Dianne Durham Scholarship

CHICAGO BALLET ARTS

DIANNE DURHAM SCHOLARSHIP

Dianne Durham became the 1st Black National Gymnastic’s Champion in1983. Dianne was Bela Karolyi's first national champion.

Dianne was destined to be a member of the 1984 Olympic Team but a controversial handling of an injury sustained during the Olympic Trials crushed her Olympic dream. She went on to perform professionally and to coach, judge, and promote gymnastics until her death in February, 2021.

In addition to training as a gymnast, Dianne simultaneously trained as a dancer. Dianne participated in the closing ceremonies at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.

Dianne experienced many challenges as a pioneer in her sport, being the only Black female gymnast on the US National Team. One of the many challenges included a trip with the National Team to Apartheid South Africa when Dianne was 13 years old. Despite the trauma of this experience, Dianne competed and won before a segregated audience.

The Dianne Durham Scholarship is meant to help carry forward Dianne’s legacy while supporting the goals of Chicago Ballet Arts regarding inclusion and diversity. The scholarship will be awarded to a dancer of color who demonstrates courage, tenacity, and strength.

To learn more about Dianne, follow this link to an ESPN article about her:

https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/29469312/how-dianne- durham-bela-karolyi-first-national-champion-paved-way-black- gymnasts

To learn more about Chicago Ballet Arts, please visit: www.chicagoballetarts.org

Thank you for taking time to think about Dianne and her legacy