Joan Myers Brown
Encyclopedia
Joan Myers Brown is an American dance
instructor.
Brown is the only child
of Nellie Lewis, a nuclear scientist, and Julius Myers, a chef and restaurateur. Native to both Philadelphia and North Carolina
she grew up mainly on 47th Street and Paschall Avenue of Southwest Philadelphia
. Brown's first dance instructors and role models were Essie Marie Dorsey, Sydney Gibson King, and Marion Durham Cuyjet. As a child she wished to shatter the social barriers prohibiting African American
s from becoming famous in the world of dance. During a time where famous dance personalities were predominantly light skinned, Brown worked hard to make sure that people of color acquired equal status in mainstream dance. She dreamed of a school where African Americans could learn and develop through methods tailored specifically to their individual needs - a program that was specially created for ethnic bodies.
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
instructor.
Brown is the only child
Only child
An only child is a person with no siblings, either biological or adopted. In a family with multiple offspring, first-borns, may be briefly considered only children and have a similar early family environment, but the term only child is generally applied only to those individuals who never have...
of Nellie Lewis, a nuclear scientist, and Julius Myers, a chef and restaurateur. Native to both Philadelphia and North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
she grew up mainly on 47th Street and Paschall Avenue of Southwest Philadelphia
Southwest Philadelphia
Southwest Philadelphia is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The section can be described as extending from the western side of the Schuylkill River to the city line, with the SEPTA Media/Elwyn Line serving as the northern border...
. Brown's first dance instructors and role models were Essie Marie Dorsey, Sydney Gibson King, and Marion Durham Cuyjet. As a child she wished to shatter the social barriers prohibiting African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
s from becoming famous in the world of dance. During a time where famous dance personalities were predominantly light skinned, Brown worked hard to make sure that people of color acquired equal status in mainstream dance. She dreamed of a school where African Americans could learn and develop through methods tailored specifically to their individual needs - a program that was specially created for ethnic bodies.
Accomplishments
- Founded The Philadelphia Dance CompanyThe Philadelphia Dance CompanyThe Philadelphia Dance Company is a professional dance company based in Philadelphia, PA that specializes in modern contemporary dance. The organization was founded in 1970 by Artistic Director Joan Myers Brown...
(more commonly known as Philadanco) - Established The Philadelphia School of Dance Arts
- Created the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD)
- Founded the International Conference of Black Dance Companies
- Served as dance faculty at Howard UniversityHoward UniversityHoward University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
- Honored in "Dance Women; Living Legends", a tribute to African American pioneer women of modern danceModern danceModern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Intro:...