About This Lesson
Donald McKayle proclaims, "What is beautiful about mankind are the differences, and that is a thing to celebrate." As an African-American man, he faced many challenges in becoming a dancer and choreographer. In this seminal work, Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder, he examines life from the perspective of prisoners on chain gangs during an earlier time in the South. In portraying the dreams of freedom, a female dancer represents their mothers, sweethearts and wives. Lessons are grounded in themes such as rhythms of work, leading and following, and Freedom and Oppression.
