With this thought in mind, Blanche Brown returned to college to study dance in 1970. Becoming a dancer at the age of 35 could be considered by some to be an unrealistic goal, but Blanche Brown has lived her entire life defying limitations. The mother of three young children and the wife of a charismatic, rising politician, Blanche had her life role clearly defined early on, a role seemingly set in stone. The cultural limitations o black women in the 50's were stifling. "There were very few places for blacks to study ethnic dance....no existing forum for cultural study in the fifties," remembers Blanche.

The awakening ethnic consciousness of the late 60's propelled her into an in depth study of African-American Culture. Through the study of physical education and dance at San Francisco State, Blanche explored all the possibilities of movement, from afro-Haitian, ballet, jazz, folk dance and tap.Simultaneously, Blanch began to dance with the Wajumbe Performance Ensemble, Including African based dance forms in her repertoire. With Wajumbe, Blanche performed all over California at colleges, universities, community centers...even prisons! Blanche graduated from San Francisco State University in 1974 with her Bachelors Degree in Physical Education with an emphasis in Dance. Since then dance has dominated her life.

African rhythm struck a deep chord in Blanche, beginning an artistic investigation that led her to West Africa in 1974. Performing with Wajumbe throughout Nigeria, Blanche absorbed the rich spiritual influences ever present in West Africa. Her rediscovery of West African culture changed her personal out look on the African contribution to society as a whole. She realized that African rhythm and dance was universal and applicable to people of all colors and all ages. Her travels led her to France in 1979, where she taught a series of dance workshops in Nice. These classes included dancers of all ages, abilities and ethnicities.

The African experience awakened Blanche's interest in the spiritual aspects of ethnic dance. In New York City, Blanche began investigating the Haitian influences on dance, and was fascinated by the spiritual connection to the Yoruba culture. New York became cultural mecca for the politically-displaced Haitian artists and musicians; an ideal environment for Blanche's studies of the deeper aspects of dance. In 1981, Blanche was initiated into the Yoruba religion as a priestess of Oshun and is a respected elder of the religion. She has also been initiated into the Haitian Voudou religion as a Hounsi.

In 1988, Blanche formed the dance troop, Roots of Haiti, now known as Group Petit La Croix . Blanche created the troop to fully express and visually explain the Haitian culture by combining western choreography and theatrical techniques with traditional Haitian dance and drumming. Her goal is to educate American audiences in the riches and mystery of Haitian culture through dance. Given the current topical aspects of Haiti, this educational method is a beautiful way to deal with a complicated, often politically charged subject. Group Petit La Croix has performed all over California and the Southwest, and was one of the invited performers at the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival as well as special guest artist at the Colorado Dance Festival in July, 1999.

Blanche has taught ethnic dance all over the California university system from UCLA to Hayward, Sonoma to Santa Cruz, U.C. Davis, San Francisco State, Mills College, the University of Santa Clara and Stanford University. Blanche has taught at The Shawl-Anderson Modern Dance Center, Alice Arts Center, Third Wave Dance House, New Mission Studio, Rhythm & Motion Studio and Motion Pacific Studio in the SF-Bay Area; and workshops and master classes in Santa Fe & Taos, New Mexico, Belfast, Maine, Burlington, Vermont, and Chicago, Illinois. With inspirational grace and enthusiasm. Blanche continues to defy limitations and expand the parameters of dance.

MICHELLE MARTIN

BIOGRAPHY

Michelle Martin was born in Oakland, California and began her training in ballet and modern dance with the Office of Parks and Recreation department. She completed her high school education at Skyline, high school of performing arts, and became a specialist in dance and visual arts with the OPR department for thirteen years.

            As she pursued a major in Dance/ Performing arts, she was given the opportunity to study in St. Louis, Missouri with Ms. Katherine Dunham and several masters of the original Dunham dance company. Her studies have taken her to the Alvin Ailey School of dance, as well as, independent study with Jean Leon Destine and Richard Gonzales, in New York City. Ms. Martin traveled throughout Nigeria, Cuba, and Haiti to study dance and music through religious ceremony. In Haiti, she concentrated this study near Gonaives at Souvinance, where the practice of Voudun has stayed true to form and function of its Dahomean heritage.

            While specializing in Dunham technique and traditional Haitian dance, she has conducted classes at several San Francisco/ Bay Area institutions including, Lines Contemporary Ballet, CitiCenter Dance Theater, Rhythm and Motion, Alice Arts Center, Mills College and currently at Dance Mission and ODC dance commons. Ms. Martin has been an Artist- in- Residence with the S.F. Unified School District since 1989, and is working with the School of the Arts high school program in the Theatre Department.

            Having done extensive study, workshops, master classes, performances and choreography, she has worked with Bantaba and Diamano Coura West African dance companies, toured Nigeria with Wajumbe Cultural Ensemble, worked with Obakoso, Jose Francisco Barroso’s Cuban Dance Ensemble and was the Assistant Artistic Director, choreographer, principal dancer and singer for the nationally acclaimed Group Petit la Croix, Haitian Dance company with Blanche Brown. Presently, Ms. Martin is founder and Artistic director of Michelle Martin & Konpayi, a group of artists who range from high school students to professionals in the community who are committed to the preservation of Traditional Haitian dance and music.

Click here to return to Performances and Events