Pearl Primus

Pearl Primus
Primus performing The Negro Speaks of Rivers in 1944
Born	(1919-11-29)November 29, 1919 Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Died	October 29, 1994(1994-10-29) (aged 74) New Rochelle, New York, United States
Occupation	Choreographer, dancer, anthropologist
Spouse(s)	Percival Borde
Former groups	New Dance Group

Pearl Eileen Primus (November 29, 1919 – October 29, 1994) was a dancer, choreographer and anthropologist. Primus played an important role in the presentation of African dance to American audiences. Early in her career she saw the need to promote African dance as an art form worthy of study and performance. Primus' work was a reaction to myths of savagery and the lack of knowledge about African people. It was an effort to guide the Western world to view African dance as an important and dignified statement about another way of life.

In 1940, Primus entered Hunter College as a graduate student in biology, and, while looking for work, joined the National Youth Administration group as an understudy, thus beginning her first theatrical experience. She quickly improved in her abilities and, within a year, won a scholarship from the New Dance Group, a left-wing school and performance company located on the Lower East Side of New York City.

Primus began to research African dance, "consulting books, articles, and pictures and visiting museums'. After six months, she had completed her first composition, African Ceremonial. It was presented along with Strange Fruit, Rock Daniel, and Hard Time Blues, at her debut performance on February 14, 1943, at the 92nd Street YMHA. Her performance was so outstanding that John Martin of the New York Times states that "she was entitled to a company of her own."

Her next performances began in April 1943, as an entertainer at the famous night club, Cafe Society Downtown, for ten months.

In June 1943, Primus performed at the Negro Freedom Rally at Madison Square Garden before an audience of 20,000 people.

Primus also choreographed a work to Langston Hughes's famous poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers", which was performed at her Broadway debut on October 4, 1944, at the Bealson Theatre.