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Chronicles of Carmen in Classic Black: Reframing the “Muse” and Reclaiming the History of Blacks in Ballet and Modern Dance

– Latoya Princess Jackson

The word “muse” often attributes the inspiration behind an artist’s work in a way that idealizes the physical attributes of a woman. More often, the word muse is used to characterize a woman’s beauty which in turn  reduces the woman to their external appearance while minimizing the merits of their work. Dancers like Katherine Dunham, Janet Collins, Carmen de Lavallade and Judith Jamison have all been “muses” for choreographers from George Balanchine to Geoffrey Holder to Alvin Ailey, especially during the Classic Black era. These women all have intersections within American dance history and have been instrumental in creating the very foundation and fabric of dance in America. Carmen de Lavallade disrupts the notion of being just a pretty face who served as Geoffrey Holder’s muse. Examination of Carmen de Lavallade outside the context of the “muse” reveals an ultimate reversal in gender roles in which de Lavallade sits at the helm of shaping America’s ballet and modern dance landscape.