ABT Negro Unit’s Black Ritual and Anne Jones

The American Ballet Theatre’s all-Black Negro Unit, which was founded in 1940 as part of the Federal Theatre Project, included Anne Jones, along with Edith Ross, Elizabeth Thompson, Lavinia Williams, Lawaune Kennard, Dorothy Williams, Evelyn Pilcher, Valerie Black, Leonore “Azelean” Cox, Edith Hurd, Mabel Hart, Maudelle Bass, Clementine Collinwood, Carole Ash, Bernice Willis, and Muriel Cook. The Negro Unit only performed one ballet during its existence—Black Ritual or Obeah, which was choreographed by Agnes de Mille and premiered in 1940.

More about Anne Jones

Born in 1905, Anne Jones trained with Alexandre Gavrilov (Ballets Russes), Ted Shawn, and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. She taught at and ran a dance school in Harlem before and after performing in de Mille’s Black Ritual; Lena Horne was a student of this school.

Jones passed away in 2001.

*Please note that some sources have listed Jones’ first name as “Ann.”

Sources:

Black Ritual (Obeah), American Ballet Theatre
Maher, Erin K. “Ballet, Race, and Agnes de Mille’s Black Ritual.” The Musical Quarterly, vol. 97, no. 3, Fall 2014, pp. 390-428.

 

McClain Groff

 

Madeline Crawford