August 23
Born Today:
Gene Kelly
Hollywood musical star and director Gene Kelly (1912-1996) always wanted to be considered a regular guy who just happened to dance. His athletic style is evident in the greatest musical of all time - Singin’ in the Rain (1952) and his ambitious 17-minute dream ballet at the end of An American in Paris (1951) is a tour-de-force. One of his last appearances on film was in Xanadu (1980), which has to be seen to be believed.
Also Born Today: Ballerina Patricia McBride (1942-) danced with the New York City Ballet for three decades, joining the company in 1959. She became a principal in 1961 - the company’s youngest principal dancer.
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Event: Martha Graham legal case settled August 23, 2002. The company, which had been in limbo for years, won the rights to perform almost all of her repertory.