Dec 31, 2025
3 min read
Dancer Carmen de Lavalade (94), who broke the boundaries between dance, theater and film for 60 years, has died.
Carmen de Lavallade was an elegant and fearless performer whose art spanned dance, theatre, film and television and opened doors for generations of black artists.She is 94 years old.
De Lavalade died on Monday hospital in a hospital after a short disease, his son is confirmed, a boy Holder.
In a career that spanned more than six decades, de Lavallette became one of the most respected figures in the American art scene, working with such luminaries as Alvin Ailey, Lena Horne, Harry Belafonte, Agnes de Mille, Josephine Baker and her husband of 59 years, the artist and artist Geoffrey Holder.
Known for her tall, voluptuous frame and remarkable stage presence, de Lavallde continues to perform well into her 80s, defying age and industry expectations.Duke Ellington once called her "the most beautiful woman in the world."
Born Carmen Paula de Lavallade on March 6, 1931 in Los Angeles, she grew up in a culturally diverse environment that shaped her worldview and artistic curiosity.He was soon mentored by his cousin Janet Collins, the first black ballerina at the Metropolitan Opera, whose perseverance in the face of racism left a lasting impression on him.
De Lavallade trained with modern dance pioneer Lester Horton and performed with his multiracial company at a time when such integration was rare.Despite barriers that limited where and for whom black dancers could perform, she continued to work with major organizations, including the American Ballet Theater, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Dance Theater of Harlem, and the Metropolitan Opera.
Her skills extend beyond the stage.She appeared in Broadway and Off-Broadway productions such as 'Carmen Jones' and spent ten years as an actor, choreographer and adjunct professor at Yale University, teaching students who would go on to make theater and films, including a young Meryl Streep.
Both actors and fans mourned his death in social media.
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With Geoffrey Holder, whom she married in 1955, de Lavallade also used her work as a form of activism, aligning herself with the civil rights movement through creative expression rather than slogans.Together they choreographed her original works, including her famous solo song "Come Sunday", set to the music of Black spirituals.
Even as his body changed with age, de Lavallade remained committed to movement, reflection and performance.He held his last performance at the age of 88 and continues to speak eloquently about age, art and adaptation.
Carmen de Lavallade is her son and older sister Yvonne de Lavallade Davis and her extended family.
