Yanvalou (rev. 2022) is a lively dance inspired by Katherine Dunham (1909-2006), often hailed as the Matriarch of Black Dance. Ms. Dunham was a pioneering dance anthropologist, community and political activist, and a leader in bringing African culture to the attention of the American dance and general public. Her groundbreaking fieldwork in anthropology included the Haitian Yanvalou dance and Rada traditions on which this music is based. It was originally scored for the woodwind quintet as part of  “Women: the Power and the Journey” inspired by four women of note from St. Louis, MO.