Maudelle Bass Weston
Maudelle Bass Weston (1908 – June 11, 1989), known professionally as just Maudelle,[1] was an American concert dancer, model and prominent cultural figure in the Los Angeles arts community during the 20th century.
Maudelle Bass Weston | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Maudelle Bass Weston by Johan Hagemeyer, 1940 | |
| Born | Maudelle Bass 1908 Early County, Georgia, United States |
| Died | (aged 81) Plainfield, New Jersey, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Gray Conservatory of Music |
| Known for | Dance Performance art Modeling Photography |
Early life and family
Bass Weston was born in Early County, Georgia, the daughter of an African-American mother from Georgia and father from South Carolina. Her father was of West Indian descent, her dance style was influenced by her Caribbean background.[2] She was the youngest of 10 children born to Brutus Bass and Elizabeth "Lizzie" (née Holmes), both farmers.[3]
Career
During the 1920s, the teenager toured Mexico, where she was spotted by the artist Diego Rivera, who was reportedly enraptured by her beauty. Rivera sought an introduction through the American Consulate, and he secured her services as a model for his portraits.[2]
Bass spent three years touring Central and South America with the Folklórico group. Her dance repertoire was influenced by dances from Africa, Egypt, Africa, Cuba, Brazil and America.[1] In Mexico City, she was a critical darling of the press after her performance at the famed Palacio de Bellas Artes. The magazine Hoy wrote, "Maudelle is the high priestess of the dances. She possesses a kind of spiritual mysticism," while Últimas Noticias wrote, "She tells the story of the dance with rapture and passion."[2]
Bass Weston moved to Los Angeles around 1933, where she continued her training at John Gray's Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles,[2] and was trained in ballet by Isobel Keith Morrison.[1] She was the first African American to study with modern choreographer Lester Horton.[4] In L.A., she established herself as a well-known studio model for art schools and for artists such as Rivera, Johan Hagemeyer, and Edward Weston.[4][5]
She continued to tour for many years and was nationally known for her performances. The renowned dancer La Meri, an expert in ethnic dance, said, "Maudelle is an artist of rare and moving sincerity. Her expression is an inspiration for all artists."[1]
Bass Weston was also the subject of African-American sculptor Beulah Woodard's work Maudelle.[6]
Death
Bass Weston died, age 81,[7] at the Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center in Plainfield, New Jersey.[4]
References
- "Maudelle, Famous Dance Artist, In Concert Today". Tampa Bay Times. St. Petersburg, Florida. November 12, 1957. p. 11. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- "People You Should Know: Maudelle". The Pittsburgh Courier. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. October 9, 1954. p. 28. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- 1910 United States Federal Census
- Staff (July 1, 1989). "Maudelle Bass Is Dead; 1930's Dancer Was 81". The New York Times. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
- Wallace-Sanders, Kimberly, ed. (2002). Skin Deep, Spirit Strong: The Black Female Body in American Culture. University of Michigan Press.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
- Williams, Carla. "Maudelle Bass: A Model Body". Nka: Journal of Contemporary African Art, Number 21, Fall 2007, p. 39.
- "Deaths". The Palm Beach Post. West Palm Beach, Florida. July 9, 1989. p. 28.