Ballet (unlike scented candles, cooky containers, fluffy slippers & cozy blankets) is not just for grannies
These are great stage Choreographers. They were masters of body magic who fused lights, shadows, movements and musical tempos. Balletomanes are deeply grateful.
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Marius Petipa was born on 11 March 1818 in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France. He was a writer and director, known for The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018), Shchelkunchik (2023) and The Bolshoi Ballet: Live from Moscow - The Nutcracker (2010). He was married to Love Savitskaya and Mariia Surovshchikova. He died on 14 July 1910 in Gurzuf, Crimea, Russian Empire [now Ukraine].Date of Death
14 July 1910, Girzuf, Crimea
The greatest ballet choreographer of the 19th century, and one of the greatest of all time.- Additional Crew
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Mikhail Fokin (Michel Fokine) was a Russian-American choreographer and dancer.
He was born Mikhail Mikhailovich Fokin on April 23, 1880 in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was the seventeenth of eighteen children, only 5 of whom grew to adulthood. His father, Mikhail Fokin, was a wealthy Russian merchant in St. Petersburg. His mother, Catherine, was a migrant from Germany. Fokin studied ballet from the age of 9 at the Ballet class of the Imperial Theatre School in St. Petersburg. Upon his graduation in 1898, Fokin was hired in the rank of soloist with the Imperial Russian Ballet at Mariinsky Theatre. He made his stage debut in 'Paquita' (1898), as a partner with the famous Anna Pavlova. He also resumed a teaching career at the girls junior class from 1902, becoming the youngest faculty member at the Imperial Ballet School.
Fokin became dissatisfied with the stagnant traditional choreography based on solo performances and dominated by hand gestures. A mere dancing to the background music was not for Fokin. His new ideas reformed the classic dance and expanded beyond the boundaries of traditional school. Fokin introduced changes to the dancer's movements, by upgrading the principles of mime, posture and gesture to "free movement" of the entire body of a dancer.
While his ideas were not accepted by the conservative management of the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, Fokin and his partner, Anna Pavlova, won attention of the Russian group of art connoisseurs known as 'Mir Iskusstva' (aka World of art), such as Prince Volkonsky, Alexandre Benois, and Sergei Diaghilev. Among Fokin's early works were the choreography for 'Chopiniana' (1903), later revised as 'Les Sylphides', ballet 'Acis and Galatea' (1905), and 'The Dying Swan' (1907), performed as a solo dance by Anna Pavlova.
Fokin was the first great choreographer who worked with Sergei Diaghilev for his "Ballets Russes" in Paris during 1909-1914. There he fully implemented his ideas of an ensemble dance with the grater interplay between the dancers and music. Even before his work with Sergei Diaghilev, Fokin brought innovations to the genre of classical ballet by creating a new format of "one-act ballet." However, for the "Ballets Russes" productions he made revisions and updates to his earlier ideas, such as 'Les Sylphides', premiered in 1909 at Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.
His most significant works for Diaghilev's "Ballets Russes" were 'Firebird' (1909), starring his wife Vera Fokine, 'Carnival' (1909), starring Vaslav Nijinsky, and 'Petrushka' (1911) on the music of Igor Stravinsky. Fokin also choreographed 'Daphnis and Chloe' (1912) by Maurice Ravel, and 'Scheherazade' (1910) and 'Le coq d'or' (The Golden Cockerel, 1914) on the music of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
Mikhail Fokin's mutually beneficial collaboration with Sergei Diaghilev came to an end in 1914. Fokin terminated their hectic relationship, because he was jealous of Diaghilev's close association with Vaslav Nijinsky. In 1914 Fokin returned to Russia and lived there until 1918. In 1919 he moved to New York and founded his own ballet school. During the 1930s, Fokin toured the world with the Covent Garden Russian Ballet, and created the ballet "Paganini" set to the music of Sergei Rachmaninoff.
Fokin staged more than 70 ballets in many countries all over the world. His choreography survived through the commercialization of dance. His best known works were 'Chopiniana' (also known in a revised version as 'Les Sylphides'), 'Le Carnival' and 'Le Pavillion d'Armide'. Fokin's work with Sergei Diaghilev prepared ground for the era of the powerful innovator George Balanchine. He died on August 22, 1942.
Fokin's wife Vera Fokine continued teaching in Fokin's studio in New York. Fokin's choreographic miniatures are still performed by many ballet troupes across the world.Date of Death
22 August 1942, New York City, New York, USA
His most significant works for Diaghilev's "Ballets Russes" were 'Firebird' (1909), starring his wife Vera Fokine, 'Carnival' (1909), starring Vaslav Nijinsky, and 'Petrushka' (1911) on the music of Igor Stravinsky. Fokin also choreographed 'Daphnis and Chloe' (1912) by Maurice Ravel, and 'Scheherazade' (1910) and 'Le coq d'or' (The Golden Cockerel, 1914) on the music of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.Fokin staged more than 70 ballets in many countries all over the world. His choreography survived through the commercialization of dance. His best known works were 'Chopiniana' (also known in a revised version as 'Les Sylphides'), 'Le Carnival' and 'Le Pavillion d'Armide'. Fokin's work with Sergei Diaghilev prepared ground for the era of the powerful innovator George Balanchine.- Additional Crew
August Bournonville was born on 21 August 1805 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He is known for I Am a Dancer (1972), Great Performances: Dance in America (1976) and Pas de deux romantiques (1964). He was married to Helena Frederika Håkansson. He died on 30 November 1879 in Copenhagen, Denmark.- Additional Crew
- Actor
- Director
George Balanchine was a Georgian-American ballet dancer and one of the foremost choreographers of the 20th century. Regarded as the founder of American ballet, he established and led the New York City Ballet for more than three decades.
Balanchine was born Georgy Melitonovich Balanchivadze, the son of Meliton Balanchivadze, a noted Georgian composer who later became the Culture Minister of the first Georgian Democratic Republic. Young Balanchine studied piano with his father from the age of 5. In 1913, he was admitted in the ballet class of the Imperial Ballet School in St. Petersburg. In 1914, he made his stage debut with the Mariinsky Imperial Ballet as Cupid in "The Sleeping Beauty" ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. In 1921, he graduated as a classic ballet dancer. He also studied piano and composition at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. From 1921-24, he was a dancer with the State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Petrograd (St. Petersburg).
In 1924, he emigrated from Russia together with his first wife, ballerina Tamara Geva, whom he wed in 1923. That same year auditioned for and was hired as a dancer by impresario Sergei Diaghilev for his "Russian Ballet". A knee injury forced him to quit dancing, and Diaghilev employed him as a choreographer. From 1924-29 he created nine major ballets as well as choreographing smaller productions. He choreographed such ballets as "L'Enfant et les Sortileges" by Maurice Ravel, "Apollon Musagete" and "Le Chant du Rossignol" by Igor Stravinsky, in which he introduced then 14-year-old Alicia Markova.
After Diaghilev's death, Balanchine had a few uncertain years. He played a cameo role as a dancer in Dark Red Roses (1929) with Lydia Lopokova, a former Diaghilev ballerina. After a brief stint with the Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen, Balanchine moved to Monte Carlo. There, from 1930-33, he choreographed three ballets for "Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo", starring Tamara Toumanova. At that time he collaborated with Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weil. In 1933, he formed "Les Ballets" with Boris Kochno, Diaghilev's last private secretary, and made performances in London. There he was met the young American impresario Lincoln Kirstein, who invited him to start a ballet company in New York. Balanchine said, "Yes. But first, a school", and came to New York at the end of 1933. There he co-founded the School of American Ballet, which opened its doors on January 2, 1934.
In 1935, he co-founded the American Ballet, which became the resident company of the Metropolitan Opera for a few years until their separation from the Opera in 1938. Balanchine took his dancers to Hollywood. There he promoted his second wife, Vera Zorina, to several leading roles and worked as ballet choreographer in The Goldwyn Follies (1938), On Your Toes (1939), We Are Not Alone (1939), Star Spangled Rhythm (1942) and Follow the Boys (1944). In 1946, Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein founded the Ballet Society, renamed the "New York City Ballet" in 1948. It became the most innovative ballet company in the world. He choreographed the five-part series Great Performances: Dance in America (1976) for PBS and the film The Turning Point (1977).
In Christmas 1954, Balanchine staged "The Nutcracker" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and started the tradition of seasonal performances of this classic ballet. His choreography was re-created for the 1993 film version of the production, The Nutcracker (1993). Balanchine and New York City Ballet made a home in the New York State Theater building at Lincoln Center, designed by Philip Johnson, in 1964. The new home for Balanchine's ballet was commissioned and funded with the help of Kirstein, who served as the general director of Balanchine's ballet company from 1933-89. Their work was documented from 1933-55 by photographer George Platt Lynes. Their friends and collaborators were Gertrude Stein, Jean Cocteau, Igor Stravinsky, Pavel Tchelitchev, Cecil Beaton, Alexandra Danilova and many others.
Balanchine was married four times, all to ballerinas; he also had common-law relationships, but remained childless. He died in New York on April 30, 1983, and was laid to rest in Oakland Cemetery, Sag Harbor, New York.Date of Birth
22 January 1904, St. Petersburg, Russia
Date of Death
30 April 1983, New York City, New York, USA (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease)
Birth Name
Georgy Melitonovich Balanchivadze
Nickname
Mr. B
Mini Biography
George Balanchine was a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer with the "Ballets Russes" of Sergei Diaghilev, and became one of the foremost choreographers of the 20th century. He co-founded the School of American Ballet, and started the tradition of seasonal performances of "The Nutcracker" since 1954.
He was born Georgi Melitonovich Balanchivadze on January 22, 1904 into a family of Russian-Georgian heritage, in St. Petersburg, Russia. His father, 'Meliton Balanchivadze', was a noted Georgian composer. Young Balanchine studied piano from the age of 5 with his father. In 1913 Balanchin was admitted in the ballet class of the Imperial Ballet School in St. Petersburg. In 1914 he made his stage debut with the Mariinsky Imperial Ballet as Cupid in "The Sleeping Beauty" ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. In 1921 Balanchine graduated as a classic ballet dancer. He also studied piano and composition at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. From 1921-1924 he was a dancer with the State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Petrograd (St. Petersburg).
In 1924 he emigrated from Russia together with his first wife, ballerina Tamara Geva. Balanchine was auditioned and hired as a dancer by impresario Sergei Diaghilev for his "Russian Ballet" in 1924. After having a knee injury, he quit dancing, and Sergei Diaghilev employed him as a choreographer. That job made Balanchine famous. From 1924 - 1929 he created nine major ballets as well as smaller choreography. He choreographed such ballets as "L'Enfant et les Sortileges" by Maurice Ravel, "Apollon Musagete" and "Le Chant du Rossignol" by Igor Stravinsky, in which he introduced then 14-year-old Alicia Markova.
After the death of Sergei Diaghilev, Balanchine had a few uncertain years. He played a cameo role as a dancer in Dark Red Roses (1930) with Lydia Lopokova, a former Diaghilev's ballerina. After a brief stint with the Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen, Balanchine moved to Monte Carlo. There, from 1930 - 1933, he choreographed three ballets for "Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo", starring Tamara Toumanova. at that time Balanchine also collaborated with Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weil. In 1933, he formed "Les Ballets" with Boris Kochno, Diaghilev's last private secretary, and made performances in London. There, he was engaged by the young American impresario Lincoln Kirstein with an invitation to start a ballet company in New York.
Balanchine said "Yes. But first, a school", and came to New York in the end of 1933. There he co-founded The School of American Ballet which opened its doors on January 2, 1934. In 1935 he co-founded The American Ballet, which became the resident company of the Metropolitan Opera for a few years, until their separation from the Opera in 1938. Balanchine took his dancers to Hollywood. There he promoted his second wife Vera Zorina to several leading roles and worked as ballet choreographer in The Goldwyn Follies (1938), On Your Toes (1939), We Are Not Alone (1939), Star Spangled Rhythm (1942) and The Cheers For The Boys (1944). In 1946, Balanchine and Kirstein founded the Ballet Society, renamed the "New York City Ballet" in 1948. It became the most innovative ballet company in the world. He choreographed the five-part "Dance in America" for PBS in 1977 and Momento de Decisão (1977).
For the Christmas of 1954, Balanchine staged "The Nutcracker" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and started the tradition of seasonal performances of this classic ballet. His choreography was re-created for the 1993 film version of The Nutcracker (1993). Balanchine and New York City Ballet made a home in the New York State Theater building at Lincoln Center, designed by Philip Johnson in 1964. The new home for Balanchine's ballet was commissioned and funded with the help of Lincoln Kirstein, who served as the general director of the Balanchine's ballet company from 1933 to 1989. Their work was documented from 1933-55 by photographer George Platt Lynes. Their friends and collaborators were Gertrude Stein, Jean Cocteau, Igor Stravinsky, Pavel Tchelitchev, Cecil Beaton, Alexandra Danilova, and many others.
Balanchine was married four times, all his wives were ballerinas; he also had common law relationships, but remained childless. He died in New York on April 30, 1983, and was laid to rest in Oakland Cemetery, Sag Harbor, New York, USA.
IMDb Mini Biography By: Steve Shelokhonov
Spouse
Tanaquil Le Clerq (1952 - 1969) (divorced)
Maria Tallchief (1946 - 1952) (divorced)
Vera Zorina (December 1938 - 1946) (divorced)
Tamara Geva (1921 - 1926) (divorced)
Trade Mark
Lighter costumes, faster movements, plotless ballet pieces. His dancers moved brilliantly.
Trivia
Son of Georgian composer Meliton Balanchivadze. Brother of Georgian composer Andrei Balanchivadze.
Perhaps the most famous and celebrated ballet choreographer of the twentieth century.
His 1954 staging of Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" is probably his most famous work. It is the version most responsible for making the complete ballet an annual Christmas tradition throughout the United States. It has been performed in New York City annually since 1954,and still continues its run there - and in 1965, Atlanta, Ga. was one of the first cities outside New York to be granted the rights to perform the Balanchine version. It has also been filmed.
Had unrequited romantic intentions with close friend and artistic muse Suzanne Farrell, prima ballerina of the New York City Ballet, even while he was still married. Balanchine received a Mexican divorce from his wife in order to marry Farrell, but returned to New York and found she had already married boyfriend and fellow New York City Ballet dancer Paul Mejia. Heartbroken, he kicked Mejia out of the company and when Farrell attempted to stand up for her husband she was also exiled. Farrell eventually reconciled with Balanchine and rejoined the company several years later. Balanchine never married again.
Quit dancing in his prime to choreograph.
Choreographed more than 80 works with his NYCB company.
Co-founder of the New York City Ballet and The School of American Ballet.
Two of his wives played the same role in different productions of Rodgers and Hart's musical "On Your Toes", and both danced the ballet "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" in it. Tamara Geva appeared in the 1936 original Broadway production, in which her leading man was Ray Bolger, who later played the Scarecrow in the 1939 film O Mágico de Oz (1939). Vera Zorina appeared in the 1939 film version of "On Your Toes", and her leading man was Eddie Albert, who later starred in the hit television series "Green Acres" (1965). The film version, however, dropped all the songs, even though it kept the ballet music.
Was the choreographer primarily responsible for making ballet more modern.
Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume One, 1981-1985, pages 32-35. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998.
Personal Quotes
"Ballet is Woman. In sports, it's Mickey Mantle. In politics, it's Eisenhower. In ballet, it's woman. Women are lighter, more flexible. They move more beautifully. He is not the King, but she's the Queen".
"Retire? You mean will I die?"- Additional Crew
- Actor
- Writer
The founding father of British ballet, he developed the "English style" of classical dancing. He saw Anna Pavlova dance in 1917, which inspired him to a lifetime in ballet. He studied in London with Léonide Massine and Marie Rambert. He joined the Vic-Wells ballet, which later became the Royal Ballet of London, of which he eventually became director, succeeding Ninette de Valois during one of its greatest periods.Date of Birth
17 September 1904, Guayaquil, Ecuador
Date of Death
18 August 1988, Eye, Sussex, England, UK
Birth Name
Frederick William Mallandaine Ashton
Mini Biography
The founding father of British ballet, he developed the "English style" of classical dancing. He saw Anna Pavlova dance in 1917, which inspired him to a lifetime in ballet. He studied in London with Léonide Massine and Marie Rambert. He joined the Vic-Wells ballet, which later became the Royal Ballet of London, of which he eventually became director, succeeding Ninette de Valois during one of its greatest periods.
IMDb Mini Biography By: Steve Crook
Trivia
He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1950 King's Honours List for his services to dance. He was awarded Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in the 1962 Queen's Honours List for his services to dance. He was awarded the Companion of Honour in the 1970 Queen's Honours List for his services to dance. He was awarded the Order of Merit in October 1977 in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to dance.
He was awarded the Legion of Honour in France in 1962 for his services to dance.
He was awarded the Commander of the Order of Dannebrog in 1963 by the Danish government for his services to dance.- Additional Crew
- Writer
- Director
John Cranko was born on 15 August 1927 in Rustenburg, North West Province, South Africa. He was a writer and director, known for Cranks (1962), Der Widerspenstigen Zähmung (1971) and The Turning Point (1977). He died on 26 June 1973 in on flight between Philadelphia and Stutgart.Date of Birth
15 August 1927, Rustenberg, Transvaal, South Africa
Date of Death
26 June 1973- Additional Crew
- Actor
- Writer
Kenneth MacMillan was born on 11 December 1929 in Dunfermline, Scotland, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Romeo and Juliet (1966), The Julie Andrews Show (1959) and Little Nikita (1988). He was married to Deborah Williams. He died on 29 October 1992 in Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, England, UK.Date of Birth
11 December 1929, Dunfermline, Scotland, UK
Date of Death
29 October 1992, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, England, UK (heart attack)
Spouse
Deborah Williams (1972 - 29 October 1992) (his death) 1 child
Trivia
He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1993 (1992 season) for Best Dance Production for the Royal Ballet's Production of his Judas Tree.
He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1993 (1992 season) for the Society of London Theatre's Lifetime Achievement Award.
Won Broadway's 1994 Tony Award as Best Choreographer posthumously for "Carousel."
He died of a heart attack, backstage, during the first night of the Royal Ballet's revival of "Mayerling" in the Royal Opera House on 29 October 1992. The announcement of his death was made on stage at the end of the ballet.- Additional Crew
- Director
- Music Department
Busby Berkeley was one of the greatest choreographers of the US movie musical. He started his career in the US Army in 1918, as a lieutenant in the artillery conducting and directing parades. After the World War I cease-fire he was ordered to stage camp shows for the soldiers. Back in the US he became a stage actor and assistant director in smaller acting troupes. After being forced to take over the direction of the musical "Holka-Polka" he discovered his talent for staging extravagant dance routines, and he quickly became one of Broadway's top dance directors. Producer Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. called him to direct the dance routines for his production of "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court". Eddie Cantor, who starred in the long-running Ziegfeld production "Whoopee!", suggested Berkley create the dance routines in the film version )Whoopee! (1930) and Ziegfeld agreed.
At first in Hollywood Berkeley wasn't satisfied with the possibilities of his job--at the time, dance directors trained the dancers and staged the dances. The director chose camera positions and the editor chose which of the takes were shown to the audience. Berkeley wanted to direct the dances himself and convinced producer Samuel Goldwyn to let him try. One of the first chances he took was that he used only one camera in his films. He also showed close-ups of the chorus girls. Asked about this, he explained, "Well, we've got all the beautiful girls in the picture, why not let the public see them?" With the decline of musicals in 1931 and 1932, he was thinking of returning to Broadway when Darryl F. Zanuck, chief producer at Warner Brothers, called him in to direct the musical numbers of Warners' newest project, the backstage drama 42nd Street (1933). Berkeley accepted and directed great numbers like "Shuffle Off To Buffalo", "Young and Healthy" and the grandiose story of urban life, the finale "42nd Street". The film was a smash hit, and Warner Brothers knew who made it such an extraordinary success--Berkeley, as well as composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin, got seven-year contracts. Berkeley created musical numbers for almost every great musical that Warner Brothers produced from 1933 to 1937. His overhead shots forced him to drill holes in the studio roofs, and he used more dancers with each succeeding picture. However, by the late 1930s the musical was in decline once again, and Berkeley had nothing to do as a choreographer. He directed two non-musical pictures for Warner Brothers then went to MGM, where he choreographed the final number from Broadway Serenade (1939) with Jeanette MacDonald. As a director and choreographer he worked on four pictures with teenage stars Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. He also choreographed the "Fascinatin' Rhythm" finale for MGM's reigning tapping star, Eleanor Powell in Lady Be Good (1941). He directed Gene Kelly in his first picture, For Me and My Gal (1942). Kelly, who choreographed his own numbers, learned a lot from Berkeley.
Berkeley worked for 20th Century-Fox in The Gang's All Here (1943) with its surrealistic number "The Lady in the Tutti-Frutti Hat". In 1949 he directed his last picture, Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949), but this time the choreography was by Gene Kelly. Berkeley did a few numbers in the early 1950s but, by the end of the decade, he was all but forgotten. A revival of his films in the late 1960s brought him some popularity and he was asked to return to Broadway and supervise the dance direction in the revival of a Vincent Youmans musical comedy from 1925. One of the actresses in this production was Ruby Keeler, one of his leading ladies in Warner musicals. When the production went on tour in 1972, one of the road cast was Eleanor Powell. The production was a smash hit. When he walked on stage after one opening night, the house exploded with applause.
A strange fact is that Busby Berkeley never had a dancing lesson and, in his early days, was very afraid of people finding out. He often drove his producers crazy when he gave orders to build a set and then sat in front of it for a few days, thinking up the numbers.Date of Birth
29 November 1895, Los Angeles, California, USA
Date of Death
14 March 1976, Palm Springs, California, USA
Birth Name
William Berkeley Enos
Nickname
Buzz
Height
5' 9" (1.75 m)
Mini Biography
Busby Berkeley was one of the greatest choreographers in the U.S. movie musical. He started his career in the US Army in 1918, as a lieutenant in the artillery conducting and directing parades. After the cease fire he was ordered to stage camp shows for the soldiers. Back in the US he became stage actor and assistant director in smaller acting troops. After being forced to take over the direction of the musical "Holka-Polka" he discovered his talent for staging extravagant dance routines, and he beamed as one of the top Broadway dance directors. Producer Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. called him to direct the dance routines for his production "A Connecticut Yankee on King Arthur's Court". Eddie Cantor, who starred in the long running Ziegfeld production "Whoopee!" suggested Berkley create the dance routines in the film version, and Ziegfeld agreed. At first in Hollywood, he wasn't satisfied with the possibilities of his job - at the time, dance directors trained the dancers and staged the dances. The director chose the position for the cameras and the editor chose which of the takes were shown to the audience. Berkeley wanted to direct the dances himself and convinced the producer Samuel Goldwyn to let him try. One of the first chances he took was that he used only one camera in his films. He also showed close-ups of the chorus girls. Asked about this he explained: "Well, we've got all the beautiful girls in the picture, why not let the public see them?" With the decline of musicals in 1931 and 1932, he was thinking of returning to Broadway, when Darryl F. Zanuck, chief producer at Warner Brothers called him in to direct the musicals numbers of their newest project, the backstage drama Rua 42 (1933). Berkeley accepted and directed great numbers like "Shuffle Off To Buffalo", "Young and Healthy" and the grandiose story of urban life, the finale "42nd Street". The film was a smash hit, and Warner Brothers knew who made it such an extraordinary success: Berkeley, as well as the composer Harry Warren and the lyricist Al Dubin got seven year contracts. Berkeley created musical numbers for almost every great musical that Warner Brothers produced from 1933 to 1937. His overhead shots forced him to drill holes in the studio roofs, and he used more dancers with each succeeding picture. But with the second declining of the musical picture in 1938, he had nothing to do as a choreographer. He directed two non-musical pictures for Warner Brothers, then he went to MGM, where he choreographed the final number from Broadway Serenade (1939) with Jeanette MacDonald. As a director and choreographer, he worked on four pictures with the teenage stars Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. He also choreographed the "Fascinatin' Rhythm" finale for MGM's reigning tapping star, Eleanor Powell in Lady Be Good (1941). He directed Gene Kelly in his first picture, in For Me and My Gal (1942). Kelly, who choreographed his own numbers, learned a lot from Berkeley. He worked for 20th Century-Fox in The Gang's All Here (1940) with its surrealistic number "The Lady in the Tutti-Frutti Hat". At the end of the 40s, he directed his last picture, A Bela Ditadora (1949), but this time the choreography was directed by Gene Kelly. He did a few numbers in the early 50s but, by the end of the decade, he was all but forgotten. A revival of his films in the late 60s brought him some popularity and he was asked to return to Broadway and supervise the dance direction in the revival of a Vincent Youmans musical comedy from 1925. One of the actresses in this production was Ruby Keeler, one of his leading ladies in Warner musicals. When the production went on tour in 1972, one of the road cast was Eleanor Powell. The production was a smash hit. When he walked on stage after one opening night, the house exploded with applause. A strange fact is that Busby Berkeley never had a dancing lesson and, in his early days, he was very afraid of people finding out. He often drove his producers almost crazy when he gave orders to build a set and then sat in front of it for a few days, thinking up the numbers.
IMDb Mini Biography By: Stephan Eichenberg & A.Nonymous
Spouse
Merna Kennedy (1934 - 1935) (divorced)
Esther Muir (November 1929 - 1931) (divorced)
Etta Judd (? - ?)
Claire James (? - ?)
Trivia
Inspired the song "Busby Berkeley Dreams" by The Magnetic Fields.
Son of actress Gertrude Berkeley.
At age 12 he enrolled in the Mohegan Lake Military Academy near Peekskill. He graduated in 1914.
His parents were members of the Tim Frawley Repertory Company. His father was the director. He was named after two people in the Tim Frawley Repetory Company: Amy Busby (a young English soubret who later became prominent on the London stage) and William Gillette who went on to become a Broadway star, performing in a Sherlock Holmes play he had written.
In his early days, he worked for a shoe company in Athol, Massachusetts for three years. In his spare time he played semi-pro baseball, organized a dance band and played in local shows.
His brother George (ten years Busby's senior) graduated from Culver Military Academy where he was an accomplished athlete and captain of the Culver Black Horse Troop. Years later, as a result of drug abuse, George was found dead on a park bench in Plattsburgh, New York, U.S.A.
Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume One, 1890-1945". Pages 23-28. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1987.
On his way home from a party thrown by William Koenig to celebrate the completion of In Caliente (1935), Busby hit two vehicles, killing three people in the second car: William von Brieson, his mother, and sister-in-law. Tried for murder, Berkeley, represented by Jerry Giesler, was acquitted in a third trial after the previous two ended in hung juries.
He was not the first person who used the famous overhead shot, a shot that looks like you're looking through a kaleidescope, with the dancers in a circle(s) in interesting patterns. (i.e A minor example of this technique precedes his work in Dancing Lady (1933).) But he did make the grandiose, kaleidoscopic overhead-shooting of musical extravaganzas his own unmistakable artistic style by expanding the concept to its limits and then beyond affordability.
Ex-brother-in-law of Lois James.
Personal Quotes
In an era of breadlines, depression and wars, I tried to help people get away from all the misery...to turn their minds to something else. I wanted to make people happy, if only for an hour.- Additional Crew
- Director
- Actor
Maurice Béjart was born on 1 January 1927 in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France. He was a director and actor, known for Bhakti (1970), Le sacre du printemps (1970) and Ballet for Life (1997). He died on 22 November 2007 in Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland.Maurice Béjart was born on January 1, 1927 in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France as Maurice Jean Berger. He is known for his work on Bhakti (1970), Le sacre du printemps (1970) and Ballet for Life (1997). He died on November 22, 2007 in Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland.
Trivia
Dancer and choreographer.
He choreographed a work to a soundtrack of rock group Queen's greatest hits; it is entitled "Ballet for Life".
In 1960, he formed his own dance company, the Ballet du XXe Siecle ("Ballet of the 20th Century"). The troupe later moved to Switzerland, where it was renamed Bejart Ballet Lausanne.
He studied dance in London and Paris, and went on to become a leading avant-garde choreographer in the 1950s. His dances have a sensual style which was not well-received in traditional Paris circles, prompting him to move to Brussels. There, his version of Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" was staged to much acclaim in 1959.- Actor
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Eugene Curran Kelly was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the third son of Harriet Catherine (Curran) and James Patrick Joseph Kelly, a phonograph salesman. His father was of Irish descent and his mother was of Irish and German ancestry.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was the largest and most powerful studio in Hollywood when Gene Kelly arrived in town in 1941. He came direct from the hit 1940 original Broadway production of "Pal Joey" and planned to return to the Broadway stage after making the one film required by his contract. His first picture for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was For Me and My Gal (1942) with Judy Garland. What kept Kelly in Hollywood were "the kindred creative spirits" he found behind the scenes at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The talent pool was especially large during World War II, when Hollywood was a refuge for many musicians and others in the performing arts of Europe who were forced to flee the Nazis. After the war, a new generation was coming of age. Those who saw An American in Paris (1951) would try to make real life as romantic as the reel life they saw portrayed in that musical, and the first time they saw Paris, they were seeing again in memory the seventeen-minute ballet sequence set to the title song written by George Gershwin and choreographed by Kelly. The sequence cost a half million dollars (U.S.) to make in 1951 dollars. Another Kelly musical of the era, Singin' in the Rain (1952), was one of the first 25 films selected by the Library of Congress for its National Film Registry. Kelly was in the same league as Fred Astaire, but instead of a top hat and tails Kelly wore work clothes that went with his masculine, athletic dance style.
Gene Kelly died at age 83 of complications from two strokes on February 2, 1996 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California.In 1985 Broadway staged Singin' in the rain, an Original film with choreography by Gene Kelly.
Coquelico (Feb 22, 1979 - Apr 01, 1979) had been produced in association with Kelly
Flower Drum Song (Dec 01, 1958 - May 07, 1960) had been Directed by him
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Best Foot Forward (Oct 01, 1941 - Jul 04, 1942)
had been choreographed by him- Additional Crew
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Jerome Robbins was one of the founding members of the Ballet Theatre when it was formed in 1940 portraying a variety of roles for several years before devising his own creations such as 'Fancy Free' about 3 sailors on leave in New York which marked a long association with Leonard Bernstein. With Jerome in one of the leading roles it opened at the Metropolitan Opera House in April 1944 and quickly established Jerome and Leonard as important talents particularly when the play was turned into the film'On the Town' Among ballets Jerome staged for the New York City Ballet, of which he became company director are 'Pied Piper','The Cage',and 'Inter Play'. In 1958 he formed his own company 'Ballets: USA which did tours of Europe and the Middle East, New York and a national tour. Several members of the company were in the film West Side Story which Jerome staged fir Broadway, the National Company and London.Jerome Robbins was born on October 11, 1918 in New York City, New York, USA as Jerome Rabinowitz. He is known for his work on West Side Story (1961), Fiddler on the Roof (1971) and Producers' Showcase (1954). He died on July 29, 1998 in New York City.
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In May, 1953, Robbins was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee. He admitted to having belonged to the American Communist Party's Theatrical Transient Group between 1943 and 1947, and also named eight colleagues as members.
Ballet choreographer.
Co-Ballet Master at the New York City Ballet.
Won five Tony Awards: as Best Choreographer, in 1948 for "High Button Shoes" and in 1958 for "West Side Story;" as both Best Director (Musical) and Best Choreographer, in 1965 for "Fiddler on the Roof;" and as Best Director (Musical) in 1989 for "Jerome Robbins' Broadway." He was nominated four other times: as Best Choreographer, in 1957 with Bob Fosse for "Bells Are Ringing;" as Best Director (Musical), in 1960 for "Gypsy;" and, two in 1963, as Producer (Dramatic) and as co-producer of Best Play nominee "Mother Courage and Her Children"
Biography in: "American National Biography". Supplement 1, pp. 517-519. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
He was awarded the American National Medal of the Arts in 1988 by the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington D.C.
When he and Robert Wise won the Best Director Oscar in 1962 for West Side Story (1961), it was the first time that a directing Oscar was shared among collaborators.
Only three times in Academy Award history have director-collaborators been nominated for Best Directing Oscars: Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins for West Side Story (1961), Warren Beatty and Buck Henry for Heaven Can Wait (1978) and Joel Coen and Ethan Coen for No Country for Old Men (2007). (Wise/Robbins and the Coens actually won the award).
The only individual to win the Best Director Academy Award for their sole feature film directorial credit.
Studied at New York University and at the Dance Center in Manhattan. Made his debut on the stage in a 1937 production of the Yiddish Art Theater.
Joined the New York City Ballet in 1948 at the prompting of its artistic director George Balanchine.
A precocious talent, he played piano at the age of three.
His first ballet, "Fancy Free", served as the basis for the stage musical and motion picture On the Town (1949)).
Known to be emotionally volatile and ruthlessly demanding of his collaborators.
Along with Delbert Mann, Robert Redford, James L. Brooks, Kevin Costner and Sam Mendes, he is one of only six people to win the Academy Award for Best Director for their directorial debut: Mann for Marty (1955), Robbins for West Side Story (1961) (which he co-directed with Robert Wise, Redford for Ordinary People (1980), Brooks for Terms of Endearment (1983), Costner for Dances with Wolves (1990) and Mendes for American Beauty (1999).
He was bisexual; he had a relationship with actor Montgomery Clift, but he never married.
Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein and his musical, "West Side Story" at the Paramount Theatre in Chicago, Illinois was awarded the 2016 Joseph Jefferson (Equity) Award for Large Musical Production.
It is thought that the reason why Robbins co-operated with the House Un-American Activities Committee was that he was being blackmailed by them; the Committee had obtained love letters that had passed between Robbins and the actor Montgomery Clift and were prepared to make these public if he did not name names.
The only winner of an Academy Award as Best Director to get it for a film from which he was fired.- Additional Crew
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Leonide Massine, dancer and choreographer was born in Moscow in 1895 the son of a soprano & a musician from the Bolshoi Theatre chorus. He studied acting & dance from the age of 8 at Moscow's Imperial Theatre School. He was 19 when he was spotted by Diaghilev and recruited as the principal dancer in the Ballets Russes to replace the recently married Nijinsky. Although many said that as a person he was distant and unemotional, when on stage (or film) he showed a livliness and an ability for the understanding and expressing of strong emotions and tremendous humour. Massine's first original work of choreography was the innovative Parade (1917) with a libretto by Jean Cocteau, music by Erik Satie and decor by Pablo Picasso. Later on his set designers included Matisse, Salvador Dalí and Chagall. He went on to a hugely successful career as an international dancer and choreographer and while his private life remained tempestuous with four marriages and many affairs, his professional career seems to have been totally happy and satisfying for him. he was still dancing in his mid-sixties and was choreographing right up to his death in 1979.- Additional Crew
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Roland Petit was born on 13 January 1924 in Villemomble, Seine-Saint-Denis, France. He was a writer and actor, known for Black Tights (1960), Le Jeune Homme et la Mort (1967) and Hans Christian Andersen (1952). He was married to Zizi Jeanmaire. He died on 10 July 2011 in Geneva, Canton Geneva, Switzerland.- Actor
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Gower Champion was born on 22 June 1921 in Geneva, Illinois, USA. He was an actor and director, known for An Evening with Julie Andrews and Harry Belafonte (1969), Lovely to Look At (1952) and Hello, Dolly! (1969). He was married to Karla Most and Marge Champion. He died on 25 August 1980 in New York City, New York, USA.- Additional Crew
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Antony Tudor was born on 4 April 1908 in London, England, UK. He was a director and production designer, known for In a Monastery Garden (1932), Folio (1955) and The Tempest/II (1939). He died on 19 April 1987 in New York City, New York, USA.- Philippe Taglioni is known for La sylphide (2004).
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Nicholas Beriosoff is known for Nijinsky (1980) and Great Performances: Dance in America (1976).- Jean Börlin was born on 13 March 1893 in Stockholm, Sweden. He was an actor, known for Le voyage imaginaire (1926) and Entr'acte (1924). He died on 6 December 1930 in New York City, New York, USA.
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Choreographer, songwriter, composer and author, educated in public schools, then a vaudevillian in 1927, and a choreographer for film studios and night club acts from 1935. He also staged television shows. He joined ASCAP in 1951, and his chief songwriting collaborators included Sidney Clare, Jule Styne, Dudley Brooks, and Eddie Beal. His popular-song compositions include "Limpy Dimp", "Candy Store Blues", "Chula Chihuahua", "Relax", and "Ginger!".- Additional Crew
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Jack Cole was born on 27 April 1911 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor, known for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), River of No Return (1954) and Kismet (1955). He died on 17 February 1974 in Hollywood, California, USA.- Additional Crew
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Birgit Cullberg was born on 3 August 1908 in Nyköping, Södermanlands län, Sweden. She was a director and actress, known for Three Dances (1946), Medea (1954) and Mamma (1982). She was married to Anders Ek. She died on 8 September 1999 in Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden.- Additional Crew
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Agnes de Mille was born on 18 September 1905 in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Oklahoma! (1955), The Ragamuffin (1916) and Carousel (1956). She was married to Walter Foy Prude. She died on 7 October 1993 in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.- Actor
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Anton Dolin was born on 27 July 1904 in Sussex, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Chu Chin Chow (1934), Never Let Me Go (1953) and Giselle (1952). He died on 25 November 1983 in Paris, France.- Actor
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Antonio Gades was born on 14 November 1936 in Elda, Alicante, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain. He was an actor and writer, known for Carmen (1983), Blood Wedding (1981) and Los Tarantos (1963). He was married to Eugenia Eiriz, Daniela Frey, Marisol, Pilar Sanclemente and Marujita Díaz. He died on 20 July 2004 in Madrid, Madrid, Spain.