April 4: Today in Dance

Born Today: Antony Tudor

Pillar of Fire (1942), a masterful work by ballet choreographer Antony Tudor (1908–1987), was danced in the early years of what is now the American Ballet Theatre and premiered at the Met just four days after his birthday. Tudor’s ballets often featured psychologically tormented protagonists and in this dance, unrequited love drives the lead character to abandon all hope. He began studying dance in his late teens with former Ballet Russes dancer Marie Rambert (1888–1982), shortly afterward joined her professional company and began choreographing a few years later. Unlike other ballet choreographers at the time, he dressed his dancers in ‘street clothes’ and used cinematic devices such as freezes and flashbacks to flesh out the characters.

Also Born Today: Ballroom dancer and teacher Arthur Murray (1895–1991), who created the footprint diagram to teach classes by mail and later through studio franchises; choreographer Pierre Lacotte (1932-) who specializes in reconstructing lost Romantic-era ballets, and ballet choreographer Ben Stevenson (1936-), best known for transforming the Houston Ballet into an internationally-recognized dance company during his tenure (1976–2003).

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Movie: Bye Bye Birdie released in 1963

Broadway Shows Premiered: Follies in 1971 and Kinky Boots in 2013

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Check out more about dance at: https://www.dawndavisloring.com/todayindance

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.