Katherine Dunham and Mercedes Baptista: embodying Afro-Brazilianness in dance and activism

This article examines how the careers of Brazilian dancer and activist Mercedes Baptista and American choreographer and anthropologist Katherine Dunham unfolded in the twentieth century, and how they converged and diverged in different ways. As Black women, they navigated racist spaces, managing to produce works of art that were influential. Dunham's ability to travel through Afro-diasporic locations led her to meet and influence Baptista, whose own work incorporated the Dunham Technique but also reflected Afro-Brazilian heritage. I argue that Baptista and Dunham's parallel biographies suggest elements of a shared Afro-diasporic discussion and activism across hemispheres. However, their careers diverge in many ways. Dunham conducted ethnography outside the United States, in contrast to Baptista's challenges under Brazil's dictatorship. This work is based on archival research conducted at five different major archives in Brazil and the United States, juxtaposed with secondary sources from various disciplines.