June 14
Born Today:
David Howard
Acclaimed ballet teacher David Howard (1937-2013) studied at the Royal Academy of Dance and performed with an early version of the Royal Birmingham Ballet, the National Ballet of Canada, and in musical theatre before a back injury forced him to retire from the stage and took up teaching. A chance contact from Rebekah Harkness (1915-1982), who was looking for a teacher for her company, led him to relocate to New York, where he ran the David Howard School of Ballet from 1977-1995. During this time period, he made a name for himself by releasing many recordings of music for ballet class, often played by pianist Douglas Corbin, filling a need for pre-recorded music designed specifically for each part of a ballet class. Chances are very good that if you take a ballet class with pre-recorded music, you are dancing to music from his classes.
Also Born Today: Dancer and photographer Donald Bradburn (1940-2020) directed the Fresno Ballet, founded California Ballet Theatre, and worked for Dance Magazine, submitting over 350 images for the publication. World-championship winning Salsa dancer Luda Kroitor (1982-) has also won the Australian version of Dancing with the Stars.