Romero, Carmencita, 1914- 2001

Carmencita Romero; dancer and choreographer who performed with the influential Katherine Dunham troupe for several years; died May 6 at a nursing home in New York City at 87; born Lily Butler in Chicago; Romero joined Dunham at the age of 18 and changed her name; appeared in the musicals “Cabin in the Sky” and “Carmen Jones”; toured with Dunham’s company as a featured soloist until 1942; returned to Chicago and opened a dance school, late 1940s; later opened dance schools in Tokyo and Rome and taught throughout Europe; returned to the United States in 1981; became an instructor at Spelman College in Atlanta

Chicago Star; January 18, 1947; p. 15: Carmencita Romero on faculty of South Side Community Art Center at 3831 Michigan Avenue

The Chicago Defender (National edition) (1921-1967); Nov 10, 1934; pg. 6: Lily Butler; 57 East 42nd Street; graduate of Englewood High School; now dancing in Katherine Dunham's ballet in "Run, Little Chillun"

The Chicago Defender (National edition) (1921-1967); Jun 21, 1941; pg. 13: "Lily Butler known a [sic] Carmencita, planed it home from Los Angeles because of death of father"

The Chicago Defender (National edition) (1921-1967); Feb 28, 1942; "Carmencita, best known to you as Lily Butler, is now in Havana, Cuba and should be home most any day"

The Chicago Defender (National edition) (1921-1967); Aug 5, 1950; pg. 10: party to be given at Carmencita Romero's dance studio, 6156 S. Cottage Grove, 3rd floor

The Chicago Defender (National edition) (1921-1967); Nov 4, 1950; pg. 21: Preview of revue, Carmencita Romero and her Dancers, to open at Kimball Hall, Nov. 3 and 4; performances will launch first tour of the Romero troupe, which is scheduled to play the Southwest and Pacific Coast


The Chicago Defender (National edition) (1921-1967); Nov 11, 1950; pg. 21: Publicity photograph of Carmencita Romero, for her new revue at Chicago's Kimball Hall

The Chicago Defender (National edition) (1921-1967); Mar 24, 1951; pg. 21: Romero will present dancers in a benefit performance at the Parkway Ballroom

Carmoncita [sic] Romero; dancer, teacher, choreographer, educator, and linguist; died of cancer on May 6, 2001, in New York City; she was 87; was in the midst of preparing her memoirs, Soaring Spirit, which covered her years studying and performing with Katherine Dunham; her theatrical work in Chicago; her teaching years in Rome, Tokyo, Brazil, Cuba, Chicago, Atlanta, and New York; and her choreography for concert groups in the U.S., abroad, and on television; an Alabama native; born in 1914; raised in Chicago, where her religious father prohibited her from studying dance until she was 18; studied with Dunham, whose dance style changed dramatically after a field trip to the Caribbean; went on to perform with Dunham's first company, the Negro Dance Group; featured in such numbers as "Rhumba Santiago de Cuba" and the "Couple from Memphis"; critics often was singled her out for her beauty and vivacity; also appeared in the Broadway and film versions of Cabin in the Sky; left the Dunham company in the early 1940s to teach, choreograph, and do research; her research interests centered on the fusion of African, Indian, and European styles in Caribbean and Brazilian dance; also danced in the 1954 film Carmen Jones; opened schools of dance in New York, Chicago, Hollywood, Rome, Tokyo, and London; also taught Spanish; was known for her ability to teach blind and mentally challenged or emotionally disturbed children, and juvenile delinquents; had a daughter, Carmen Hylton, a former Alvin Ailey dancer and a son, Raleigh Mohammed Hylton

Lili May Butler in the U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007: Name: Lili May Butler [Carmencita Romero] [Carmencita Hylton]; Gender: Female; Race: Black; Birth Date: 2 Jan 1914; Birth Place: Chicago, Illinois [Brookhaven, Mississippi]; Death Date: 6 May 2001; Father: Murray Butler; Mother: Louvenia Armour; Notes: Dec 1936: Name listed as LILI MAY BUTLER; Mar 1940: Name listed as CARMENCITA ROMERO; Nov 1966: Name listed as CARMENCITA ROMERO HYLTON; 01 Jun 2001: Name listed as CARMENCITA R HYLTON

Carmencita R. Hylton in the U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014: Name: Carmencita R. Hylton; Social Security Number: 344-10-9227; Birth Date: 2 Jan 1914; Issue Year: Before 1951; Issue State: Illinois; Last Residence: 10036, New York, New York, New York, USA; Death Date: 6 May 2001

Lili Carmencita Romero in the New York, New York, Index to Marriage Licenses, 1908-1910, 1938-1940: Name: Lili Carmencita Romero [Lili Carmencita Butler] ; Gender: Female; Race: Colored (Black); Age: 28; Birth Date: Jan 1914 Birth Place: Brookhaven, Miss.; Marriage Date: 1 Dec 1942; Marriage Place: New York, Manhattan, New York, New York, USA; Residence Street Address: 409 W. 145 St.; Occupation: Dancer; Father: Murray Butler; Mother: Louvenia Butler; Spouse: Raleigh Charles Hylton

Carmencita R Hylton in the U.S., Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 2: Name: Carmencita R Hylton; Birth Date: 2 Jan 1914; Address: 484 W 43 St 26g; Residence Place: New York, New York, USA; Zip Code: 10036

Lilly Butler in the 1930 United States Federal Census: Name: Lilly Butler; Birth Year: abt 1914; Gender: Female; Race: Negro (Black); Age in 1930: 16; Birthplace: Mississippi; Marital Status: Single; Relation to Head of House: Daughter; Homemaker?: Yes; Home in 1930: Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA; Street Address: East 42nd Street; House Number: 57

Lillie Butler in the 1940 United States Federal Census: Name: Lillie Butler; Age: 26; Estimated Birth Year: abt 1914; Gender: Female; Race: Negro (Black); Birthplace: Mississippi; Marital Status: Single; Relation to Head of House: Daughter; Home in 1940: Chicago, Cook, Illinois; Street: 42nd Street; House Number: 57; Highest Grade Completed: College, 2nd year

Lily May Butler when she met Katherine Dunham; became known as Carmencita Romero, which became her professional and legal name; was a great asset to the Dunham performing company

Carmencita Romero; performed with Katherine Dunham in her first company, the Negro Dance Group, in the mid-1930's; died May 6 at the Florence Nightingale Nursing Home in Manhattan at 87; name was originally Lily Butler; changed her name at Ms. Dunham's request; began her training at 18 when she studied ballet and modern dance with Ms. Dunham; later added Caribbean ethnic dance when Ms. Dunham returned from anthropological studies in the West Indies; began performing with Ms. Dunham in the late 1930s; appeared in the musicals Cabin in the Sky and Carmen Jones; toured the United States with the Dunham company until 1942; returned to Chicago and opened a dance school, late 1940s; left to open other dance schools in Rome and Tokyo and taught throughout Europe; also performed in films made in Rome and London; returned to the United States in 1981; became an instructor at Spelman College in Atlanta; last performance was in December 2000 in a program with the Joan Peters Dance Company at the Donnell Library Center

The Pittsburgh Courier (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania); Jun 4, 1938; Page 20: Publicity photograph of "exotic Carmencita Romero"; protege of Katherine Dunham; exponent of the Cuban Marimba style of dancing

Alabama Tribune (Montgomery, Alabama); Feb 3, 1950, Page 7: Etta Moten appeared in a guest role on ABC television's "Little Revue" from Chicago; the Carmencita Romero dancers (currently headlining at the College Inn, Hotel Sherman) appeared with her in two of the numbers she performed