Carmen de Lavallade, a revolutionary black dancer and choreographer, died Monday, December 29. The 94-year-old legend died at a hospital in Englewood, New Jersey, following a brief illness. Ms. Lavallade was the widow of dancer, actor, director and choreographer Geoffrey Holder. Their son confirmed his death.
A family member inspired Lavallade’s dance aspiration
She was born Carmen Paula de Lavallade on March 6, 1931 in Los Angeles. His family, originally from New Orleans, had emigrated to the West in the 1920s. His father, Leo, was a mason and postal worker. Her mother, Grace Grenot of Lavallade, died when the dancer was a teenager.
Her cousin, Janet Collins, who broke glass ceilings to become the Metropolitan Opera House’s principal dancer in the 1950s, fueled Ms. de Lavallade’s interest in dance and served as her mentor. The aspiring dancer was dedicated to learning and took three buses to her classes in Hollywood.
It paid off: At the age of 16, she received a scholarship to study with modern dance master and founder of the Dance Theater of Los Angeles, Lester Horton. She brought her high school boyfriend, Alvin Ailey, to class.
Ms. Lavallade performed as a principal dancer with Horton from 1949 until 1954, when she joined Alvin Ailey’s company. According to the New York Times, Lavallade said: “At Mr. HHorton’s school, she imbibed his multidisciplinary approach, taking classes in ballet, modern and African dance, as well as theater, music and painting. »
Ms. Lavallade’s Broadway debut led to love
Her exquisite dancing prowess caught the attention of influential people. Lena Horne helped Ms. Lavallade discover movie roles in Hollywood. She starred alongside Harry Belafonte in Odds against tomorrow. A role in Otto Preminger Carmen Jones led her to participate in the Broadway production of Truman Capote’s film. House of Flowers. It debuted in December 1954 with stars including Pearl Bailey, Diahann Carroll and Alvin Ailey. During production, she met co-star Geoffrey Holder, and the two married in 1955, remaining an artistic power couple until his death in 2014. The two choreographed her signature solo, “Come Sunday”.
His career spanned six decades
The prolific actress, dancer and choreographer has lent her talents to several companies, including Donald McKayle, American Ballet Theatre, Dance Theater of Harlem and the Metropolitan Opera. She joined the Yale School of Drama as a choreographer and performer in residence in the 1970s, before becoming a professor at Yale Repertory Theater. She continued to dance throughout the decades, giving her last performance at age 88.
Ms. de Lavallade and her work have won numerous awards, including the Black History Month Lifetime Achievement Award, the Bessie Award, and the Rosie Award. She received the 2017 Kennedy Center Honors. Her legacy will continue to inspire creatives for decades.
Our sincere condolences go to his family, in particular to his son Léo and his sister Yvonne de Lavallade Davis.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/VWH-GettyImages-1389517823-7d42499a33694d97affbf0694b87f579.jpg?w=390&resize=390,220&ssl=1 "What happens to your gut and immune health when you combine ginger and honey")
