Actress and Choreographer

Hope Clarke

1941 – 2026 (aged 85)

Hope Clarke, the renowned actress, singer, dancer, and frequent collaborator of George C. Wolfe, has passed away at the age of 85 due to complications from a cancerous brain tumor. Hope Clarke was a principal dancer for companies led by Katherine Dunham and Alvin Ailey, and she performed six times on Broadway from 1960-85.

Her impressive career spanned numerous stage productions, including the Tony-nominated musical Jelly's Last Jam, for which she received a Tony Award nomination for choreography. Clarke's work with George C.