Outline Chronology
April 18, 1934 ~ AH born Memphis TN
[Schools: Leath School, Memphis / Harrison School, Garrison School, and Garnet Patterson Jr HS, Washington, DC / Levitan Business School, Phila.]
1950 ~ Arthur Hall debut in chorus of The Ordering of Moses
1951 ~ AH to PhilaTeachers include John Hines, Marion Cuyjet, Joe Nash, see Dance Education
Standard of costuming inspired by Katherine Dunham, Josephine Baker, & Uday Shankar of India
1952-1953 ~ Saka Acquaye's Black Beats Band
1953 - West African Cultural Society of Saka Acquaye
w/ AH, Bobby Crowder, Ione Nash, George Williams & others
see also ~ Saka Acquaye & 1980 Wulomei tour1954-1959 ~ Saka Acquaye's African Ensemble in America
Gold Coast Saturday Night on Elektra ~ Materials Sought
1955 - 1958 ~ AH in US Army, Special Services, Germany
1958 ~ Pioneer Katherine Dunham reforms her company and pioneers Alvin Ailey, Eleo Pomare, and Arthur Hall establish their companies. Arthur encouraged to investigate African heritage through dance by his mentor Joan Kerr [Joan Kerr Dancers], an angry woman noted for her foul mouth and powerful modern choreography rooted in the Yiddish tradition. Arthur's first concert presented by Joan Kerr at the Phila YWHA at Broad & Pine. Arthur Hall Afro-American Dance Ensemble began as Sidney King Dancers, then AADE, then AHAADE. Still known as Sydney King Dancers "under the direction of Arthur Hall" as late as 1962 [per Elizabeth Roberts poster]. Repertory generally presented as African Sketches at least into 1970. 16 mm film of this period may exist, specifically 1958 to 1960 Phila broadcast of Adam & Eve.
Chronological Overview
see Collection Logs for detail by year
- 1962
- 1965
- 1966
- 1967 ~ Bechlch ~ Mojuba
- 1968 ~ African Press Attaches [State Department] ~ Freedom Now Suite
~ Count Basie ~ Club Harlem ~ Action Summer ~ Jacob's Pillow
~ Dick Gregory ~Africa's Children
- 1969 ~ College tour ~ Club Harlem ~ Black Book ~ Better Break
~ Temple Music Festival ~ Jacob's Pillow ~ Ile Ife Center opens
- 1970 ~ Afro-Philadelphian ~ Philadelphia Folk Festival
- 1972 ~ Ile Ife Museum opens
- 1973 ~ Ile Ife House of Love ~ Orpheus Obatala & the Philadelphia Orchestra
- 1974 ~ Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance Festival ~ Company trip to Ghana
1975 ~ A City Called Heaven
1976 ~ Aida
1977 ~ Fat Tuesday & all that jazz ~ Snake Dance Teacher Dance
Milton and Ruby Batiste
photographs, 1977
1978 ~ Eulogy for John Coltrane ~ Philadelphia Bahia
1979 ~ American Dance Festival
1980 ~ Saka Acquaye & Wulomei
1981 ~ People to People founded
1982 ~ Treasures of Ancient Nigeria
1983 ~ Dance Black America ~ 25th Anniversary
1984 ~ Sweet Saturday Night
1985
1986
1987 ~ What's Going On? ~ Oba Koso
International tours
Ghana ~ first tour 1974
Ghana ~ 1985 for American Dance Festival ~ others unkown
Togo
Dahomey
Virgin Islands ~ 11/1974 St. Croix Arts Society
Trinidad
Jamaica
Haiti (Lavinia Williams School) [three tours]
Nigeria
Brazil ~ 1978 ~ Orisun Omi (The Well)
Zaire [American Dance Festival]
Mozambique (December 1985)
Kenya [for City of Memphis, 1989?]
Trinidad
Senegal
South Korea (ADF linkage program, 1991?)
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