The Dance Claimed Me: A Biography of Pearl Primus

by Peggy Schwartz, Murray Schwartz

Pearl Primus (1919-1994) blazed onto the dance scene in 1943 with stunning works that incorporated social and racial protest into their dance aesthetic. In The Dance Claimed Me , Peggy and Murray Schwartz, friends and colleagues of Primus, offer an intimate perspective on her life and explore her influences on American culture, dance, and education. They trace Primus's path from her childhood in Port of Spain, Trinidad, through her rise as an influential international dancer, an early member of the New Dance Group (whose motto was "Dance is a weapon"), and a pioneer in dance anthropology. Primus traveled extensively in the United States, Europe, Israel, the Caribbean, and Africa, and she played an important role in presenting authentic African dance to American audiences. She engendered controversy in both her private and professional lives, marrying a white Jewish man during a time of segregation and challenging black intellectuals who opposed the "primitive" in her choreography. Her political protests and mixed-race tours in the South triggered an FBI investigation, even as she was celebrated by dance critics and by contemporaries like Langston Hughes. For The Dance Claimed Me , the Schwartzes interviewed more than a hundred of Primus's family members, friends, and fellow artists, as well as other individuals to create a vivid portrayal of a life filled with passion, drama, determination, fearlessness, and brilliance.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

352 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2011

Reviews

[Karen R. Dickson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I chose to read this biography of Primus due to her association with Percival Borde, her husband and partner through much of her life. Borde was my African Dance teacher in college and one of my most memorable professors and class!

Clearly this biography is written by a good friend, and while there was much factual information about Primus' life, it was not particularly well written. The progression didn't follow well chronologically either. However, I'm sure this is the only book of its kind so I am grateful for the information and photos included.

[Courtnee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is it wrong that I just really didn't like this woman? Primus obviously did a lot to advance dance education and to change the "savage" image associated with African dance, but personally she did not seem like a good person despite how glorified she seemed to be in this book. It's hard to cheer on someone who expected everything from degrees to rent money to just be handed to them and who couldn't be counted on to even show up on time to her performances or speaking engagements.

[Pato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pearl Primus is such an interesting person and they do a great job telling her story