June 16
Born Today:
Leland Palmer
Broadway dancer Leland Palmer (1945-) is best known for her role in the Bob Fosse (1927-1987) biopic All That Jazz (1979), playing a fictionalized version of dancer Gwen Verdon (1925-2000). Palmer was a versatile stage performer and danced for a variety of choreographers. On Broadway, she performed in Hello Dolly (1964), choreographed and directed by Gower Champion (1919-1980), A Joyful Noise (1966) by choreographer Michael Bennett (1943-1987), Applause (1970) by choreographer Ron Field (1933-1989), and she starred in Pippin (1972), also by Fosse.
Also Born Today: Ballerina Alla Osipenko (1932-) studied with Agrippina Vaganova (1879-1951) and danced with the Maryinsky Ballet (then the Kirov). She was on tour with the Kirov Ballet in Paris when Rudolf Nureyev (1938-1993) defected in 1961 and was suspected of knowing his plans (but she didn’t).
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Movie: Grease released in 1978