Mary Lois Sweatt 1940-2016


in memoriam M


ary Lois Sweattwas a consummate dance teacher.Not only did she require her students to study ballet, tap, jazz,modern and international dance but also shementored themin life


lessons.Her students succeeded in fields includingmedicine, lawand journalism.


Sweattwas born inHouston and grewup inDallas.WhenMary Lois was quite young, hermother,Ella LoisHudson,made arrangements for a teacher to come to theHudson home and give dance lessons. LaterMrs.Hudson enrolled her daughter in dance lessons at the MarvaMorgan YWCA. In high school,Mary Loiswas taking flute lessons and her flute instructor’swifewas a former dancerwith AmericanBallet inNYC. The ballerina gaveMary Lois and her sister, Estrellita, private ballet lessons at home because nowhite studios would admit blacks.


In 1956, following graduation as valedictorian fromLincolnHigh School, Sweatt enrolled inMillsCollege inOakland,Calif.,where she earned a bachelor’s degree in dance andmusic. In 1962, she earned a master’s degree inmodern dance.


She studiedwithMerceCunninghamandMarthaGrahamduring a summer scholarship programatConnecticutCollege.


Five days after earning hermaster’s degree, shemarriedDr. James L. Sweatt III. They began traveling the country as he continued his training to become a surgeon.


While the couplewas living inDenver, Sweatt started a dance class in the basement of their home, beginningwith a class of 10. The pro- gramhad grown to 80 students by the time she and her husband moved to Texas. They lived briefly in FortWorth beforemoving to Dallas in 1970.


In 1971, she opened theMary Lois School ofDance inOakCliff. In addition to her studio company’s annual recital at theDallas ConventionCenter, her dance students performed at universities, churches, nursing homes, Jack and JillAmericanConvention, JuneteenthCelebrations, TexasBlackRodeo, andDallasDialysis CenterAssociation.


She retired in 2004. The school continues to teach her craft.


Mrs. Sweatt choreographed the Presentation ofDebutantes forDallas IdlewildCotillion. Shewas featured in “High Profile” in TheDallas MorningNews in 1982. The TejasGirl ScoutCouncil recognized her as an outstanding rolemodel in 1988. Shewas named anOutstanding Texan at the 1991 LegislativeBlackCaucusRecognitionDay. She has taught atUrsulineAcademy,was aResource Specialist and Lecturer forBlack LiturgicalDance at Perkins School of Theology at SMU, and was at TheHockaday School for over a decade.


In 2005, Sweattwas honoredwith theMaryBywatersAward for LifetimeAchievement inDance thru theDanceCouncilNorth Texas.


In addition to her husband and two daughters, Sweatt is survived by two sons, James Sweatt IVofClemmons,N.C., andWilliamSweatt of Lake Jackson; a brother, SamuelHudson III ofDallas; two sisters, EstrellitaHudsonRedus andCamelliaHudson Franklin, both of Oakland,Calif.; and 14 grandchildren.


Sweatt, 76, died atMethodistCharltonMedicalCenter inDallas of complications following surgery.


page 10 August-October 2016 www.thedancecouncil.org DANCE!NORTHTEXAS a publicationof the dance council ofnorthtexas vol. 19 •no. 3


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36