Marion Cuyjet and Donna Lowe
Donna Lowe Warren began her dance training at the Judimar School under its founder Marion Cuyjet. Her other instructors were John Hines, friend and peer of Sydney King and Cuyjet, and Delores Browne, herself a student of Cuyjet.
At the encouragement of Cuyjet, Lowe was taken to New York City in order to take George Chaffee’s classes; this was due to her light skin color and Cuyjet’s friendship with Chaffee.
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Donna Lowe Warren, MoBBallet
1948: Marion Cuyjet founds the Judimar School of Dance, MoBBallet
More about Donna Lowe
Donna Lowe Warren later trained under Thomas Cannon, the ballet master of the Philadelphia Grand Opera Ballet. In 1958, Cannon offered Lowe a contract. At the time, African Americans were not permitted to be a part of the company, but Lowe was fair enough to pass for white. In 1960 she attended the Juilliard School’s ballet program for one year but was unable to continue due to the financial burden. She returned to Philadelphia and resumed her contract with the opera, where she performed until 1971. In 1982, Lowe relocated to Florida and opened her own school, the Philadelphia School of Dance in Lehigh Acres, Florida.
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Written by Mad Crawford
