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Jack Cole
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Birth and early life
Jack Cole was born on April 27, 1911 in New Brunswick, NJ and was originally given the name John Ewing Richter. He spent his early years in Catholic schools and a military academy. He was a different young man who liked to dress in suits and wear flamboyant clothing. He also was very opinionated in the arts and modern dance forms. http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/495626|0/Choreography-by-Jack-Cole-9-10.html -
Denishawn Dance Company
In August of 1933, Jack Cole studied with the Danishawn Dance Company. He made his first professional dance appearance, as a teenager, with this company. Cole was fascinated with the Asian styles of choreography and costuming of the company, which added to his already strong background in ballet. http://sheris-musings.tumblr.com/post/5806297328/jack-cole-father-of-theatrical-jazz-dance -
Dream of Sganarelle
Cole was a performer in Broadway musicals starting with the production Dream of Sganarelle in 1933. -
Rainbow Room Night Club
Cole took his East Indian dance techniques and blended them with jazz music and performed on New Year's Eve at the Rainbow Room night club in New York's Rockefeller Center. Cole's new dancing techniques and sharp isolated movements got people moving and liking the different swing music styles. Soon enough Jack Cole was known as the "Father of theartrical jazz dance". http://www.bobboross.com/page22/page61/page71/page71.html -
Choreographer
Jack Cole's first Broadway production as a choreographer was Something for the Boys in 1943. This production was a musical about three cousins who fight to convert thier inherited Texas ranch into a boarding house for active soldiers' wives. Throughout, the play a romance love affair even though the one character is engaged to be married. -
Cole moves to Hollywood
After Cole produced some Broadway musicals, he moved his talents to Hollywood to coach professional actors. Jack Cole got to work with actresses such as Betty Grable, Rita Hayworth, and Marilyn Monroe. Cole's expertise came in handy for Marilyn who had no dance training, but she can credit the stylish dance moves with her famous song "Diamonds are a Girl's Bestfriend" to Cole. http://www.dancedirect.com/uk/Press/Article/1166/ -
Choreography Continued
In the 1950s, Cole thrived as a choreographer beginning with "On the Riviera" in 1951, "The Farmer Takes a Wife in 1953, and Three for the Show in 1955. He also Choreographed a musical called "Les Girls" in 1957 and he also participated in a dancing/singing role in "Designing Woman" in 1957. -
Broadway Tony Award Nomination
Jack Cole was nominated in 1966 for "Best Choreographer" for his work in "Man of La Mancha".
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Jack Cole Death
Jack Cole Died on February 17, 1974 in Los Angeles California -
Jack Cole Trivia
- at the time of his death Jack Cole taught dance at the University of California, Los Angeles.
- He was blind in one eye
- He formed a de facto ballet school on the Columbia lot in 1944. Among the dancers he trained were Gwen Verdon, Matt Mattox and Carol Haney.
- He was a very influential American dancer and choreographer educated at Columbian University.
