April 3
Born Today:
Sally Rand
Known primarily for her peek-a-boo dance with enormous ostrich feather fans, Burlesque dancer Sally Rand (1904-1979) titillated many at the Chicago’s World’s Fair in 1933. As a youngster, she studied ballet and appeared in silent films before her shows at the World’s Fair, where she was arrested four times in a single day for perceived indecent exposure. But her act was all about illusion. Nearly thirty years afterwards, she danced for the original Mercury Seven astronauts during a 4th of July barbeque to celebrate the construction of the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Also Born Today: Modern dancer Jane Dudley (1912-2001) performed with Martha Graham (1894-1991) and produced her own socially and politically-conscious work. Film star Marlon Brando (1924-2004) played against type and danced superbly in the movie version of Guys and Dolls (1955), his first and last musical. Revered ballet teacher at Steps on Broadway, Wilhelm Burmann (1939-2020), began studying dance as a teenager and performed with NYCB and Frankfurt Ballet. Choreographer for many films in the Tamil and Malayan film industries beginning in the 1990s, Prabu Deva (1973-) was part of a small group of dance masters including choreographer Cool Jayanth.