December 4
Born Today:
Rod Rodgers
Dancer Rod Rodgers (1938-2002) grew up in Detroit and studied jazz and tap dance as a youth. In 1962 he moved to New York City and studied modern dance with Hanya Holm (1893-1992) and performed with Erick Hawkins (1909-1994). Rodgers founded his own dance company in 1966 and his best known work is the suite RHYTHMDANCES (1967), in which his dancers also created music with handheld percussion instruments. Rodgers often made work that was a commentary on the Black experience and his repertory can be seen in companies such as Philadanco, the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, and his own company, which survived him. Throughout his career he advocated for artists of color - he was one of the founders of the Association of Black Choreographers, and he submitted the blistering “Don’t Tell Me Who I Am” chapter in The Vision of Modern Dance (1979) choreographer essay compilation.
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Movies: Good News released in 1947 and Million Dollar Mermaid released in 1952