Jack Cole (choreographer)
Jack Cole ( * April 27, 1911 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, † February 17, 1974 in Hollywood, Los Angeles; actually John Ewing Richter) was an American dancer and choreographer.
Life
Jack Cole was born in 1911 when John Ewing Richter in New Brunswick. From a young age he decided to become a dancer. After studying at Columbia University, Cole, who was blind in one eye after an accident in his childhood was, at the Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts his dance training. He then studied with Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman. He devoted himself especially to the modern dance and performed from 1933 several times on Broadway. As a choreographer, he specialized in burlesque dance and jazz dance. He was influenced by ethnic dance styles, mainly from the Indian Bharatanatyam, inspired. Over the years, he established himself as one of the most important choreographers of American dance and influenced dancers like Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins, Gower Champion and Alvin Ailey.
However, he is best known for his collaboration with the actresses Rita Hayworth and Marilyn Monroe, for which he created choreography for several films in Hollywood, such as for Hayworth legendary striptease to Put the Blame on Mame in the film noir Gilda (1946 ) and for Monroe's dance routines in the film musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes ( Gentlemen Prefer blondes, 1953). In 1957, he was as an actor in Vincente Minnelli's film comedy Why did I say yes? ( Designing Woman ) next to Gregory Peck and Lauren Bacall to see.
He died in 1974 at the age of 62 years in Hollywood. In 1995, he was posthumously honored for his life's work with the American Choreography Award. To him, the Musical Heatwave was in honor, 2012 in New York City: The Jack Cole Project on the legs, which was based on his choreography in the film.