April 18, 1934 ~ AH born Memphis TN

[Schools: Leath School, Memphis / Harrison School, Garrison School, and Garnet Patterson Jr HS, Washington, DC / Levitan Business School, Phila.]

1950 ~ Arthur Hall debut in chorus of The Ordering of Moses

The National Negro Opera Company
performing [ composer] Robert Nathaniel Dett's The Ordering of Moses
at Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C., July 28, 1950.
Mary Caldwell Dawson, director
Ann Francis Garnet of Chicago, choreographer [ref: "Sledgehammer Sociology"]
(National Negro Opera Company Collection of the Library of Congress)

1951 ~ AH to Phila

Teachers include John Hines, Marion Cuyjet, Joe Nash, see Dance Education

Standard of costuming inspired by Katherine Dunham, Josephine Baker, & Uday Shankar of India

1952-1953 ~ Saka Acquaye's Black Beats Band

1953 - West African Cultural Society of Saka Acquaye

w/ AH, Bobby Crowder, Ione Nash, George Williams & others
see also ~ Saka Acquaye & 1980 Wulomei tour

1954-1959 ~ Saka Acquaye's African Ensemble in America

Gold Coast Saturday Night on Elektra ~ Materials Sought

1955 - 1958 ~ AH in US Army, Special Services, Germany

1958 ~ Pioneers Martha Graham, Alvin Ailey, Eleo Pomare, and Arthur Hall establish their companies. Arthur encouraged to investigate African heritage through dance by his mentor Joan Kerr [Joan Kerr Dancers], an angry woman noted for her foul mouth and powerful modern choreography rooted in the Yiddish tradition. Arthur's first concert presented by Joan Kerr at the Phila YWHA at Broad & Pine. Arthur Hall Afro-American Dance Ensemble began as Sidney King Dancers, then AADE, then AHAADE. Still known as Sydney King Dancers "under the direction of Arthur Hall" as late as 1962 [per Elizabeth Roberts poster]. Repertory generally presented as African Sketches at least into 1970. 16 mm film of this period may exist, specifically 1958 to 1960 Phila broadcast of Adam & Eve.

See Materials Sought

Chronological Overview

see Collection Logs for detail by year
• 1967 ~ Bechlch ~ Mojuba

• 1968 ~ African Press Attaches [State Department] ~ Freedom Now Suite ~ Count Basie ~ Club Harlem ~ Action Summer ~ Jacob's Pillow ~ Dick Gregory ~Africa's Children

• 1969 ~ College tour ~ Club Harlem ~ Black Book ~ Better Break ~ Temple Music Festival ~ Jacob's Pillow
  Ile Ife Center opens

• 1970 ~ Afro-Philadelphian ~ Philadelphia Folk Festival

• 1972 ~ Ile Ife Museum opens

• 1973 ~ Ile Ife House of Love ~ Orpheus Obatala & the Philadelphia Orchestra

• 1974 ~ Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance Festival ~ trip to Ghana

• 1975 ~ A City Called Heaven

• 1976 ~ Aida

• 1977 ~ Fat Tuesday & all that jazz
  
  
  Milton and Ruby Batiste
  photographs, 1977
  
  
• 1978 ~ Eulogy for John Coltrane ~ Philadelphia Bahia

• 1979 ~ American Dance Festival

• 1980 ~ Saka Acquaye & Wulomei

• 1981 ~ People to People founded

• 1982 ~ Treasures of Ancient Nigeria

• 1983 ~ Dance Black America ~ 25th Anniversary

• 1984 ~ Sweet Saturday Night

• 1987 ~ What's Going On? ~ Oba Koso
  

International tours

Ghana ~ first tour 1974
Ghana ~ 1985 for American Dance Festival ~ others unkown
Togo
Dahomey
Virgin Islands ~ 11/1974 St. Croix Arts Society
Trinidad
Jamaica
Haiti (Lavinia Williams School) [three tours]
Nigeria
Brazil ~ 1978 ~ Orisun Omi (The Well)
Zaire [American Dance Festival]
Mozambique (December 1985)
Kenya [for City of Memphis, 1989?]
Trinidad
Senegal
South Korea (ADF linkage program, 1991?)

Additional materials sought

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