Learn about the life of iconic performer Josephine Baker—a St. Louis-born dancer, singer, and actress who rose to stardom in the mid 20th-century. Through a dance documentary, Josephine’s World, filmmaker Denise Ward-Brown and dance scholar Joanna Dee Das, consider how the rich culture of Black St. Louis shaped Baker’s career. The event will screen part of the film, focusing on the location where Josephine Baker was born through a world of ragtime and blues. A conversation with Ward-Brown, Das, and choreographer Charis Railey will follow the screening. The event will close with a live performance by dancer-choreographer Heather Beal. This program is inspired by the exhibition Barbara Chase-Riboud Monumentale: The Bronzes, which features a sculpture dedicated to Josephine Baker.
