July 17
Born Today:
Cleo Parker Robinson
Dancer/artistic director Cleo Parker Robinson (1948-) grew up in Denver and studied with former NYCB dancer Rita Berger (1920-2007) at Colorado Women’s College (now University of Denver). Robinson formed her company in 1970, becoming a force for contemporary dance in the West. Former dancer and poet Maya Angelou (1928-2014) reached out to Robinson to collaborate on The Lush Life (1981), sparking a lifelong friendship.
Also Born Today: Actor James Cagney (1899-1986) often played gangsters in films from the 1930s and 1940s, but he was also an accomplished tap dancer, playing Broadway star George M. Cohan (1878-1942) in two films, Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) and The Seven Little Foys (1955). Dancer Carmelita Maracci (1908-1987) combined ballet and flamenco dance styles in solo dances and her classes inspired Tina Ramirez (1929-), founder of Ballet Hispanico, among others. Versatile dancer Wayne Sleep (1949-) danced with the Royal Ballet for a decade, performed in the original cast of Cats (1981), and danced a surprise duet with Princess Diana to celebrate the birthday of Prince Charles.
------
Movie: Show Boat released in 1951
Dance Companies: Ballet Caravan established in 1936, Parsons Dance Company founded in 1985