Black History Month: Remembering historical Black dancers Josephine Baker and Alvin Ailey Jr.

Editor's note: The following is next in a series for Black History Month presented by Sheboygan Area Black-American Community Outreach.

As a resounding theme for 2024 and to commemorate the celebration of Black History Month, many organizations are paying homage and tribute to the various art forms and the artists that have paved the way for others.

Falling in line with this theme, the Black-American Community Outreach organization here in Sheboygan would like to take the opportunity to educate, engage and entertain our community with some Black historical information.

Here, we profile two historical Black dancers, Josephine Baker and Alvin Ailey Jr.

Josephine Baker's claim to fame? The 'Banana Dance.'

Josephine Baker was an American-born French dancer and singer who symbolized the beauty and vitality of Black-American culture in the 1920s.

Baker went on to become one of the most popular music hall entertainers in France. During World War II, she performed for integrated audiences of French and American troops.

The "Banana Dance" was Josephine Baker’s claim to fame! She became the first-ever American woman awarded the Croix de Guerre (a military decoration of France).

Baker served as a civil rights activist and worked with the NAACP.

Read part 1 of this series here: Black History Month in Sheboygan: Finding cultural connectivity through music

Alvin Ailey Jr. is one of modern dance's most important choreographers.

Alvin Ailey Jr. was an American dancer, director, choreographer and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Ailey is one of the most important choreographers in the history of modern dance. In 1958, at just 27 years old, he founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Ailey’s vision was of Black bodies unshackled and overflowing with feelings like confidence and sorrow. He created AAADT and its affiliated Alvin Ailey American Dance Center as havens for nurturing Black artists and expressing the universality of the African-American experience through dance.

He is best known for Ailey's masterwork, "Revelations" — a work that has been in its repertory since its creation in 1960. More than 23 million people in 71 countries have seen "Revelations" — more than any other modern dance work.

Toni White is president of Sheboygan Area Black-American Community Outreach.

This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Remembering historical Black dancers Josephine Baker, Alvin Ailey Jr.