June 18: Today in Dance

Born Today: Leonid Lavrovsky

Ballet dancer and choreographer Leonid Lavrovsky (1905–1967) performed with the Maryinsky Ballet and performed in a group with the young George Balanchine (1904–1983) and in the late 1930s Lavrovsky directed the Kirov Ballet (previously the Maryinsky) and worked with the composer Sergei Prokofiev tto finally produce the ballet Romeo and Juliet (1940), a prime example of a Soviet dramatic ballet. In 1944 he was named the head balletmaster of the Bolshoi Ballet until 1964.

Also Born Today: Modern dancer Ethel Winter (1924–2012) danced with Martha Graham (1894–1991) from the 1940s-1960s and taught dance at Juilliard for 50 years before retiring in 2003. Ballet dancer Derek Deane (1953-) danced for the Royal Ballet in the 1970s-1980s and was the Artistic Director of the English National Ballet from 1993–2001.

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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.