Celebrating Women’s History Month
A Life in the Arts: Carmen de Lavallade
When speaking about the arts, she was clear.
Without creativity, nothing would exist.
The clothes we wear, the tables we gather around, the spaces we inhabit. All of it begins with imagination.
I first learned about Carmen de Lavallade after her passing in December (2025). Discovering her life and work felt like encountering a remarkable force whose influence had shaped the arts for decades.
A dancer, actor, choreographer, and teacher, Lavallade worked across modern dance, Broadway, opera, and film.
For decades she brought intelligence, discipline, and presence to her work.
What struck me most was footage of her teaching dancers in her eighties at the Dance Theatre of Harlem. She stood before the students with remarkable poise and vitality, still fully engaged
in the work.
It was clear that the craft had never become something she once did.
It remained part of how she lived.
In celebrating Women’s History Month, Lavallade stands as a powerful example of what a lifetime in the arts can shape and sustain.
Carmen’s life reminds us that;
Creativity and beauty do not fade with time.
They deepen, expand, and continue to shape the culture around us.
This conversation continues inside the MEYVN Inner Circle.
Where style, art, and presence are explored more deeply.
— Sheryl
Founder & Curator
