From Ballet to Broadway and Black and Candace Caldwell
Candace Caldwell was a member of two main ballet companies including New York’s Ballet Theatre as well as Ward Fleming’s New York Negro Ballet. She performed in a number of performances with the New York Negro Ballet along with another famous black dancer, Georgia Collins. Along with the notable Mardi Gras, she also performed in dances choreographed by Louis Johnson.
Caldwell was one of the main dancers in The Road of the Phoebe Snow, hosted at Jacob’s Pillow in 1960. She performed in the production along with Collins. Talley Beatty was her choreographer. She also was part of the cast of the Broadway show, The Happiest Girl in the World in 1961.
Sources:
Candace Caldwell (Performer), Playbill
Candace Caldwell, MoBBallet
More about Candace Caldwell
Candace Caldwell, a native New Yorker, was a student at New York’s Ballet Theatre and an original member of Ward Fleming’s New York Negro Ballet. She toured with the company through England, Scotland, and Wales. New York’s Daily News reported in 1957 that Caldwell acted as “Mount Vernon’s unofficial ambassador of good will” on the tour, visiting the mayors of London and Dublin.
Sources:
Sana Jawa
