Ruth Beckford, the legendary dancer, choreographer and Oakland community activist, died May 8 of natural causes. She was 93. Beckford known as The Dance Lady, toured with the acclaimed dancer/ ...

Oakland native Ruth Beckford is a Bay Area dance legend who used to thrill audiences with her acrobatic moves. Beckford, was a disciple of the late Katherine Dunham, the matriarch of the modern ...

From 1925 to 2019, Oakland was given the eminent presence of Ruth Beckford. Her expectation of her beloved city is to be remembered for who she was and how she helped further others to become more.

Dimensions Dance Theater, the oldest Black dance troupe on the West Coast, celebrates its 50th anniversary with performances Oct. 22-23 in Oakland.

“Huey [P. Newton]’s girlfriend at the time (LaVerne Anderson) was taking an Afro-Hatian dance class from Mrs. Ruth Beckford-Smith, the famed dancer,” Jennings told me. “And then, she told Ruth ...

Throughout last year, the steel and concrete frame of a new building in downtown Oakland grew to obscure a sprawling mural. Protesters with picket signs disappeared from view, along with dancers, ...

Ruth Beckford-Smith, a parishioner who taught Haitian dance at the church, volunteered to be one of the program’s co-organizers. Eleven children ate at St. Augustine’s on the first day.