Julia Edwards (1933 – May 24, 2017) was a

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

ian dancer and choreographer. Known as the "Queen of Limbo" or "First Lady of Limbo", she was responsible for popularizing limbo dancing as a performance in the 1950s and early 1960s, and inventing many of its variations.

Biography

Edwards was born in Port of Spain and educated at Tranquillity Girls' School. She began dancing in 1947, when her brother Irwin introduced her to

Boscoe Holder Boscoe Holder (16 July 1921 – 21 April 2007), born Arthur Aldwyn Holder in Arima, Trinidad and Tobago, was Trinidad and Tobago's leading contemporary painter, who also had a celebrated international career spanning six decades as a designer and ...

's dance troupe. The group was later taken over by Boscoe's brother

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. When he left in 1953 for a career as actor and dancer in the United States, Edwards formed her own troupe, the Julia Edwards Dance Group. Ronald C. Emrit, "Julia Edwards", ''Best of Trinidad''
Retrieved 20 May 2019 She was described as a "folk choreographer", without any professional training, but devised "amazing routines that would astound people locally and globally". Peter Ray Blood, "Dance world mourns as icon Julia Edwards dies", ''Trinidad and Tobago Guardian'', May 25, 2017
Retrieved 20 May 2019 Alina Doodnath, "Limbo legend Julia Edwards has died", ''Loop'', 25 May 2017
Retrieved 20 May 2019 The limbo dance was originally performed at wakes, with the bar at its lowest at the start and steadily raised each successive night to symbolise the deceased person's rise to heaven. Edwards turned the dance into a choreographed and competitive performance by reversing the process, with the bar steadily being lowered to show the dancer's suppleness. Working with costume designer Helen Humphrey and promoter and organiser Holly Betaudier, Edwards introduced the song "I want somebody to limbo like me" and helped promote the dance as a popular entertainment and tourist attraction. Her dance group performed at many hotels, clubs and restaurants in Trinidad. In 1957, after being seen performing at the Miramar club, Edwards took part with dancer "Stretch" Cox and other members of her troupe in the movie '' Fire Down Below'' starring

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and

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, which helped popularize the dance internationally. Edwards helped choreograph Hayworth's performance. "Julia Edwards", ''Aspiring Minds Trinidad and Tobago''
Retrieved 20 May 2019 Edwards was responsible for introducing the flaming limbo bar in 1959, in a performance to mark the opening of Queen's Hall, and later introduced human 'bars' formed by the limbs of other dancers. Several Limbo records feature her dance troupe on the cover, such as ''Limbo from Trinidad'' from RCA Victor. She appeared on ''

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'', and her dance group toured internationally, visiting the United States, Europe, South America, Africa and Asia, often with calypsonian

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. She retired from performing with the group in 1972, but continued to act as its choreographer into the 2000s. In 1991, she was awarded the Trinidad & Tobago

Hummingbird Medal The Hummingbird Medal is a state decoration of Trinidad and Tobago, instituted in 1969. The medal is awarded for loyal and devoted service beneficial to the state in any field, or acts of conspicuous gallantry or other outstanding humane action. Th ...

, Gold, for Culture. She died in

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, in 2017, aged 84, after several years of ill health.

Legacy

A film, ''Julia and Joyce'', by Trinidadian-American Sonja Dumas, was released in 2010. It traces the evolution of limbo dancing and the contribution of Edwards to its popularity. "Trinidad and Tobago Facts", ''Trinidad and Tobago Embassy, United States''
Retrieved 20 May 2019 The Julia Edwards Dance Company continues to operate in Trinidad.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Julia 1933 births 2017 deaths Trinidad and Tobago dancers Trinidad and Tobago choreographers