ADF
and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in association
with Thirteen/WNET New York, present the Emmy Award-winning documentary,
Free to Dance: The African American Presence in Modern Dance. The three-hour
documentary, chronicles the crucial role African-American dancers and
choreographers have played in the development of modern dance as an
American art form. Set against the cultural, social, and economic backdrop
of American life from 1900, it is also a remarkable tale of the against-the-odds
struggle by African-American dancers and choreographers for recognition
and acceptance as highly talented and passionate performers. Free to
Dance originally aired on PBS in 2001 as part of the Great Performances:
Dance in America series.
The series was supported by The Ford Foundation,
The National Endowment for the Humanities, National Endowment for the
Arts, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The John F. Kennedy Center
for the Performing Arts, Thirteen/WNET New York, Public Broadcasting
System, and The National Black Programming Consortium.
Executive Producers: Charles L. & Stephanie
Reinhart
Series Director: Madison Davis Lacy
Narrator: Blair Underwood