History In Motion: Trina Parks

Service Description

Spotlight Artist: Trina Parks Sunday, 9/27 12:00-2:00 PM $40 www.TrinaParks.com Join the incomparable Trina Parks for an exclusive biographical lecture and immersive dance experience. Participants will dive into Ms. Parks' historic journey through Hollywood and Broadway, followed by an extraordinary masterclass where you will learn the foundational movements of the legendary Katherine Dunham and Martha Graham modern dance styles. Trina Parks is an internationally acclaimed veteran of Hollywood cinema, Broadway, and global concert stages. With a remarkable six-decade career, the award-winning, Brooklyn-born multi-hyphenate holds a historic place in cinema as the first African American actress to appear in the James Bond "007" franchise, starring opposite Sir Sean Connery. Born during the height of the Harlem Renaissance to Charles Frazier, a world-renowned jazz saxophonist for Cab Calloway and his Orchestra, Ms. Parks inherited a rich musical legacy. She mastered the prestigious Martha Graham Technique at the New York High School of Performing Arts and, at age 14, began studying under the legendary Katherine Dunham. By 15, she became the youngest member of Dunham’s professional dance company, later touring Paris as its lead female dancer. Ms. Parks has graced world-renowned stages from NYC's Apollo Theater to European tours of The Prodigal Son (adapted by Langston Hughes). As a principal dancer and actress, she balanced international tours with appearances on prime-time network television, Broadway musical productions, and feature films opposite Hollywood’s top leading men. A true icon of "Black excellence," Ms. Parks is the recipient of the Vanguard Dance Award and the prestigious Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from President Obama. Today, she continues to tour her one-woman show, "Black Diamonds Are Forever," and travels the world as a dedicated educator, sharing her firsthand knowledge of twentieth-century dance history with the next generation of artists."