Hope Clarke, Tony-Nominated Choreographer of Jelly's Last Jam, Dies at 85

Hope Clarke, the Tony Award-nominated choreographer, director and performer whose work on Jelly's Last Jam helped define one of Broadway's most celebrated musicals of the 1990s, has died. According to family representative Donelle Chisolm, Clarke died peacefully on July 23. She was 85.

Born in Washington, D.C. on March 23, 1941, Clarke began her career as a dancer, performing with both the Katherine Dunham Company and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She went on to appear on Broadway in West Side Story, Kwamina, Hallelujah, Baby!, Purlie, Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope and Grind. Her screen credits included roles in the films A Piece of the Action, Basquiat and Rustin, as well as television appearances on The Jeffersons, Hill Street Blues and Sex and the City.

Clarke made her Broadway debut as a choreographer with George C. Wolfe's Jelly's Last Jam in 1992. Her electrifying choreography earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Choreography, along with a Joseph Calloway Award, a Drama-Logue Award and an NAACP Image Award. She later choreographed Broadway productions of The Tempest, Caroline, or Change and A Free Man of Color, building a career that blended theatrical storytelling with a deep understanding of Black dance traditions.

In 1995, Clarke made history as the first African American—and the first Black woman—to direct and choreograph a major production of Porgy and Bess, staging the Gershwin opera for the Houston Grand Opera. Clarke told the Los Angeles Times of the production: “I want African Americans who come to see the opera to be proud that an African American is directing the production and to recognize the people on stage. I wanted to draw a community which we could find today: It could be any poor community, but one with pride," she said. "What I didn’t want people to see was a poor, downtrodden black community. They may be poor, but they have hopes and dreams like everybody else.”

Beyond her work on stage, Clarke was a devoted mentor and advocate for dancers throughout her career. She co-founded the 5 Plus Ensemble, an organization created to celebrate and provide opportunities for dancers over the age of 50.

Clarke is survived by her sister, Barbara Clarke, her nephew, Joseph Chisolm, her great-nephew, Jaydon Chisolm and her great-niece, Jordon Chisolm. A celebration of her life is planned for September 5, with additional details to be announced.