Thea Nerissa Barnes

Thea Nerissa Barnes (2 February 1952 – 28 December 2018) was a dancer, choreographer and teacher.[1][2]

Early life

Thea Nerissa Barnes was born in Columbus, Georgia, on 2 February 1952. She grew up on Chicago's South Side and attended Calumet High School. She showed an interest in dance from an early age.[3]

Career

After moving to New York, she achieved a Bachelor of Arts in dance from the Juilliard School and a master's degree in Dance Education from Columbia Teachers College. She studied at Arthur Mitchell's Dance Theatre of Harlem after winning a scholarship and was trained in a variety of techniques with practitioners in the field including Igor Schwezoff and DanceAfrica founder Chuck Davis.[4]

She began her professional career with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater[5] (1972) and later became a principal dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company from 1979; she stayed for ten years.[6][7] She toured worldwide and during her career danced with a number of dance companies including the Julian Swain Inner City Dance Theatre in Chicago as a soloist and guest performer. She performed on Broadway, in film and on television and venues included Metropolitan Museum of Art and Palais Garnier in Paris.[8]

In 1992, she moved to London to teach at the Laban Centre for Movement and Dance, transferring to Phoenix Dance Theatre[9] and becoming its artistic director in 1997. Between 2001 and 2018, she was resident dance supervisor for the West End production of The Lion King.[3]

Described by Associate Newspapers as "a truly beautiful and expressive dancer",[3] Barnes was praised for inspiring and nurturing black performers both in the US and the UK. She died on 28 December 2018 in Chicago.

References

  1. ↑ Anderson, Jack (1983-02-15). "DANCE: FRED BENJAMIN OFFERS 'PARELLEL LINES'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
  2. ↑ Anthony (2015-08-30). "Theatre: Lifebeat Stops For Dance Expert, Lawal". The Guardian. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
  3. 1 2 3 "Obituary: Thea Barnes - "Truly beautiful and expressive dancer"". The Stage. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  4. ↑ Browar, Ken; Ory, Deborah (2025-10-07). Martha Graham Dance Company 100 Years. Workman Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-7624-8745-5.
  5. ↑ "Tribute - Thea Barnes - Goddess of Dance". thepalaceofthedogs. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  6. ↑ Dunning, Jennifer (1986-06-05). "DANCE: 'EL PENITENTE,' BY GRAHAM". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
  7. ↑ Kisselgoff, Anna (1985-04-14). "DANCE VIEW; AT THE HEART OF MARTHA GRAHAM'S DRAMA". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
  8. ↑ DeFrantz, Thomas F. (2026-02-04). The Oxford Handbook of Black Dance Studies. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-760083-2.
  9. ↑ "Phoenix mourns the passing of Thea Nerissa Barnes". Phoenix Dance Theatre. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
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