Marshall Dance Company

Marshall Dance Company is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to preserving and carrying forward the philosophy and legacy of Katherine Dunham, whose technique combined Caribbean and African dance with European ballet. The company engages with communities through performances, teaching, work with schools and engagement with diverse cultures and traditions, and states that community outreach and educational programs are central to its work, recognizing the contributions ethnic and cultural minorities have made to dance. It maintains a connection to Dunham company star Vanoye Aikens, Dunham's leading male partner from 1943 until the troupe disbanded in 1963, who taught in Los Angeles into his nineties; the performing arts wing of the organization's affiliated school is to be named the Vanoye Aikens Performing Arts Center. Its sister project, the Anindo Marshall Arts Academy in Kenya, provides academic and artistic training for young Kenyan students.