January 10: Today in Dance

Born Today: Ray Bolger

The performance of wobbly-legged dancer Ray Bolger (1904–1987) as the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz (1939) is a masterpiece of bonelessness and comedic physicality — you forget he is dancing and wonder where his skeleton went. He was in his mid-thirties in the movie and I think he could teach a thing or two to today’s young hip hop dancers.

Also Born Today: Ballet dancer Ludmilla Chiriaeff (1924–1996) who escaped a Nazi labor camp and later founded the troupe that became Les Grand Ballets Canadiens; Rosella Hightower (1920–2008 — Choctaw Nation) who was one of the Five Moons, a group of Native American ballerinas honored for their artistry in the 20th century; and postmodern dancer that performed with Merce Cunningham’s company, Remy Charlip (1929–2012) who later wrote children’s books.

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Broadway Premiere: Finian’s Rainbow in 1947

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Open Mind, Insert Dance