Katherine Dunham: SheLives

KATHERINE DUNHAM

June 22, 1909 - May 21, 2006

"When you have faith in something, it's your reason to be alive and to fight for it."

-- Katherine Dunham

Keith Williams

Actor | Choreographer | Dancer | Dunham Technique

Certified | Katherine Dunham Demonstrator -- Library of Congress

Keith Tyrone Williams has performed, directed and choreographed throughout the United States and extensively in Europe. His work as a director/choreographer/performer has been seen at Arena Stage, Amas Repertory, Cape Fear Regional Theater, Gem Theater, Powell Symphony Hall, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Los Angeles Playhouse, the St. Louis Black Repertory Company & the Muni Theater (St. Louis). As choreographer, his productions of Bubbling Brown Sugar and Raisin were Woodie King Jr.'s Award winners for Best Production. Keith served as director/choreographer for the Cape Fear Regional Theater production of Five Guys Named Moe and co-director/choreographer of their production of Once On This Island.

He also directed and choreographed the first South African Aids Memorial Quilt Tour, nationally acclaimed Legend Singers, On the Road for a Cure/Aids Benefit, The Me Nobody Knows, and The Wiz, Summertime/Helsinki Finland, and was co-founder and Director of Bridging the Gap which mentors and teaches theater workshops to inner city youth. As an actor Keith began his training at the University of Illinois at Champaign /Urbana in Porgy and Bess with William Warfield and has appeared in more than 15 productions at the Muni Opera in St. Louis. His Broadway, national, and international credits include Once On This Island (Daniel/TonTon), Legs Diamond (Slim), Five Guys Named Moe (NO Moe) / LA Ovation and NAACP nomination, The Music of Andrew Lloyd Weber/Royal Command Performance, Bubbling Brown Sugar (Time /Jim/Gospel Son) with Vivian Reed, Starlight Express (Rocky 1/Poppa) and Katherine Dunham Gala at Carnegie Hall.

Keith has also appeared in off-Broadway productions of Mama I want to Sing, Rabboni, (Apostle Thomas), Bingo Long directed by Ossie Davis and the award winning regional productions of Home/The Musical and Damn Yankees (Applegate)/ for which he won the Woodie King Jr. Award for best Actor. Keith is very proud to be among the few people certified by Katherine Dunham to teach the world renowned Dunham Technique, and served as co-writer and appeared in the historic documentary on Dunham Technique with the Library of Congress. In addition, Keith had the awesome blessing of studying with most of the original Dunham Company members Archie Savage, Lenwood Morris, Norman Davis (all of which were mentors), Vanoye Aikens, Lucille Ellis, Tommy Gomez, Pearl Reynolds (assisted her at the Ailey School), Clifford Fears, Walter Nicks (a member of his company in New York) and of course Misss Dunham for whom he demonstrated for many times. He was fortunate to receive Miss Dunham's blessings on his company Inner Vision Dance Theatre and on his Certified Masters, which he was working on prior to her passing.

For more information: Watch Keith Williams Teach a Dunham Technique Class

Dunham Institute-Atlanta, Inc. | P.O. Box 361780 | Decatur, GA 30036-1780

Founded in 1989

Keith is the proud recipient of the Katherine Dunham Dance Award. He has co-starred with Billy Daniels and has worked with Melba Moore, Ruby Dee,. Diana Ross, Vivian Reed, Willam Warfield, Avon Long, Archie Savage, and the vivacious talents of Eartha Kitt and Tina Turner. He has had the honor and privilege to work with directors and choreographers such as Ossie Davis, Gracielle Danielle, Henry Le Tang, Bob Fosse and his mentor Katherine Dunham.