August 28
Born Today:
Robert Battle
Handpicked by retiring director Judith Jamison (1943-), dancer/choreographer Robert Battle (1972-) has helmed the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre since 2011. It's reassuring to see a modern dance company able to survive the founder’s death, but it makes one downright giddy to see a company under its third generation artistic director.
Also Born Today: Dancer Donald O’Connor (1925-2003) starred with Gene Kelly (1912-1996) in Singin’ in the Rain (1952), the very best musical on film. O’Connor should have been dancing in more movie musicals, but he found himself stuck with inflexible studio-system contracts. He shared a birthday with co-star from other films, dancer Peggy Ryan (1924-2004). Dance ethnologist Allegra Fuller Snyder (1927-2021) was a pioneer in the field and specialized in Native American dance, particularly the Yaqui, and she was a professor at UCLA. Choreographer Wayne Cilento (1949-), original cast member from A Chorus Line (1975) created many commercials and Broadway shows, including Wicked (2003).