July 18: Today in Dance

Born Today: Olga Spessivtzeva

Russian ballerina Olga Spessivtseva (1895–1991), the one with the soulful eyes, looks much like The Beggar Maid from the famous painting by Edward Burne-Jones. To prepare for Giselle, one of her most famous roles, she visited insane asylums to study how the patients moved, and according to many, she truly inhabited the role of the betrayed lover. Spessivtzeva danced with the original Ballets Russes, the Paris Opera, and the Maryinsky Ballet before she retired from dancing in 1939.

Also Born Today: Progressive Geisha Sada Yacco (1871–1946) popularized Kabuki during world tours, with Yacco playing parts usually reserved for male actor/dancers and founded a school to train female actors. Actor/dancer Audrey Landers (1956-) is best known for playing Val in the movie version of A Chorus Line (1985-). Contemporary choreographer Ronald K. Brown (1966-) founded Evidence in 1985, a company that combines African dance and modern/contemporary dance.

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Movies: Silk Stockings released in 1957, Star! released in 1968

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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.