Dancer

DePrince (1995-2024) pirouetted her way into the hearts of Americans with her inspiring story and exceptional talent, beautifully showcased in the 2011 documentary "First Position."

Allen (1950) is an actress, choreographer, director, producer, and founder of a performing arts academy. The TV series "Fame" (1982-1987) marked her entertainment breakthrough when she both played dance teacher Lydia Grant and choreographed the series. She also received three Golden Globe nominations and one win for Best Actress for her role in 'Fame.' She also earned multiple Emmy Award nominations, winning five, and making history as the first Black woman to receive the Emmys' prestigious Governors Award for significant contributions to television.

Wilkinson (1935-2018) was the first Black woman to join a major ballet company when she joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in 1955.

A quadruple threat as an actress, singer, dancer, and director, Guy's dynamic career spans from her early days as a dancer for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to her continued work in television and film. Her versatility is evident in her two albums (Jasmine Guy and Try Me), Broadway performances in Grease!, Leader of the Pack, The Wiz, Dancin' in the Street, Bubbling Brown Sugar, and Chicago, and roles in Spike Lee's School Daze, Harlem Nights, Stompin' at the Savoy, and The Vampire Diaries.

Known as the "Queen Mother" and "Matriarch of Black Dance", Dunham (1909-2006) pioneered a new form of artistic expression by fusing her anthropological studies of Caribbean cultures with modern dance techniques, creating the Dunham Technique which is still widely taught today. She formed one of the first black ballet companies, the Katherine Dunham Dance Company, through which she showcased the beauty and power of the Dunham Technique's African diasporic dance movements. One of the company's celebrated works was the 1948 piece Caribbean Rhapsody, which featured a remarkable performance by the then 21-year-old Eartha Kitt. The company also achieved acclaim through Broadway and Hollywood performances that brought the Dunham Technique to global audiences.

Austin (1955) was the first Black woman to dance with the New York City Ballet (1971). She was also the first Black woman to become a principal ballerina at a major American ballet company, the Pennsylvania Ballet (1982).

Davis (1929-2018) was the first Black ballerina to perform with the Paris Opera Ballet, a Broadway actress, member of the Katherine Dunham Company, and the first wife of Miles Davis.