Katherine Dunham and Mercedes Baptista

Abstract This chapter examines the transnational dancenections between Katherine Dunham and Mercedes Baptista, emphasizing how their collaboration shapes black concert dance across the African diaspora. Dunham conducts ethnographic research and connects with Baptista during her 1950 visit to Brazil, inspiring Baptista to fuse ballet, Dunham’s technique, Candomblé, and Afro-Brazilian dances into a distinct style. Although they are at different career stages, both artists influence each other’s choreographic and cultural approaches while asserting black identity through embodied performance. Dunham amplifies Baptista’s visibility within Brazil’s complex racial landscape, while Baptista reimagines diasporic aesthetics through localized traditions and spiritual expression. Finally, the chapter underscores how their shared legacies actively transform black concert dance, fostering creative resistance and sustaining African diasporic traditions on global stages.