| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Date of Issue | July 28, 2012 |
| Year | 2012 |
| Quantity | 6,250,000 |
| Denomination |
First-Class Forever Commemorative
|
| Denomination Value | $0.45 |
| Perforation or Dimension | 0.98 x 1.56 in./24.89 x 39.62 mm |
| Series | Innovative Choreographers |
| Series Time Span | 2012 |
| Issue Location | Los Angeles, CA 90052 |
| Postal Administration | United States |
Founder of one of the first African-American dance companies in the United States, Katherine Dunham was the first choreographer to develop a formal dance technique that combined Caribbean and African dance elements with aspects of ballet. She is shown in a pose from her critically acclaimed ballet L’Ag’Ya.
Katherine Dunham (1909-2006) Katherine Dunham became one of the first African-American women to attend the University of Chicago, where she earned a doctoral degree in anthropology. She was a pioneer in the use of folk and ethnic choreography and one of the founders of the anthropological dance movement. She is credited for bringing Caribbean and African influences to a European-dominated dance world.
On July 28, 2012, in Los Angeles, California, the Postal Service™ will issue Innovative Choreographers commemorative stamps (Forever® priced at 45 cents) in four designs in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps. The stamp will go on sale nationwide July 28, 2012.
In 2012, the U.S. Postal Service pays tribute to four influential choreographers who changed the art of dance: Isadora Duncan, José Limón, Katherine Dunham, and Bob Fosse. Designed to look like posters advertising a performance, the stamp art captures the luminosity and mystery of a live dance performance.
Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamps using illustrations by James McMullan, widely known for his work for Lincoln Center Theater in New York City.
The Innovative Choreographers stamps are being issued as Forever® stamps. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate.