In memory of
Kathryn
Ferguson
By Amaya
Photos courtesy of Amaya
Kathryn Ferguson loved red wine and red cowboy boots.
She came to Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the fall of 2015
to meet with her book publisher, the University of New
Mexico Press, and to do a book signing for her latest book,
“The Haunting of the Mexican Border”. What she was
more excited about were the red vintage boots she had just
purchased at a specialty shop nearby. She was ecstatic and
when I saw her back in Albuquerque a few months later, she
was still wearing them!
Over her favorite wine, we talked about the future of our
beloved dance. She was one of high standards and wasn’t too
happy with the various fusion works of many newcomers
Amaya and Kathryn last summer
Photo by Carl F. Sermon
Kathryn at a bookstore signing event
Photo by Amaya, September 2016
who didn’t even realize that they didn’t know some basic
rules in our dance. Kathryn was the first in the business
to put out an instructional dance video in the 70s and it
was a full two hours of extensive technique. She was very
methodical in her teaching and didn’t mince words about
some dancers’ lack of skill or professionalism. Her dance
lines were elegant and her dance always full of passion.
She was such a deep, feeling person onstage and
offstage. She felt profoundly the unfairness and
harsh treatment of the gentle people that lived
south of her. She was passionate about filming
and documenting the native Tarahumara Indians
from the Copper Canyon, northern Mexico area.
Kathryn was vocal about letting the world know
the tragic issues and stories of the plight of the
children, men and women that were crossing
the Mexican/United States border. Her stories
were real, harsh and yet poetic. Her attention
to color, light, and the natural beauty of the
environment in contrast to the desperate human
issues was always evident. She didn’t see borders
July 2017
The Belly Dance Chronicles
75