August 27
Born Today:
Willam Christensen
Ballet dancer Willam Christensen (1902-2001), brother of Harold and Lew Christensen (1909-1984), danced with George Balanchine’s early ballet company and founded the San Francisco Ballet in 1942, which makes it the oldest ballet company in the United States. In 1951, he left SF Ballet in the care of his brothers, and moved to Utah to found the first ballet department at the University of Utah and later, the professional company Ballet West, in 1963.
Also Born Today: Dancer Cristina Wistari Formaggia (1945–2008), who helped to preserve and teach Balinese dance.
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Movies: Swing Time released in 1936 and Mary Poppins released in 1964