Barbara Ann Teer
Encyclopedia
Dr. Babara Ann Teer was an American writer, producer, teacher, actor and visionary, African-American Barbara Ann Teer grew disillusioned with the negative stereotypes she came across in her quest for responsible acting roles. Instead of simply walking away from the white-dominated entertainment field, she decided to make a difference. Focusing on appreciation of African-American culture in Harlem
, she became a strong, eloquent symbol for the city and it was she who founded Harlem's distinguished National Black Theater (NBT), running it tirelessly for four decades until her death at age 71.
— an all-Black community - to Fred L. and Lila B. Teer. She was nurtured by a loving family, well-known as dedicated educators and tireless community leaders. Early in her life, Barbara demonstrated extraordinary gifts and talents. At 15, she graduated from Lincoln High School in East St. Louis. At 19, she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree in dance education from the University of Illinois and immediately travelled to study dance with Antoine Decroaux in Paris and with Mary Wigman in Berlin.
at the Henry Street Playhouse and Syvilla Fort
(Katherine Dunham Technique). She toured with the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, Louis Johnson Dance Company and the Pearl Bailey Las Vegas Revue. In 1961, Teer made her Broadway debut as dance captain in the Tony award-winning musical Kwamina, which was choreographed by Agnes de Mille
. She performed in the film version of Ossie Davis’ stage play Purlie Victorious. After a knee injury in 1962, Barbara switched her primary artistic focus from dance to theatre. She studied with acting luminaries such as Sanford Meisner
, Paul Mann, Lloyd Richards
, and Phillip Burton. Barbara crafted a lucrative and successful acting career receiving numerous accolades, including a Drama Desk Award
and several Obie Award
s.
Her representation of authentic cultural traditions of people of African descent born in America was unprecedented. She fashioned a new cultural paradigm by organizing a spiritual and artistic community of people who were conscious of their responsibility as “institution builders.”
Teer wrote, directed and produced a substantial and impressive body of work, including ritualistic revivals (plays) and interactive artistic reviews. She believed theatre and artistic expression were sublime sources of healing and nurturing for the Black community and, in fact, for all of humanity.
and an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree from the University of Southern Illinois.
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
, she became a strong, eloquent symbol for the city and it was she who founded Harlem's distinguished National Black Theater (NBT), running it tirelessly for four decades until her death at age 71.
Early life
Teer was born in East St. Louis, IllinoisEast St. Louis, Illinois
East St. Louis is a city located in St. Clair County, Illinois, USA, directly across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri in the Metro-East region of Southern Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 27,006, less than one-third of its peak of 82,366 in 1950...
— an all-Black community - to Fred L. and Lila B. Teer. She was nurtured by a loving family, well-known as dedicated educators and tireless community leaders. Early in her life, Barbara demonstrated extraordinary gifts and talents. At 15, she graduated from Lincoln High School in East St. Louis. At 19, she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree in dance education from the University of Illinois and immediately travelled to study dance with Antoine Decroaux in Paris and with Mary Wigman in Berlin.
Career in the theatre
Following her international travels, Teer came to New York where she pursued a career as a professional dancer. She studied with Alwin NikolaisAlwin Nikolais
Alwin Nikolais was an American choreographer.Nikolais studied piano at an early age and began his performing career as an organist accompanying silent films. As a young artist, he gained skills in scenic design, acting, puppetry and music composition...
at the Henry Street Playhouse and Syvilla Fort
Syvilla Fort
Syvilla Fort was an American dancer, choreographer, and dance educator.Born in Seattle, she was African American and drew on her heritage in her original dance works....
(Katherine Dunham Technique). She toured with the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, Louis Johnson Dance Company and the Pearl Bailey Las Vegas Revue. In 1961, Teer made her Broadway debut as dance captain in the Tony award-winning musical Kwamina, which was choreographed by Agnes de Mille
Agnes de Mille
Agnes George de Mille was an American dancer and choreographer.-Early years:Agnes de Mille was born in New York City into a well-connected family of theater professionals. Her father William C. deMille and her uncle Cecil B. DeMille were both Hollywood directors...
. She performed in the film version of Ossie Davis’ stage play Purlie Victorious. After a knee injury in 1962, Barbara switched her primary artistic focus from dance to theatre. She studied with acting luminaries such as Sanford Meisner
Sanford Meisner
Sanford Meisner , also known as Sandy, was an American actor and acting teacher who developed a form of Method acting that is now known as the Meisner technique....
, Paul Mann, Lloyd Richards
Lloyd Richards
Lloyd George Richards was a Canadian-American theatre director, actor, and dean of the Yale School of Drama from 1979 to 1991, and Yale University professor emeritus.- Biography :...
, and Phillip Burton. Barbara crafted a lucrative and successful acting career receiving numerous accolades, including a Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
and several Obie Award
Obie Award
The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given by The Village Voice newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City...
s.
National Black Theatre
In 1963, Teer co-founded The Group Theatre Workshop with Robert Hooks, which later became the Negro Ensemble Company. Between 1961 and 1966, she continued to perform on and off-Broadway as well as in television and film. In 1968, with the emerging cultural consciousness of the African experience, Teer decided to found a new theatrical institution committed to cultural transformation, social change, and historical innovation within African American communities. Leaving a flourishing career, and following in the activist footsteps of her older sister and best friend, Fredrica, she founded the National Black Theatre (NBT) whose mission was self-empowerment, liberation, truth and training for a new generation of artists and creative entrepreneurs. Over five decades, Teer was an agent of change and an eminent curator of the African cultural heritage.Her representation of authentic cultural traditions of people of African descent born in America was unprecedented. She fashioned a new cultural paradigm by organizing a spiritual and artistic community of people who were conscious of their responsibility as “institution builders.”
Methodology
In addition to her role as a pioneer of Black theatre that reached beyond America, she developed a groundbreaking methodology taught exclusively at the National Black Theatre called “TEER: The Technology of Soul.” TEER Technology utilized the symbolism, rituals, and mythology of authentic West African traditions. It shifted the traditional paradigm of Western theatre from a “self-conscious” art form to “God-conscious” art, allowing artistic expression which thrived on audience participation and was based on “call and response” dialogue embodied in the Black church. The creative process removed the two-dimensional “psychic distance” existing between the artist on stage and the audience. She called it a “Ritualistic Revival — theatre art that flows from the heart.”Schools and cadre trainings
During the 1970s, NBT continued to be a fertile training ground for actors, singers, dancers, and musicians within the Harlem community and beyond. In 1974, Teer founded the Children’s School for the Development of Intuitive and God-Conscious Art (CSDIG). Having recently become a mother, she wanted to create a nurturing, loving, and empowering environment in which the children of NBT staff could grow, learn, and thrive in a self-affirming and unfettered manner. A concept ahead of its time, CSDIG enabled the NBT staff to bring their children to work with them and provided them with a priceless education.Teer wrote, directed and produced a substantial and impressive body of work, including ritualistic revivals (plays) and interactive artistic reviews. She believed theatre and artistic expression were sublime sources of healing and nurturing for the Black community and, in fact, for all of humanity.
Self determination and real estate
Her unwavering commitment to exploring African artistic expression was complemented by the belief that artists should also be owners/entrepreneurs within the communities where they live, work and serve. Teer viewed artistic expression and ownership as a formidable power source for generating social and political change. In that vein, she purchased a city block of property in Central Harlem on a major business corridor at 125th Street and Fifth Avenue. The National Black Theatre was the sponsoring developer for a 64000 square feet (5,945.8 m²) real estate project that became the first revenue generating Black Theatre Arts Complex in the country.Honors
For her decades of inspiration and cultural advocacy, Teer was the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Law degree from the University of RochesterUniversity of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
and an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree from the University of Southern Illinois.