May 22: Today in Dance

Born Today: Daniel Nagrin

Dancer Daniel Nagrin (1917–2008) is best known for his character-driven jazzy modern solo dances Strange Hero (1948) and Man of Action (1948). Writer Don McDonagh said of his choreography, “For him, jazz was not a finger-popping, torso-twisting genre of self-involvement but a tool to explore character”. Nagrin also collaborated on many projects with his wife, modern dancer Helen Tamiris…