Throwback Thursday and Jacques d'Amboise
Born on in July 1934, Jacques d'Amboise will celebrate his
80th birthday this month. He has
been retired from performing for 35 years, but I had the privilege of meeting
him and seeing him perform on more than one occasion when I was a fledgling
dancer. I found him to be a wonderful
person as well as an amazing performer.
His dance career began when he sat reluctantly through his
sister’s ballet classes. One day the
teacher challenged him to try a changement, and the rest, as they say, is
history. By age seventeen, he was a
principal dancer with the New York City Ballet.
He danced in many of Balanchine’s ballets, and went on to choreograph
many himself, including The Chase and Irish Fantasy. He also appeared in the movies: Seven
Brides for Seven Brothers, Carousel,
and The Best Things in Life are Free.
While a principal with NYC Ballet, he founded The National
Dance Institute. He believes in the
absolute necessity of arts education and is a tireless teacher and promoter –
not with the goal of producing professional dancers, but with the idea to
develop excellence and engagement in young people. He says that what matters most to him is “loving
and learning”.
Today more than 6,000 children take classes at NDI, and
there are more than 40,000 that do so worldwide.
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Dance History Factoid #40:
“Jacques d'Amboise is a
famous American ballet dancer.”
Link of the Day:
Quote
of the Day:
“"How can I more loving? How can I be
more kind?"
-
Hafez
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