Friends of Dance Lecture: Midtown Dance: Black Concert Dance Histories and New York City's Clark Center, 1959-1989
2025–2026 Emory Dance, Free Event / No Tickets Required, Friends of Dance Lecture: Midtown Dance: Black Concert Dance Histories and New York City's Clark Center, 1959-1989
Kristopher Pourzal, PhD, Assistant Professor, Kennesaw State University
You probably know something about Alvin Ailey, but have you heard of Thelma Hill, Charles Moore, and Pepsi Bethel? Like Ailey, all of these choreographers were beloved fixtures in the New York City dance scene of the 1960s-80s. All of them helped to shape multiple generations of dance artists. And all taught at Clark Center. Originally founded as a home for Ailey's company in 1959, Clark Center was a vibrant hub of dance teaching and training, especially for African Americans. In this lecture, I share this under-told history of Black concert dance, drawing on archival research and oral history interviews with over twenty Clark Center alumni. Also key to understanding Clark Center’s significance was its location: midtown Manhattan, near Times Square and Broadway.…
University Event Topic: Arts. School: All Emory University. Department / Organization: Schwartz Center for Performing Arts. Emory Dance Program. Event Open To: All (Public). Building/Room: Donna & Marvin Schwartz Center for Performing Arts. Contact Name: Anne Walker. Contact Email: awalker@emory.edu.
Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 7:30 PM.
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts: Dance Studio | 1700 N Decatur Rd.