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I'll Never Quit: An Interview with Ferne Yangyeitie Caulkerby Janelle Ott, National Endowment for the Arts
Caulker's awards and honors include the 2001 Professional Dimensions/Professional Milwaukee Women's Organization - SACAGEWEA AWARD; 2000 Artist of the Year Award from the Milwaukee Arts Board; a 1994 Fulbright Scholar, for a three-month research sabbatical in Tanzania; a 1990 inductee in the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters; Milwaukee's 1989 Women of the Year; a finalist in the 1989 National Kool Achiever Awards, given to individuals who improve the quality of life in inner-city communities; a Wisconsin Dance Council Award in 1986; and in 1983 she received the Janet & Carl Moebius Creativity Award for Outstanding Accomplishment in the Arts. She has an extensive history of serving on various community groups' boards of directors and advisory committees; national and local arts panels, including panels at the NEA; and as a motivational speaker on behalf of the arts and education. She has also served on the State Superintendent's 1999 Blue Ribbon Commission on the Arts and Education. Ms. Caulker was born in 1947 in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Her father was a native of Sierra Leone and her mother, an African American. Raised on both the African continent and in the United States, Caulker has a unique perspective derived from two distinct cultures. Janelle Ott: When did you begin your dance training? Ferne Caulker: In essence, my formal western training began in the 1960s. My cultural training in African dance came from my years in Africa because I was surrounded by it. Why did you decide to get involved in dance? It seemed like a place where I could touch my core. It was a place where I felt the safest. As a result, it's a place where I can give the most and have the most impact. Who were your mentors? I've been very blessed because there have been many. Carol Eagen, who was my modern teacher and Lavinia Williams, who danced with the Katherine Dunham troupe. They brought grace into my life and into my teaching. Two women who had a huge presence without knowing it were Katherine Dunham and Pearl Primus. When I think of the Katherine Dunham footage from the 1940s - what she was doing was outrageous! I took Pearl's class in Milwaukee. I didn't have the physique of a ballet dancer. I was really struggling with my self-esteem at that time. I was trying to develop my identity as a black dancer. I was asked to tuck my butt in by my ballet teachers, but I couldn't! Pearl Primus was a buxom, heavy, chunky, lady and she wore many bracelets down her arm. She has influenced me so much that even now I wear bracelets! This lady made a huge imprint on me. I know the power of the role model and that is why I take seriously what I do. Chief Bey was also a mentor. He is known as Father, Papa, Daddy all over the world. He is a drummer and an original member of Porgy and Bess. He laid the groundwork for me with his energy and he had the ability to inspire. Alvin Ailey was another mentor. I wrote him when I started Ko-Thi, telling him what an inspiration he was and asked how he kept going. He took time to write me when I was a student. I will always treasure his letter. My favorite dance artist was early Alvin Ailey - I was blessed to see the company with John Parks, Judith Jamison and Alvin Ailey. The Revelations I saw was much different, even though it's good now. Experiencing Alvin in his prime was like watching an angel. I also saw the Martha Graham Company. Those companies made me realize how far we could go and I've spent my whole life trying to get there. Rod Rodgers opened up his whole dance company to me so I could learn the business. I followed him around like a puppy. I learned about his energy as a founder and artistic director. He gave me a feeling of what it would be like to live and breathe it. I followed him to rehearsal, in the office, eating out. It was the whole experience. Lavinia Williams taught me how to stop and breathe. We spent a night at my house talking about how to live as a dancer. She told me that the larger a company gets, the lonelier it will feel at the top. We talked a lot about loneliness, swimming against the stream, being a risk taker, and not being afraid to make decisions against others. The bar these artists set is so high. What they went through for touring was incredible. They would perform and then have to enter the back door of the hotel and were not allowed room service. This is why I have a low tolerance today for the young who complain. Younger dancers often don't care who came before them. All they want is the steps, and they don't want to learn about the background. They're not interested in knowing the names of artists and if they do know the names they can't say why they are important. Martha Graham was a human spirit who sat on your shoulder like a butterfly and left. Katherine Dunham, José Limón - all these artists and teachers gave essence. I've had and continue to have many butterflies on my shoulder during my life and I am eternally grateful. You spent time in Tanzania as a Fulbright Scholar. What impact did that have on you? When I first got there I wasn't doing much but sitting under a tree. I was frustrated at first about not doing anything, and thought I was expected to bring back all this material. One day I went to the mountains. I saw women washing clothes and began to talk to them. Then I realized this is what it is about - it's about essence. I started writing when I was in Tanzania. The trip changed my life. It was an opportunity for me to let go of the performance part and practice the art of UNDANCE. What do you mean by letting go of the performance part? As a young dancer, we are driven by our egos - that's what gets us on stage. When the physical part disappears, we need to replace that. We need to do our emotional and intellectual homework. We need to change the way we are teaching and teach beyond the steps. It is more than movement vocabulary. Some of my best dancers didn't even know how to point their feet. The best teachers I ever had were not performing any more but they had a wealth of inner knowledge that was warrior-like and spiritual in nature. Why did you decide to start a dance company? I think Katherine Dunham said, "I'm not a great dancer, but I have great ideas." I started a dance company for selfish reasons. I was naive, young, and I thought my company would be earth-shattering. I thought I would blow the world away with my company and we are but it is exemplified in the act of changing people's lives through the experience of art that truly is the impetus for me. It is not about fame and fortune. 
Do you ever regret doing it? Everyday! I always say "I'm not doing this anymore!" I've quit after every show, then I look at my performers on stage and get choked up! I get a good night's rest and the dance spirit keeps on going and I can't help but create again. I have to keep on doing this. As you get older, you get wiser about managing the stress. I've decided I want to have a long career as a dancer, so I have to "think beyond the knees." As a professor this has been helpful, because I can think about writing and lecturing. What have been the pros and cons of operating a company and a school? The pros have been that you begin to learn about human nature and match people's skills with the needs of the organization. Once you get that, then you can figure out how to develop a board of directors and build a team. I learned how to run an organization on my own and now I have a staff. My daughter is getting her master degree in literature and works in development for me. She grew up with this and she knows the lingo. Ko-Thi has gone from the transition of a community folk arts ensemble to a business. At times it has been frustrating because I have dealt with many personalities. Sometimes I feel like all I do is facilitate and mediate. Once the curtain goes up though, I see the quality of the artists, the board of directors in the audience, and the staff in the back. I realize that this is what it is all about and that I have to get my stuff together! If I don't, then I will create a terrible mechanism. We have all seen this - those directors who kill people. It's great to build a healthy organization and see the results. What have you learned from working with youth? I've learned happiness, joy, trust, surrender, and curiosity. They are the master teachers of that. When and why did you become a professor? I didn't intend to. I had my daughter in 1971 and I graduated from college the same year. I looked at the struggle I would have working in the arts and the Milwaukee performing arts scene was not good. I had the hurdles of image and legitimacy to jump over. There were different opinions on what African dance was. Milwaukee was a racially divided city and a culturally divided city. I knew I needed to attach myself to an institution to justify my work. My father was a Vice-Principal at Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone, West Africa - I grew up as a college brat, so it was therefore not unnatural for me to be at a college. I went to the African American studies department at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee and said "You have nothing about African dance in this program. Dance is a means of oral tradition and a device for recording history and religious expression." They told me I could teach one night a week. There are now four courses in African dance at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee's Department of Theater and Dance, each one with over 50 students each semester. I can't think of any other school that offers this many classes in African dance. Two classes are taught by company members who are ad-hoc lecturers. All students in the University are required to take a fine arts credit so many are beginning to take African dance. They may never take another class, but we are building audiences. I moved from lecturer to assistant to associate and eventually to full professor at the School of Fine Arts. I've had a wonderful supportive relationship with the university. I could not have built my company to this height at this pace without the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's support of my time, especially it's donation of studio space for company rehearsals. I still advise students and serve on committees. 1990 was the first time we were able to offer salaries to our dancers and myself. Before that we would pick up whatever money we could at gigs. Life is much better now. But my company and I have paid our dues and we have much further to go. I've always felt that I am a facilitator, something bigger is facilitating me. I believe in preparation, because you never know what's going to happen next. I have a "What if" philosophy. I believe in staying open and keeping my wit and presence together. Don't let fear make you say no. I've said yes to so many things in my career that I'm surprised that I haven't fallen down with shaky knees! How did your experience in Sierra Leone influence your dance career? I have mixed emotions about Sierra Leone. In childhood I was left with a dark cloud, because my father died. Sierra Leone is so different now because of the Civil War. I have positive memories that are a reflection of the past. What's happening there now is so horrific. I haven't been able to go back home in years. Every time I tried there has been a coup. As a child, I came from a very connected family, which made me rooted in who I am. The role models in Sierra Leone looked liked me. I didn't even think about being black until I came to the U.S.! I grew up in a very international community because my father was with the college. My mom was always entertaining, so our home was filled with different people from all over the world. My best friend was from Ghana. I grew up with cultural diversity. I've been exposed to a lot of religions as well. I keep an open mind, and I'm open to other belief systems. I celebrate differences, and want to see that they continue. Why did you come to the U.S.? My father was from Sierra Leone and mother was African American, so we would visit the U.S. often. My parents met at the University of Chicago in the 1940s, which was very progressive for the times because there were not many African Americans at the university. They married and went back to Africa on a cargo ship in the early 40s. After my Father's death my family returned to the U.S. Mom and Dad gave me a pedigree - they would not allow me to entertain thoughts of failure. The elders in the family can offer a pedigree. It's important to always find an ancestor to hold on to. What are some concerns you have for the dance field? Dancers have to become politicians. Enough of "arts for art sake." We have to get the arts back in the schools. We need to become much more articulate about our missions and re-define what we call training. This is what I love about the new hip-hop generation. It's raw, beautiful movement. It has given a whole new bent on the dance community. They don't look or act like dancers. They are the Isadora Duncans of the 21st Century. We need to stop thinking in cubes or boxes. As artists we should be out of the box. You have established a lot of partnerships. What advice can you offer to others when establishing community partnerships? Respect is the key word. Do your homework on the person or company and gain knowledge. It also involves honesty and integrity in the partnership. What advice would you give for artistic directors/founders? There are three phases of founders: ego/naiveté, survival, and future. If a founder cares about the future of the organization, then he or she should document the history. I hope to create manuals to pass on to the next generation. These need to be living, breathing documents. It should be a blueprint of the organization. I am leaving samples of forms and my ideas in binders. I hope to have a whole stack of binders including letters, notes, and my philosophy. What a waste of years if you don't preserve your work and systems. What projects are you working on now? I have been working on a book since 1994. I need a big chunk of time to work on it. That hasn't happened since my return from Tanzania. We've been just too busy and that is not a bad thing...I believe that when it is time the universe will provide an opportunity for me to delve into my book on paper. I am currently living the pages on a daily basis, while computing what each chapter will be in my head. The book is almost written in my head. Life goes on. Right now my work as a teacher and director consume my life as it should be. I am building an institution that needs a firm and solid foundation. My creative juices are not over by a long shot! I'm working on a new fall production with Ko-Thi Company titled Sundiata. It's about an ancient king of the Empire of Mali; it's a work of intrigue. He was born crippled, and it's about how he overcame all of this to become king. Ko-Thi is doing major touring, and we're trying to get some international work. And there's the ongoing training of 50 kids. I also try to keep the staff fresh, connected, and motivated. Ko-Thi is in its 33rd year - that in itself is a blessing. For more information on Ko-Thi Dance Company, check out their web site at www.ko-thi.org. Photo of Ms. Caulker by Hanson Graphic. Performance photo by Francis Ford.
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Ferne Yangyeitie Caulker is the founder and executive director of Ko-Thi Dance Company, Inc., which
has been in existence since 1969. The company, based in Milwaukee, has become a national and
international touring ensemble, performing in Japan, Canada, the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Dance
Africa festivals and the Lincoln Center's Out of Doors summer program while maintaining at home a
children's ensemble, Ton Ko-Thi, community classes in dance and drumming, and an active school
program, Drum Talk. Ko-Thi has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and numerous
other private and public funders.
Caulker is a full professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she teaches courses in African dance.