Jane Craddock
First Negro Classic Ballet
Jane Craddock was an original member of First Negro Classic Ballet, performing with the company at their debut performance in 1947. Her repertoire with the company included Little China Figure (1947), among others. With the company, Craddock traveled to countries like Israel and various European countries.
Craddock performed in the 1957 Broadway show Jamaica, also featuring Lena Horne, Alvin Ailey, Nat Horne, Charles Moore, Billy Wilson, and Barbara Wright.
In a 1953 issue of Jet Magazine, Craddock was featured as one of the magazine’s “Calendar Girls.”
*Note that Craddock’s first name is occasionally written “Jayne.”
Sources:
Joseph Rickard papers, Online Archive of California
Black L.A. 1947: America’s First Black Ballet Company Founded in L.A., The Daily Mirror
Jayne Craddock, Playbill
Who’s Who of Calendar Girls, Jet Magazine January 1, 1953
See also:
The First Negro Classic Ballet is Founded, MoBBallet
First Negro Classic Ballet Company debuts, MoBBallet