Dhimah H. Goldsmith (August 25, 1900 – April 18, 1974)Obituary in The New York Times, April 1974, pg. 16 was a dancer of Egyptian ethnicity whose first New York City appearance was at the Guild Theatre on May 13, 1928. Often she performed to the traditional music of Bach and Chopin. In New York City Dhimah included several musical pieces by Béla Bartók, one of which was arranged to verses of the Koran. She was accompanied by an ensemble of thirteen dancers and three musicians.Dhimah, Egyptian Dancer, Appears, The New York Times, May 14, 1928, pg. 29. As an exotic dancer Dhimah is important for introducing a Middle Eastern style of dance to the United States. Dhimah studied dancing in Germany under the tutelage of Mary Wigman.Dhimah Dances for N.Y.U. Students, The New York Times, February 14, 1931, pg. 15.
Performances In November 1928 she was featured in a dance recital at the Civic Repertory Theater,Programs Of The Week, November 11, 1928, pg. 144. 14th Street (Manhattan), west of 6th Avenue (Manhattan).Civic Repertory Theatre, 14th Street, West of 6th Avenue, Manhattan, retrieved on 1/8/2010. Following an absence of a season from performing, Dhimah returned to the stage in November 1930.The Dance: Old And New, The New York Times, September 28, 1930, pg. X10. She performed before an audience of 450 New York University students at the Washington Square Park center on February 13, 1931.<ref name=mary/> Her first recital of the 1932 season came at the John Golden Theatre on April 18.Dhimah Welcomed In Dance Recital, The New York Times, April 18, 1932, pg. 18.
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