Dancers

Gregory Hines (1946-2003):

Childhood: Gregory began dancing as a toddler. When he was only 2, his father placed him in a dance act with his older brothers. At the age of 5, he began to tour with his brother, Maurice. They were known as the Hines Kids and performed together for several years. When they became adolescents, the brothers joined their father and became known as Hines, Hines and Dad. The threesome toured nightclubs together and even appeared on television.

Broadway Career:
In 1973, Tony headed for New York and launched a successful broadway career. Gregory proved to have an incredible talent for tap dancing. He was nominated for Tony Awards three years in a row for various starring roles. In 1993 he received the Best Actor Tony Award for his starring role in Jelly's Last Jam.

Film Career:
Gregory followed his success on Broadway with several non-dancing roles in film. He starred in many well-known movies, including Renaissance Man, Waiting to Exhale and The Preacher's Wife. His famous dancing roles included starring with Mikhael Baryshnikov in the spy thriller White Nights and starring in the great dance movie, Tap.

Death:
Gregory died of liver cancer in 2003, at the young age of 57. He had kept the disease to himself, so his untimely death came as quite a shock. As a tribute to Gregory, the lights of Broadway were dimmed in his honor for three days following his death.

John Travolta (1954-present):

Early Years: John Travolta was born on February 18, 1954 in Englewood, New Jersey. His father, Salvatore Travolta, was a semi-professional football player and partner in a tire company. His mother, Helen Cecilia, was an actress, singer and high school teacher. John was the youngest of six children, who all but one pursued a career in show business.

Early Career:

In 1975, Travolta was cast as Vinnie Barbarino in "Welcome Back, Kotter," an ABC sitcom. The role led him to overnight superstardom. Also in the mid-70's he recorded a hit single entitled "Let Her In" that peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. During the next few years, he appeared in his popular screen roles of Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Danny Zuko in Grease (1978). These two films raised John to international stardom, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best actor. At age 24, he became one of the youngest performers ever nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor.

Bad Choices:
A string of bad decisions sidelined John's acting career during the late 70's and into the 80's. "Staying Alive" was just one of a few disasters that were chewed up by critics. His agent then led him to turn down promising acting roles, lead roles that actually became box office hits. These included "American Gigolo," "Flash dance," "An Officer and a Gentleman," "Splash" and "Fatal Attraction." Discouraged, John began pursuing a new hobby: flying. He eventually earned his license to command aircraft.

Back in Action:
John's acting career was revived in 1994 when he received an Academy Award nomination for Quentin Tarantino's hit "Pulp Fiction," making one of the greatest comebacks in entertainment history. The hit movie introduced John to a new generation of movie fans. Suddenly he was again a major star, commanding a huge salary.

John went on to star in several hit movies, including "Get Shorty," Ladder 49" and "Wild Hogs." He also played Edna Turnblad in the remake of Hairspray, his first musical since "Grease."

Personal Life:
John married actress Kelly Preston in 1991. They have two children together, son Jett and daughter Ella Bleu. He was previously involved with actress Diana Hyland, who died of breast cancer in 1977.

John enjoys flying; he is a certified pilot and owns five aircraft. He has been a practitioner of Scientology since 1975.

Gene Kelly (1912-1996):

Early Years: Eugene (Gene) Kelly was born on August 23, 1912 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His father was James Kelly, a phonograph salesman who made only a modest living for his family. His mother, Harriet Curran, introduced Gene and his four siblings to the arts. When Gene was eight years old, the Kelly children, Jay, Jim, Gene, Louise, and Fred were performing dance routines at amateur vaudeville nights. They were known as "The Five Kellys."

College and Dance:
Gene enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh in 1931 to study economics, earning his degree in 1933. During the same time, his family opened a dance school, "The Gene Kelly Studio of the Dance." Gene so enjoyed teaching at the studio that he decided to pursue a career as a dance teacher and entertainer full-time. In 1937, he moved to New York City to find work as a choreographer.

Dancing on Broadway:
Gene's first job on Broadway was as a dancer in "Leave It to Me," but is considered today as the debut of Mary Martin, not of Gene. His next role was in "One for the Money," which was slightly larger. A big break came next for Gene when he starred as Harry the Hoofer in "The Time of Your Life," a play that won the Drama Critic's Award that year. It was the first time on Broadway that Gene danced to his own choreography. Around the same time Gene met his future wife, Betsy Blair. They were married on October 16, 1941.

Singin' in the Rain:
After joining the army for a time during World War II, Gene completed several successful movies. Possibly his most memorable role was "Singin' in the Rain." A bit overshadowed by "An American in Paris" at the time, it has since become one of America's most popular musicals.

String of Bad Luck:
Probably a costly mistake, Gene signed a contract with MGM that sent him to Europe for eighteen months. Unfortunately, he was cast in a series of unsuccessful dramatic roles. Gene then watched a number of his personal relationships fail. First, he split from longtime friend and partner Stanley Donen. Then, in 1957, Gene and Betsy ended their fifteen-year marriage in divorce.

Later Life:
Gene married Jeannie Coyne in 1960, his longtime dance assistant and former student. They had two children together, son Timothy and daughter Bridget. Gene began working on a few different projects at this time, including some directing and television work.

Sadly, tragedy struck in 1973 when his wife Jeannie died of cancer. Gene then played the roles of both mother and father to his two young children, refusing any work that took him too far from home.

Death:
The 1970s and 1980s proved to be a turn-around for Gene's career. "That's Entertainment!" and "That's Entertainment! II" were very successful. In 1982, Gene received the Kennedy Center Honors, and in 1985, a lifetime achievement award from the American Film Institute.

Gene remarried in 1990, to writer Patricia Ward. He worked diligently on his autobiography during the last few years of his life, but was unable to complete it before his death. Gene died at his home on February 2, 1996 after a series of strokes.

Patrick Swayze (1952-2009)

Early Life: Patrick Swayze was born in 1952 in Houston. His father was a chemical plant engineer and his mother was a dancer and choreographer. In high school, Patrick was a talented football player as well as a gymnast, earning him an athletic scholarship to college. Patrick focused his talents on dancing at a young age. He attended several ballet schools, including the Joffrey Ballet. He was the principal dancer with the Eliot Feld company. He moved to new york to start his career, but an old football injury halted his plans. He then turned to acting.

Career:
Patrick got his first acting break in the Broadway production of Grease. He then moved to Hollywood and played several supporting roles in television sitcoms and made-for-television movies. Patrick gained fame in 1987 with his starring role with Jennifer Grey in the sleeper hit Dirty Dancing. Although the dancing role established Patrick as a Hollywood heartthrob, the dancing proved too much for his body and ended his dancing career. He continued to accept movie roles, some bad and some good. He struck gold again in 1990 when he starred opposite Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg in the hit movie Ghost.

Life Today:
ssociated with the Catholic church, Patrick was known to have deep spiritual beliefs. He was also known to have been associated with Baptism, Buddhism, and Scientology. He battled alcoholism for a time, but was able to beat it. He married Lisa Niemi in 1975. The couple had no children.

Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in early 2008. He lost his battle with the disease on September 14, 2009, at the age of 57.

Great Dancers

Sammy Davis, Jr, (1925-1990):

Early Years: Samuel (Sammy) Davis, Jr. was born in Harlem, New York on December 8, 1925. His father, Sammy Davis, Sr, and mother, Elvera Sanchez, were both vaudeville dancers. Sammy was raised by his paternal grandmother. When he was three years old, his parents split up. Sammy Davis, Sr. took custody of his son and took him along on tour. Sammy learned how to dance from his father and his uncle, Will Mastin. At the age of four, Sammy joined his father and uncle in an act, "Will Mastin's Gang, featuring Little Sammy." Later the three became known as the "Will Mastin Trio."

Racial Prejudice:
Sammy served in the United States Army during World War II, but was confronted by strong racial prejudice. This racial prejudice continued throughout his career, but he learned that being in the spotlight removed some of the prejudice. He once said, "My talent was the weapon, the power, the way for me to fight. It was the one way I might hope to affect a man's thinking."

After his years in the army, Sammy started to achieve success with his career as an entertainer. In 1959, he became a member of the "Rat Pack" led by Frank Sinatra, and included performers such as Dean Martin and Shirley MacLaine.

Success:
Sammy's career took off in the mid 1950s. He appeared on Broadway in 1956 in Mr. Wonderful, a big success. He also made appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show. He then starred in two dramas of Anna Lucasta (1958) and A Man Called Adam (1966). He appeared again on Broadway 1964 in Golden Boy. In 1972 Davis made a No. 1 hit on the Top 40 charts with "Candy Man." Sammy also enjoyed television and occasionally landed television roles, including appearances on the hit series, "All in the Family."

Car Accident:
Sammy almost died in a car accident in 1954 in California. He was returning to Las Angeles from a trip to Las Vegas. He lost his left eye in the accident, forcing him to wear an eye patch for several months. He was later fitted for a glass eye, which he wore for the rest of his life.
While in the hospital after the accident, a friend shared with him the similarities between the Jewish and black cultures. Davis converted to Judaism after reading Paul Johnson's "A History of the Jews" while in the hospital.

Later Life and Death:
Sammy performed well into the 1980s, but his health declined due to heavy drinking and drug use. He performed in two films with Dean Martin and also in the movie "Tap" with Gregory Hines. He then traveled on tour with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.

Sammy was diagnosed with throat cancer but refused to have surgery, which could have saved his life. Davis told doctors that he would rather keep his voice than have a part of his throat removed. He died in 1990.


Martha Graham (1894-1991):

Early Years: Martha Graham was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania on May 11, 1894. Her father, George Graham, was a doctor of nervous disorders, known today as psychiatry. Her mother, Jane Beers, was a descendant of Myles Standish. Being a doctor's family, the Grahams had a high standard of living, with the children under the supervision of a live-in maid. The social status of the Graham family increased Martha's exposure to the arts, but being the oldest daughter of a strict Presbyterian doctor would be detrimental. As Martha matured, she was strongly discouraged from pursuing a career in the performing arts.

A Revelation:
When Martha was sixteen years old, she begged her father to take her to a dance performance in Los Angeles, which he did. Her father presented a bouquet of flowers to her outside of the theater, as told by Martha in her autobiography. The dance performance made such an impression on her that she decided to devote her life to dance, much to the dismay of her parents. She was told that a career in the arts was simply not suited for the daughter of a prominent Presbyterian physician. However, something Martha had seen on that stage had been a revelation to her; she was determined.

Destiny Found :
Martha enrolled at Denishawn School, a dance school and performing troupe. At age 22, extremely late for an aspiring dancer, Martha had found her destiny. She was told, however, that she was far too old to begin dancing and that her body was not properly build for it. But Martha persevered, proving to be a quick learner. She worked very hard, paying much attention to detail, to train her body.

Martha danced with Denishawn for seven years, then moved to New York City. She launched her own company in 1929. Nothing stood in the way of her mission: to "chart the graph of the heart" through movement.

A New Language:
Through her choreography, Martha began to push the art of dance to new limits. Her early dances were not well-received by audiences, as they were confused by what they were seeing on stage. Her performances were powerful and modern, and were often based on strong, precise movements and pelvic contractions. Martha believed that by incorporating spastic movements and falls, she could express emotional and spiritual themes. Her choreography overflowed with beauty and emotion. Martha was establishing a new language of dance, one that would change everything that came after it.

A True Pioneer:
Still dancing in the late 1960s, Martha often turned to alcohol to cope with her despair at her declining body. Her performances began to include more acting than dancing, relying on the movement of the dancers around her. Martha's love of dance was so strong that she refused to leave the stage, even though critics insisted she was past her prime. However, when the critics became too loud, she left the stage. Despite her age, she kept dancing throughout the 60s. In 1969, Martha finally announced her retirement from the stage. Although she couldn't perform, she continued to teach until her death in 1991, at age 96.

The Martha Graham Dance Company:
Founded by Martha in 1926, the Martha Graham Dance Company is the oldest, most celebrated modern dance company in the world. It presents the classic Graham repertory and new choreography in New York and on tour, featuring many of today's most talented dance artists.


Fred Astaire (1899-1987):

Childhood: Fred Astaire was born in Omaha, Nebraska on May 10, 1899. The son of Johanna "Ann" and Frederic "Fritz" Austerlitz, Astaire began dancing at the age of four. He formed an act with his sister, Adele, that became popular at the time. Their first act was called "Juvenile Artists Presenting an Electric Musical Toe-Dancing Novelty." Astaire wore a top hat in the first half and a lobster outfit in the second. Following their debut performance, the local paper wrote, "the Astaires are the greatest child act in vaudeville."

Partnership With Ginger Rogers:
In 1933, Astaire was paired with Ginger Rogers. They were an instant sensation and were featured together in a classic series of films including The Gay Divorcee, Top Hat, and Swing Time. Astaire's partnership with Rogers had a special chemistry. It has been said that he gave her class and she gave him sex appeal. Their dance routines were complicated tap or graceful ballroom routines that portrayed romance. However, only once did the couple share an on-screen kiss.

Influence on Dance:
Fred Astaire is regarded as a pioneer in the serious presentation of dance on film. Although his dancing appeared relaxed and effortless, he actually worked incredibly hard, rehearsing for hours at a time. Several of his dance routines became famous, including the slow-motion dance in Easter Parade, the dance with empty shoes in The Barkleys of Broadway, the ceiling dance and the duet with a hat rack in Royal Wedding, and the dance on air in The Belle of New York.

Personal Life:
Astaire married New York socialite Phyllis Potter in 1933. The two were happily married for 21 years, until Potter died of lung cancer at the age of 46, leaving Astaire devastated. He wanted to drop out of his current project, Daddy Long Legs, but he decided to continue with the picture to distract him from his grief.

Astaire was a golf and horse-racing enthusiast, remaining physically active into his eighties. He married Robyn Smith in 1980, an actress turned champion jockey.

Astaire died on June 22, 1987, at the age of 88. One of his last requests was to thank his fans for their many years of support.