Gus Giordano
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Gus Giordano (July 10, 1923 – March 9, 2008
Personal life
Giordano was born in
During World War II, Giordano joined the
Giordano’s wife died from a heart attack on May 10, 1993.
Giordano died on March 9, 2008, of pneumonia at the age of 84. He had four children.
Career
Giordano appeared on Broadway in Joshua Logan’s
. He enjoyed the work but did not find it fulfilling.Giordano was offered a job at The Film Council of America in Evanston, IL. He accepted the position and moved from New York to the Chicago area. He began teaching in one of the offices in the same building as The Film Council in 1953 and established Gus Giordano Dance School in 1953.[4] He was the first to put dance on television by teaching a 15-minute series called JAZZ DANCE on WTTW Channel 11 in Chicago. He helped produce, choreograph and performed in several award-winning shows on PBS, including Requiem for a Slave, Michelangelo – A Portrait in Dance, The Rehearsal and Chic Chicago for WGN.
Towards the end of his life, Gus Giordano Dance School resided in Chicago, where he always dreamed his school would be one day.[5]
Giordano's technique was based in modern, learned from his teacher Katherine Dunham.[citation needed] His class begins with strong floor work gained from another of his teachers, Hanya Holm.[citation needed] He emphasizes strength from the start of class. He adds his own "undulating movement that emanated from the pelvis and rolled through the chest and arms."
In the mid-1970s, he compiled his teachings and techniques into Anthology of American Jazz Dance,[6] which includes over 250 technical pages detailing Giordano technique. In 1992, Giordano published Jazz Dance Class: Beginning Thru Advanced,[7] an illustrated guide to American theatrical jazz dance for students and teachers alike. This book broke down, in detail, warm-ups, individual techniques and jazz combinations at three levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced.
Ten years after his studio opened, Ann Barzel (dance critic) asked Giordano to perform with his classes for visiting Bolshoi Ballet dancers who wanted to see what jazz dance looked like. He took his senior students and choreographed a number for them to perform. Shortly after this performance, Gus founded Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago in 1963.[4] Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago was renamed in 2009 to Giordano Dance Chicago by his daughter, Nan Giordano. It currently performs at Chicago's Harris Theater.[8] Many dancers became part of the company after spending time in Giordano II, the "apprentice" company. Giordano II performed in large pieces with the company.
Giordano founded the American Jazz Dance World Congress in 1990. Giordano invited many jazz master teachers in his networks to teach at JDWC including Robert Battle, Homer Bryant, Randy Duncan, Frank Hatchett, Liz Imperio, Joe Lanteri, Luigi, Matt Mattox, Pattie Obey and Joe Tremaine. Since its inception, Congresses have been held in Phoenix, AZ (1998), San José, Costa Rica (2004), Chicago (2002, 2005, 2007, 2009), Evanston, IL (1990, 1992, 1994), Wiesbaden, Germany (1997), Nagoya, Japan (1995), Monterrey, Mexico (2001), Buffalo, NY (1999, 2000, 2003), Pittsburgh, PA (2012) and at Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center (1996).
Giordano’s theater choreography credits include A Christmas Carol at the Goodman Theater for over 15 years, Northwestern University’s Waa-Mu Show for over 25 years and the Chicago revival of Hair.
Giordano received numerous honors and awards for his work throughout his lifetime. In 1980, Giordano's television show The Rehearsal won an
Tribute
Dance scholars have praised Giordano for establishing Broadway or theatrical jazz dance as an internationally recognized artistic medium.[9][10] Ruth Page said "Giordano knows more about jazz dance than anyone, probably in the world, and jazz dance is a difficult thing to teach; there’s more creativity involved unlike [the more structured] classical dance."[11]
Giordano taught and many performers, teachers, choreographers, including Ann-Margret, Gregory Hines, Daryl Hannah, and Patrick Swayze.
In 2009, Giordano's daughter, Amy Giordano, produced Gus: An American Icon, a documentary about Gus Giordano. Narrated by former Giordano student
References
- ^ "Giordano, Gus". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica online. 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-17.
- ^ Jennifer Dunning, Gus Giordano, 84, Innovator of Modern Jazz Dance, Is Dead", New York Times, March 13, 2008
- ^ "GUS GIORDANO". GDC. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
- ^ a b Guarino, Lindsay; Oliver, Wendy. "Jazz Dance: A History of the Roots and Branches".
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(help) - ^ ISBN 9780813049298.
- ^ Giordano, Gus, ed. (1978). Anthology of American Jazz Dance (2nd ed.). Orion Publishing House.
- ISBN 9780871271822.
- ^ "Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago". Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
- ^ Sabo, Linda (1998). Made in America: the cultural legacy of jazz dance artist Gus Giordano (M.A. thesis). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
- ISBN 9780813049298.
- ^ "Giordano, Gus". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica online. 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-17.
- ^ Ruskiewicz, Ashley. "Indie Filmmaker Spotlight: Pedro Brenner". Burbank International Film Festival. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
- ^ "Gus: an American Icon". Cyber Tiger Studios. Retrieved 25 June 2015.Gillespie, Becky