1. Donald McKayle was an American modern dancer, choreographer, teacher, director and writer best known for creating socially conscious concert works during the 1950s and '60s that focus on expressing the human condition and, more specifically, the black experience in America.
Donald McKayle previously served on the faculties of Connecticut College, Sarah Lawrence College, and Bennington College.
Donald McKayle was born in New York City on July 6,1930, and grew up in a racially mixed East Harlem community of African-American, Puerto Rican, and Jewish immigrants.
Donald McKayle was the second child of a middle class, immigrant family of Jamaican descent.
Donald McKayle's father worked as a maintenance man at the Copacabana nightclub before becoming a mechanic while his mother worked as a medical assistant.
Donald McKayle was influenced by his parents' liberal and activist lifestyles.
Donald McKayle was exposed to social dance and the exuberant social atmosphere of the West Indian parties his parents attended.
Donald McKayle was ambitious and eagerly took advantage of the company's formal training in modern, ballet, tap, Afro-Caribbean, Hindu, and Haitian dance forms.
Donald McKayle's instructors included modern dance pioneer Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Anna Sokolow and Karol Shook.
Donald McKayle's noted mentors are Sophie Maslow, Jane Dudley, William Bales, and his first teacher Jean Erdman.
In less than a year, Donald McKayle was choreographing his own complete concert dance pieces.
At the age of 18 Donald McKayle premiered his solo piece, Saturday's Child, choreographed to the poetry of Countee Cullen.
Donald McKayle combines rhythms, chants, play songs and street games to create a childhood scene dedicated solely to playtime.
Donald McKayle alludes to African-American dreams of freedom and equality through this image of bondage and slavery.
Donald McKayle was the director and choreographer of Raisin and was awarded a Tony for the best musical.
Donald McKayle was responsible for the entire concept, staging and choreography of Sophisticated Ladies, which has won numerous awards.
Donald McKayle's work was broadcast on every major TV network from 1951 to 1985.
Donald McKayle has choreographed for films including Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Great White Hope, and The Minstrel Man.
In 1963 McKayle was awarded the Capezio Dance Award, and in 1992 received the Samuel H Scripps American Dance Festival Award for lifetime achievement.
Donald McKayle was the first to receive the Distinguished Faculty Lectureship Award for Research from the University of California, Irvine where he was an instructor and the artistic director of UCI's dance troupe.
Donald McKayle maintained relationships with companies that are repositories of his work including the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, the Cleveland San Jose Ballet, and the Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Theatre.
Donald McKayle had been a choreographer of the Limon Dance Company from 1995 onwards.
Donald McKayle had choreographed over 70 pieces for dance companies around the world in the US, Canada, Israel, Europe and South America.