#Carmen de Lavallade

[fragrantblossoms]

Moneta Sleet Jr. Carmen de Lavallade and her son, Leo, circa 1970.

[nofatclips]

Formwela 12 by Esperanza Spalding featuring Carmen de Lavallade

[gacougnol]

Carl Van Vechten

Carmen de Lavallade, dancer, choreographer, actress, 1955

[weirdtvland]

Carmen de Lavallade & Geoffrey Holder on their Wedding Day, 1955.

[edtype]

Celebrating a Queen: Carmen de Lavallade

Reflecting on the loss this year of two breathtaking dancers—Judith Jamison and Michaela DePriest—led to thoughts of a remarkable dancer who preceded them—Carmen de Lavallade. She was from the era of Alvin Ailey, an already known quantity who joined him in the early years of his company as a supportive friend. As a choreographer, De Lavallade made many contributions to modern dance and received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2017. She was married to actor (and former dancer) Geoffrey Holder, who achieved popularity in the 70s as the “Uncola Man,” a spokesperson for the 7-Up soft drink. The couple led true, mad, and deep artistic lives in New York and became the subject of the 2005 documentary Carmen & Geoffrey.

Zawe Aston’s looks, artistic passions, and voluminous fashion tastes are reminiscent of Carmen de Lavallade. I sometimes wonder if Zawe knows she seems to channel the dancer. Zawe’s pic is the second among these of Carmen.

[thechanelmuse]

My Book Review

I finished this book a week ago. I’m still struggling to put my thoughts into words because this book jam packs a load of history in 430 pages. Where does one start? 

Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams travels back in time to the founding of what would be Los Angeles in 1781 by a group of eleven families—forty four Black Spaniards— before building upon the land and establishing what would be the home of the film industry. This book spans six decades within the history of Black actors in Hollywood beginning with Madame Sul-Te-Wan, the first. It even includes those surrounding the Hollywood scene like dancer Carmen de Lavallade and Paul Williams, the foremost trailblazing Black architect who created the blueprint for the eye-catching structures and homes of the stars still standing firm today. 

Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams is a lot to take in from the bad to the good. It’s partly because the wealth of info would be more digestible had it been fleshed out further without creating a sweeping effect (like snippets) through moments in time to build the larger framework. After all, we’re talking sixty years. 

I’m a cinephile so I would’ve enjoyed more focus into the actual creation of a number of films, particularly the all-Black productions in those days. As for the gossip scene and the 👀 happenings in their world, here’s a snippet: Duke Ellington had an affair with Freida Washington, whom she felt was the love of her life. Duke wouldn't leave his wife so Freida did work in Paris to keep busy and get over him. When she returned, she ended up marrying a member of Duke’s band 🙃. Also, Lena Horne had an on and off-again affair with heavyweight boxer, Joe Louis. Might be hella messy and pearl-clutching in our world, but you gotta remember Hollywood is its own world. Small. They operate differently and nothing is swept under the rug in their society. Though discreet, everyone knew everyone’s biz.

I can’t even imagine the amount of research that went into making this book. It’s def worth the read. Just know that it may feel a little dense because it’s so many actors, gigs ands so forth spanning decades.

PHOTOSET: Madame Sul-Te-Wan, Ernest “Sunshine Sammy” Morrison, Ethel Waters with Freida Washington, Daniel L. Haynes with Nina Mae McKinney, Mildred Washington, The Nicolas Brothers, Eartha Kitt with Sammy Davis Jr, Joe Louis with Lena Horne, and the Dandridge sisters: Dorothy and Vivian.

SN: Off-topic. The author’s surname, Bogle, caught my attention when I first got this book, which had to be about about 10 years ago now. (Yes, this book has been sitting on my shelf for that long...among the other 600+.) The only Black Americans I’m familiar with with that surname are from Philly dating back to chef Robert Bogle, the creator of catering: 

Whad'ya know? The author too is from Philly. I’m curious if they’re related. That’s a book in and of itself.

[ouibo-repris]

Carmen de Lavallade - Carl van Vachten @fragrantblossoms

[shakespearenews]

Carmen de Lavallade as Titania

She took on acting roles as well, including one legendary performance as Titania in Alvin Epstein’s revelatory vision of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Yale Rep. Carmen was also assigned choreographer duties, getting the fairies to move as forest creatures, toads, beetles, butterflies... Jack Kroll’s review in Newsweek explains it all: “The fusion of Shakespeare’s language and Purcell’s music is pure enchantment, intensified by the decisive contribution of Carmen de Lavallade as choreographer, dancer and the play’s Titania. It would take Shakespeare himself to describe Miss de Lavallade, whose supernal beauty embodies not only the physical but what I will splutteringly call the moral power of her presence. With Epstein she has devised witty behavioral music for the different levels of character.”

SDC Journal Fall 2023

[bo-deuxtons]

[lovesavedtheday]

[ashotasfireandasdeepastheocean1]

...🎶❤️

.

Continuing the celebration of the photographer’s birthday today, a selection of Carl Van Vechten’s  brilliant color portraits of African American performers: Billie Holiday, Geoffrey Holder, Pearl Bailey, Carmen De Lavallade, Ella Fitzgerald, Joyce Bryant, Harry Belafonte, Ethel Waters, James Earl Jones, and Blanche Dunn.

[fragrantblossoms]

Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection. Carmen De Lavallade, 1960s

[gacougnol]

Carl Van Vechten

Carmen de Lavallade, dancer, choreographer, actress, 1955

[hotvintagepoll]

Albert Dieudonné (Napoléon)—Forget that Ridley Scott nonsense, REAL Napoleons are directed by Abel Gance and played by Albert Dieudonné with scraggly hair and intense brooding silent-film eye contact.

Jeni Le Gon (Double Deal, Hooray for Love)—she brings life and joy and just this loose, easy-breezy energy to her tap dancing. Unlike the more polished styles of Black dancers Katherine Dunham and Carmen de Lavallade, Jeni Le Gon is a classic /hoofer/—while still fully in control, she brings a casual air to her dancing, like a kid just let out of school, swinging her arms and making adorable little faces as she moves. She's so perky and fun to watch, with a light silliness that I wish we saw more of!

This is round 1 of the contest. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. If you're confused on what a scrungle is, or any of the rules of the contest, click here.

[additional submitted propaganda + scrungly videos under the cut]

Albert Dieudonné:

Jeni Le Gon:

she's so cute here!!

[thesistermoon]

Portrait of Carmen de Lavallade, by Geoffrey Holder

[1five1two]

'Portrait of Carmen de Lavallade'. Geoffrey Holder. 1976.