April 27: Today in Dance

Born Today: Jack Cole

Dancer and choreographer Jack Cole (1911–1974) is often called the ‘Father of Theatrical Jazz Dance,’ and indeed he blended the components of what is now called jazz dance — jagged syncopated movement featuring isolations and influences from modern dance and world dance styles. He began studying dance with Denishawn and early modern choreographer Doris Humphrey (1895–1958) and made a name for himself as a Broadway choreographer and nightclub performer. Starting in the mid 1940s, he split his time between Broadway and Hollywood, choreographing for Rita Hayworth (1918–1987)in Gilda (1946) and Down to Earth (1947), and making Marilyn Monroe look spectacular in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) and Some Like it Hot (1959). He mentored Broadway dancer Gwen Verdon (1925–2000) and his style is evident in the work of subsequent generations of Broadway dancers and choreographers.

Also Born Today: Indian dancer Zohra Sehgal (1912–2014), who danced with Uday Shankar (1900–1977) in the 1930s and appeared in Bollywood films and in Merchant/Ivory Films in the 1980s, Lindy Hop dancer Leon James (1913–1970), who is best known for partnering Willa Mae Ricker (1910–1978), postmodern choreographer, dance critic, and former architecture student Gus Solomons, Jr. (1940-), who conceives of dance as “melted architecture,” and ballerina Darcey Bussell (1969-), who performed with the Royal Ballet from 1989–2007 and was named president of the organization in 2012.

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Dawn Davis Loring is delighted to announce the publication of her first book on dance: Dance Appreciation, co-authored by Julie L. Pentz. Available from Human Kinetics and from Amazon and other booksellers.