Adams Strandberg (sister) |
Carolyn Adams (born 1943) is an American dancer, choreographer, and teacher. In 1965, she joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company (PTDC), being the first and only African-American member at the time, and she remained a dancer there until 1982.[1][2] She is faculty at the Juilliard School in New York City since 1983.
Biography
[edit]Adams was born on August 16, 1943, in New York City, and raised in Harlem.[3] Her parents were Olive Arnold Adams, a writer and composer; and Julius J. Adams, a newspaper editor.[3] Her sister Julie Adams Strandberg also became a noted dancer in New York City.[1][4] She attended the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, and studied dance at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance (now Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance), with Martha Graham.[3]
Adams graduated with a B.A. degree in 1965 from Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, New York; and a M.S.W. degree in 2006 from Fordham University in New York City.[3] She also attended the Sorbonne University in Paris.
In 1965 joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company (PTDC), while attending her final year at Sarah Lawrence College.[4] At her time of hire at PTDC, she was the first and only African-American dancer.[3] Adams married Robert Kahn, another dancer at the Paul Taylor Dance Company.[1]
Adams gained recognition as a dancer, and taught choreography workshops in London and Denmark. In 1973, while continuing her career as a dancer, she founded the Harlem Dance Studio and Foundation with her sister Julie Adams Strandberg.[3] She is a faculty member at the Juilliard School in New York City since 1983.[3] In May 2024, Adams was conferred a honorary doctorate degree from Juilliard School.[5] Adams is a curator at the American Dance Legacy Institute at Brown University, an organization founded by her sister.[3] She has also served as a panelist on the New York State Council on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Kourlas, Gia (November 4, 2024). "A Taylor Dancer for the Ages, 'Unmannered and Wondrous'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
- ^ Matthews, Nadine (2022-02-17). "Carolyn Adams on Carrying the Torch for the Next Generation of Modern Dancers". Dance Teacher. Retrieved 2025-01-04.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Carolyn Adams's Biography". The HistoryMakers. Retrieved 2025-01-01.
- ^ a b Belt, Byron (1975-06-01). "Dancer teaches kids to love movement". Staten Island Advance. p. 26. Retrieved 2025-01-01 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Juilliard to Confer Honorary Doctorates Upon Carolyn Adams, Jessica Chastain, Emerson String Quartet, and Tania León At Its 119th Commencement Ceremony at The Juilliard School". Juilliard School.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- 1944 births
- Living people
- African-American choreographers
- African-American dancers
- African-American female dancers
- African-American women choreographers
- American choreographers
- American dancers
- American dance teachers
- American female dancers
- American modern dancers
- American women choreographers
- Dancers from New York (state)
- Ethical Culture Fieldston School alumni
- Juilliard School faculty
- Fordham University alumni
- Sarah Lawrence College alumni
- Sorbonne Paris North University alumni