Lowell Smith Obituary
Lowell Smith, 56, Dancer in Harlem Troupe, Dies
Lowell Smith, a principal dancer for the Dance Theater of Harlem, died on October 22, in Los Angeles. He was 56. The cause was lung cancer, says Arthur Mitchell, a founder of the Dance Theater of Harlem.
Smith began with Dance Theater of Harlem in 1976, seven years after it was founded to give black dancers an entry into the white world of classical ballet. Smith, who spent 17 years with the company, developed a reputation as a powerful performer who stood out for his unusual combination of intensely dramatic performance and urbanity.
Standing more than six feet tall, barrel-chested and projecting forcefully, Smith brought dramatic fervor to classical ballet. Moreover, in performances like “Streetcar” on PBS’s “Dance in America,” he successfully translated his larger-than-life characters to the smaller screen.
Smith was later director of the Kennedy Center Dance Project and the Dance Theater of Harlem School. Among the other places he taught were the Royal Ballet; the University of California, Los Angeles; Brown University; and the New York City and Los Angeles school systems.
He is survived by his mother, Dorothy S. Smith, and his sisters Pamela D. Smith and June Smith Floyd.