January 3
Born Today:
Alison Becker Chase
Pilobolus co-founder Alison Becker Chase (1946-) taught the inspired choreography class at Dartmouth in the early 1970s that encouraged the creation of performance group Pilobolus, named after fungus spores that stick where they land. Composed of mostly student athletes, the collective created sculptural forms and non-traditional partnering techniques using bodies, making dances that were both witty and awe-inspiring. Chase remained with Pilobolus until 2006 and founded her own group and began making site-specific dances in 2010.
Also Born Today: Ballerina Anya Linden (1933-) who danced with the Royal Ballet from 1951 until her retirement in 1965, shortly after she married John, Baron of Sainsbury (the family that began the British Sainsbury’s grocery chain), and ballet dancer Mel Tomlinson (1954-2019), who performed with Dance Theatre of Harlem, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, and New York City Ballet in the 1970s and 80s.