Donald Saddler

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Donald Edward Saddler
Born(1918-01-24)January 24, 1918
Choreographer, dancer

Donald Edward Saddler (January 24, 1918 – November 1, 2014) was an American

dancer, and theatre director
.

Biography

Born in

The Wizard of Oz
(1939) .

Saddler was an original member of the American Ballet Theatre, appearing in Giselle, Pillar of Fire, and Fancy Free before heading overseas to serve in World War II. When he returned, he decided to forego ballet in favor of Broadway musicals, appearing in High Button Shoes (1947) and two 1950 revues, Dance Me a Song and Bless You All, before winning his first assignment as a choreographer for Wonderful Town in 1953, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Choreography.

In 1958, Saddler won critical acclaim for his choreography for a

Winesburg, Ohio
, in which he also performed.

Saddler has directed Together on Broadway:

danseur Fernando Bujones
.

His choreographic work for feature films includes

adagio with fellow dance veteran Marge Champion. Champion and Saddler remained friends after the production and became the subjects of a short film, Keep Dancing, about the two dancers leading meaningful lives at age 90.[1]

In 2004, Saddler directed a staged reading of Only a Kingdom at The John Drew Theater of Guild Hall in East Hampton, NY. Among the well-known performers in the cast were Kaitlin Hopkins,

Jo Ann Worley. He died at the age of 96 on November 1, 2014.[2]

Stage credits

Awards and nominations

Awards
  • 1953 Tony Award for Best Choreographer – Wonderful Town
  • 1971 Tony Award for Best Choreography – No, No, Nanette
  • 1971 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography – No, No, Nanette
  • 1984 Dance Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award
  • 2006 Capezio Dance Lifetime Achievement Award
Nominations
  • 1975 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography – Good News
  • 1973 Tony Award for Best Choreography – Much Ado About Nothing
  • 1977 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography – The Robber Bridegroom
  • 1983 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography – On Your Toes
  • 1983 Tony Award for Best Choreography – On Your Toes

References

  1. ^ Gans, Andrew. "Keep Dancing Film, About Marge Champion and Donald Saddler, Available for Free Streaming", Playbill, 29 January 2016
  2. ^ Weber, Bruce (November 4, 2014). "Donald Saddler, Dancer, and a Choreographer on Broadway, Dies at 96". The New York Times. Retrieved November 5, 2014.

External links

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