[1][2] Berto Pasuka (1911-1963, original name Wilbert Passerley), was born in Jamaica and trained as a classical ballet dancer in Kingston.
[4] Other members of the troupe included the dancers John Lagey and Elroy Josephs,[5] and the Nigerian musicians Bobby Benson and Ambrose Campbell.
[3] His last stage appearance was in 1959 at the Royal Court Theatre in Sean O'Casey's Cock-a-Doodle Dandy (dancing as the cockerel of the title).
He became involved in the West Indian Standing Conference, established in 1958,[14] and featured in the BBC documentaries Ballet Black in 1982 and Storm in a Teacup (with Quentin Crisp, on the history of gay bars) in 1992.
[16] On 8 August 1999 a tribute to Les Ballets Nègres was staged at the Royal Festival Hall in London's Southbank Centre.