100 years: Happy Birthday Anna Sokolow!
Modern dance pioneer Anna Sokolow was born 100 years ago today in Hartford, Connecticut. Anna Sokolow was a Woman of Valor. She was a radical artist who used dance to explore social and political issues, challenege audiences, and make a statement.
Most of the time, harsh world realities leave us feeling powerless. Violence, illness, prejudice, and war cause us to ask: does our work really matter? Artists might be confronted with this question more often than others. When families can’t put food on the table, Art may seem irrelevant. But modern dance pioneer, Anna Sokolow, reminds us that nothing could be further from the truth. Sokolow was much more than a performer and choreographer; she was a radical artist who probed deeply into social and political issues, broke gender barriers, and danced “because [she] wanted to say something.”
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Ten years after her death, we celebrate her life. The Sokolow Theater Dance Ensemble is marking her 100th anniversary with a full schedule of events.
The following video is a tribute to Anna Sokolow made by Christophe Nayel, featuring a number of photos and artifacts, including JWA's Anna Sokolow poster, which can be viewed here.
Happy birthday, Anna.
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A reader sent in this blog post about Centennial Anna Sokolow celebrations in Israel.
Celebration in Pictures: Anna Sokolow Centennial at the Dance Library of Israel