June 7
Born Today:
Prince
Musician and dancer Prince (1958-2016), like James Brown (1933-2006) before him, treated his audience to a spectacular stage show including his distinctive voice, virtuosic guitar work, flamboyant costumes, and dance. He trained in classical ballet in high school at the Minnesota Dance Theatre through a partnership with the public school system, and he was mentored by the director Loyce Houlton (1925-1995). Prince studied jazz dance in preparation for videos and filming for the movie Purple Rain (1984) and he later worked with choreographer/vocalist Cat Glover (1964-) on several music videos, the Purple Rain concert tour, the concert movie for Sign o’ the Times (1987) and the Lovesexy (1988) tour. In the 1990s, Prince allowed the Joffrey Ballet to use his music for the work Billboards (1993), thereby helping the financially struggling company survive lean times. In 2009 he invited an unknown ABT ballerina named Misty Copeland (1982-) to perform with him on tour, giving her a national profile and boosting her career.
Also Born Today: Choreographer Gisa Geert (1900-1991) danced with modern dancer Gertrud Bodenweiser (1890-1959) and created work for revues and musical comedy in the 1940s and 1950s. Blackfeet dancer Joe Sam Scabby Robe (1959-2021) was a champion Grass Dancer who performed internationally and at countless powwow gatherings and competitions. He was dubbed the “man of 1,000 moves” for his creativity and versatility.