Dr. Charles "Chuck" Davis is Founder and Artistic Directorof
the African American Dance Ensemble
and the New York based DanceAfrica.
A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Davis attended Howard University and
majored in Theater/Dance. Continuing his study in African dance under the
guidance of Babatunde Olatunji, Eleo Pomare, and the Bernice Johnson Dance
Company, his growing reputation was as one of the foremost teachers and
accomplished choreographers in the traditional techniques of African dance. In
1982, the American Dance Festival of Durham, NC, recruited Davis as an
Artist-in-Residence, to organize and manage its outreach program. From this
effort sprung the African American Dance Ensemble in 1984.
Chuck Davis is a
recipient of the NY Bessie Award and the very prestigious Brooklyn Academy of
Music Award for distinguished service. In December of 1998, he received an
honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Medgar Evers College of NY; and another in
2005 from Williams College, Williamstown, MA. He’s served as panelist for
several programs of the National Endowment of the Arts. Appointed by the
Governor to serve on the Board of the North Carolina Arts Council in 1991,
Davis chairs the grant panel for Dance. He is the recipient of the AARP’s
National Certificate of Excellence, the North Carolina Dance Alliance Award
(2002), the North Carolina Artist Award (1990), and the North Carolina Order of
the Long Leaf Pine. In 1992 Davis received the North Carolina Award in Fine
Arts - the highest honor bestowed in the arts.
Dr. Davis’
numerous awards include: the Triangle Community Foundation Kathryn H. Wallace
Award for Artists In Community Service (2000); the Dance Heritage Coalition
recognition as one of 100 Irreplaceable Dance Treasures in the United States
(2000); the Dance for the Planet award (1998 and 2001); the Durham Human
Relations Commission’s Advocacy Award - especially on behalf of People with
Developmental Disabilities (2002); the Artist of the Year award by Dance USA;
the 2002 National Governors’ Association Award for Distinguished Service to the
Arts; a citation from Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus;
and many more.
The City of
Durham declared August 5, 2002 as Chuck Davis Day in recognition of his
accomplishments and contributions to the arts; and again on January 1, 2007 in
honor of Davis’ 70th birthday. He was honored with a prestigious Dance
Magazine Award (2004); bestowed the Balasaraswati Joy Ann Dewey Endowed Chair
for Distinguished Teaching by the American Dance Festival (2006); and presented
the Spirit of Hayti Trail Blazer Award (2004). Dr. Davis was also honored when
his biographical profile was chronicled in The North Carolina Century: “Tar
Heels Who Made a Difference 1900-2000”; and again as a choreographer and consultant
interviewed for “Free to Dance,” a PBS production on the history of African
American Dance since the 20th century (2004). Dr. Charles “Chuck” Davis is
recognizably a national treasure and cultural icon.
Dr. Davis keeps
a full schedule including appearances with the Ensemble, guest artist
directorships, choreographer assignments, and research and travel excursions to
Africa and international points. As founder and facilitator of the Cultural
Arts Safari, Davis makes an annual pilgrimage to the continent of Africa, to
which he invites uninitiated and veteran travelers alike to join his party each
year.
Maggie Allesee
