I have some general questions. Why is the dance Theater of Guinea called Les Ballets Africains? After all of our prior readings, that seems like such an oxymoron.
It was kind of difficult to interpret the photograph of Ismay's company in 1950. By this time Dunham and others who followed in her path had worked to legitimate African dance in America but the dancers in the photograph on page 145 chose to pose in exotic,almost primitive, positions. I question whether it was a marketing technique with the director thinking that it is what the general public wanted to see. Ismay Andrews and her dancers have really nice abs I might add.
I am noticing a lot of names of African decent. I question whether they are the director's actual legitimate names or if they made a conscious decision to change them to give the appearance of being "authentic." I was reflecting on the flyers for your dance concert where Eva Asa Asante (something like that) gave a testimonial. I was sitting with Darkowa in Proctor and she was so annoyed that she chose that name because she misappropriated it.
The past two readings have demonstrated the influence of Katherine Dunham as she receives direct quotes or honorable mention in both of them.
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