Williams, Lavinia, 1916-1989

Lavinia Williams (1916-1989) was an African-American dancer, choreographer and teacher, who played an influential role in the development of modern and folkloric dances in Haiti, Jamaica, Guyana and the Bahamas.

Williams was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and later resided in Brooklyn, New York and Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She danced with Katherine Dunham's company, as well as appeared in various Broadway musicals, such as Cabin in the Sky (1940) and a revival of Showboat (1946). In 1953, Williams was invited by the Haitian government to establish a dance school in Haiti. She accepted the invitation, and founded the Haitian Institute of Classic and Folklore Dance of which she was the director.

Williams also founded the Ballets d'Haiti dance company. She would later divide her time between Haiti and the United States. During the latter years of her life (in the 1980s), she taught at New York University and the Alvin Ailey Dance School. Like many African-American dancers of her generation, Williams had begun to receive recognition from the younger generation of dancers, scholars, and the general public. The dance tradition continued through Sara Yarborough, Williams' daughter, who was a member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.