February 14
Born Today:
Gregory Hines
Tap dancing legend Gregory Hines (1946-2003) had a career that spanned Broadway, in shows like Sophisticated Ladies (1981) and Jelly’s Last Jam (1992) to film, in dance movies such as White Nights (1985), alongside ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov (1948-), and the 1989 movie Tap, featuring several generations of tap dancers. Hines advocated for the creation of National Tap Dance Day in 1989, now celebrated annually on May 25, and his image is featured on a forever postage stamp, issued in January 2019.
Also Born Today: Vaudeville performer Aida Overton Walker (1880-1914) along with her husband, dancer George Walker (c.1872-1911), produced early all-black musicals on Broadway. Dance teacher Maria Giacobbe (192?-2021), who founded her school of dance in New Orleans in 1943, the Delta Festival Ballet in 1969, and the New Orleans Youth Ballet. Ballet dancer with NYCB Johnna Kirkland (1950-) is the sister of ballerina Gelsey Kirkland (1952-). Ballerina Yuanyuan Tan (1977-), who at 20 was promoted to Principal Dancer, the youngest such appointment at the San Francisco Ballet.
-----
Movie: Sweet Charity released in 1969
Broadway Premiere: Grease in 1972