The Baltimore Afro-American reported on Tanya’s Afro-Cuban dancing twice in May 1952, based on a two-week set of performances she did at the Celebrity Club. Tanya was a rumba dancer. One of those performances was in conjunction with the Celebrity Club’s 1 year anniversary celebration, where she collaborated with Cuban musician Jose Curbelo.
While little is known about the dancer "Tanya," she made quite an impression on Providence in 1952. A May 3, 1952 Baltimore Afro-American article reported that Tanya was a member of Katharine Dunham's dance school in New York City, and taught Afro-Cuban dancing there. --written by Lydia Kelow-Bennett
Learn more
Founded in 1949 by Paul Filippi, the Celebrity Club was not just the first integrated club in Providence. It was also the first integrated club in all of New England. While the Celebrity Club was closed in the early 60s, it made an indelible mark on the Providence arts scene, and made Providence a major New England destination for many Black artists and performers. --written by Lydia Kelow-Bennett
Learn more