In 1977, Des Moines civil rights activist, Edna Griffin, wrote a strongly worded opinion piece defending the a local dance studio, the Gateway Dance Theatre. But why? In this piece, IWA student assistant Kelly Kemp explores the connection between civil rights and dance through the papers of Gateway’s founder, Penny Furgerson.
Tag Archives: dance
25 for 25: Dieman-Bennett Dance Theatre of the Hemispheres
“Diversity in Dance.” This was the motto of Edna Dieman and Julia Bennett when they founded the Dieman-Bennett Dance Theatre of the Hemispheres in 1951. The Cedar Rapids dance school operated until 1997, with classes in classical ballet, as well as dance styles from Spain and India. Miss. Dieman and Miss. Bennett, as theyContinue reading “25 for 25: Dieman-Bennett Dance Theatre of the Hemispheres”