The 1920s: The Gilpin Players
In the 1920s, a few years after the founding of Karamu House, formerly known as the Playhouse Settlement, the Gilpin Players formerly known as Dumas Players incorporated both theatre and dance in their performances
Dance: Playhouse Settlement by Karamu HouseKaramu Performing Arts Theatre
The 1930s: Girls' Dance Group of the Playhouse Settlement
In the 1930s, dancer and choreographer Marjorie Witt Johnson joined the Playhouse Settlement, taking charge of a group of teenage campers and eventually training them into an in-house dance group, which she named the Karamu Dancers.
The 1940s: Karamu Goes to the New York World’s Fair
The Karamu Dancers were under the direction of dancer and choreographer Eleanor Frampton. After receiving glowing reviews, the Karamu Dancers were invited to the New York World Fair in 1940. They performed Sermon, a dance choreographed by Marjorie Witt Johnson.
Eleanor Frampton
Eleanor Frampton's tenure as director and choreographer of the Karamu Dancers spanned three decades, from 1943 through 1961. The Karamu Dancers affectionately took on the moniker "Frampie's Chicks," and for ten consecutive summers they attended the American Dance Festival at Connecticut College.
The 1940s: Karamu Dancers at Grand Opening
A decade after the devastating fire of 1939 interrupted Karamu's use of its original campus, the Karamu Dancers perform on the outdoor stage at the new theatre building dedication in 1949. Throughout this decade, they danced on Karamu stages and at schools across the country.
The 1950s: The Karamu Dancers
Dance remained an integral part of Karamu’s theatre programming. One such production was the much-beloved Jamaica, which holds the record as Karamu’s longest-running show, at 17 weeks. Several of the Karamu Dancers took part in this production including Angie Berry and Sandra Tilly.
Dance: Ballet Ballads (1964) by Karamu HouseKaramu Performing Arts Theatre
The 1960s: Vision of Karamu Dancers
The 1960s saw a shift in dance at Karamu. Upon Eleanor Frampton’s retirement from the Karamu Dancers, Joan Hartshorne became the group’s new director. In 1969, she presented the following list of the Karamu Dancers’ objectives:
Dance Objective 1
To increase knowledge of Karamu House and of contemporary dance in the immediate area (Northeast Ohio).
Dance Objective 2
To provide cultural enrichment at a smaller fee than— but at as high a level as— New York dance companies to various communities and especially to colleges and universities in the area.
Dance Objective 3
To help raise money for Karamu House so that the dancers in the company can teach more classes to more children at Karamu House.
Dance Objective 4
To provide more performing experience for the dancers in the company knowing that this will help to make them better dance teachers.
Dance Objective 5
To provide a living example of black and white people working together. This is not a white company with a token black member nor is it a black company with a token white member. It is truly integrated.
Joan Hartshorne, On Teaching Dance at Karamu
“I feel that dance has an especially valuable place in a large-scale program in the arts, since it is the only one that requires no intermediary instrument. Self-expressing is possible immediately." - Dance Program, Cleveland Summer Arts Festival, 1967
Joan Hartshorne in Action
In her position as director of the dance program, Joan Hartshorne introduced jazz dance to Karamu. Joan Hartshorne, pictured with students giving dance instruction.
The 1970s: A Powerhouse of Dance
Dance blossomed in the ‘70s. Pictured to the left are the Karamu Concert Dancers--, photographed to promote their annual spring concert.
Dance: Dianne McIntyre Sounds in Motion (1975) by unknownKaramu Performing Arts Theatre
Dianne McIntrye brings Sounds in Motion to Karamu
In 1975, Karamu invited Dianne McIntrye and her dance company Sounds in Motion to perform. Pictured is a photograph of dancers performing a Sounds and Motion piece, “Smoke and Clouds," at Karamu.
Master Classes
In addition to Dianne McIntrye's company Sounds In Motion performing at Karamu, she also taught master classes to hone in on technique and style.
Formation of New Dance Groups
In 1980, dancers Marjorie Witt Johnson and Linda Thomas Jones, also known as Mama Fasi, founded the Imani African American Dance Company.
Also, in the 1990s Karamu had a dance company, Karamu MEA Dancers, a group of senior dancers who performed around the city and neighborhood.
Dianne McIntyre Honors Marjorie Witt Johnson
After performing and holding classes in the 1970s, Dianne McIntyre returned to Karamu to choreograph "Daughter of a Buffalo Soldier", a production that honors the life of Marjorie Witt Johnson, including her tenure at Karamu.
Today: Summer Arts Academy
A part of Karamu's mission is to provide arts education programming to the Cleveland community. Students learn many aspects of performance including acting and dance, which they present on Karamu's stages in culminating events and to audiences all over the city.
Today: Arts Education Dance Programming
Karamu House has a long history of master classes, arts education and community programming for all ages throughout the year. Classes celebrating both the teaching artist and the aspiring artist.
Today: Room In The House Residency
Room In The House (RITH) is a residency program that selects from a pool of artist applicants. At least one of the spots in the cohurt are awarded to a performing artist. Pictured is dancer and RITH alumna, Lexi Lattimore.
Today: Dance Cheoreography in Theatre Productions
While there is no longer a formal Karamu dance group, chereographed dances are utilize throughout theatre productions just as they were a 100 years ago when the Gilpin Players performed.
Tony F. Sias, Karamu House President + CEO
Rockell S. Churby Llanos, Administrative Manager + Archive Project Director
Annette Bailey, Retiree + Karamu Archivist
Aseelah Shareef, Vice-President + COO
Essence Deras, Karamu/Summer on the Cuyahoga Archives Intern from Smith College
Sophie Weinberg, CWRU Kalvin Smith Library/Summer on the Cuyahoga Archives Intern from Smith College
Photo & Content Credits -
Karamu House Archive; Karamu House Archive Collection - Case Western Reserve University Kelvin Smith Library Special Collections; Russell and Rowena Jelliffe Papers - Western Reserve Historical Society/Cleveland History Center; Cleveland Memory Project; Cleveland Press; Getty Images; Cleveland Public Library/Photograph Collection
