Name Gus Giordano | ||
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Died March 9, 2008, Chicago, Illinois, United States | ||
Amy giordano the gus giordano legacy
Gus Giordano (July 10, 1923 – March 9, 2008[1][2]), born August Thomas Giordano III, was an American jazz dancer, master teacher and gifted choreographer. He performed on Broadway and in theater and television. Gus taught jazz dance to thousands in North America, Europe, Asia and South America. He was the founder of Gus Giordano Dance School (1953), founder of Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago (1963), creator of the First American Jazz Dance World Congress (1990) and the author of Anthology of American Jazz Dance (1975), the first book on jazz dance. He taught at world-renowned institutions around the world including American Ballet Theatre, The American University of Paris, Duke University, Joffrey Ballet, New York University and hundreds more. He choreographed award-winning shows for television, film, stage, commercials and industrials. Gus Giordano is one of the founders of jazz dance, and is often referred to as “The Godfather of Jazz Dance”. He was an ambassador within his community and throughout the world. Gus Giordano left an indelible mark on the lives of those he taught jazz dance.
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Gus giordano legacy
Early life
Gus Giordano was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1923. At the age of five, he traveled to New Orleans, where his cousin taught him the Charleston dance step to the song, "The Shoeshiner's Drag", thus introducing him to jazz music and dance. After this trip, Gus Giordano was hooked on dance. He returned to St. Louis and studied with local dance teacher Minette Buchman, whom he credits for early dance training. He also studied with vocal teachers and guest artists visiting his area. He took classes in ballet and modern. At this time, Gus did not take jazz classes as such, because jazz dance as a dance class did not exist. Gus continued to dance through his childhood. Gus spent summers in New York City training with Hanya Holm, Katherine Dunham, Peter Gennaro and Alwin Nikolas. He auditioned and was hired at the Roxy Theater in New York where they performed four shows a day.
During World War II, Gus joined the Marines, where he was trained as a bomber. He was also a performer in shows at the Hollywood Canteen and at military bases around the country. Gus was stationed in China. After the war, Gus returned to the University of Missouri to finish his Bachelor of Arts degree. Gus met his wife, Peg Thoelke, while in college. Gus was a member of the Lambda Chi fraternity and Peg was in the Delta Gamma sorority. Peg and Gus Giordano were married on October 14, 1950 in St. Louis, MO.
Career
Gus Giordano appeared on Broadway in Joshua Logan’s “Wish You Were Here”. He also performed in “Paint Your Wagon”, “On the Town”, “Guys and Dolls”, “Brigadoon”, “Pajama Game” and several television variety shows, such as “The Perry Como Show” and “The Ed Sullivan TV Show”, “Martin & Lewis” and “The Colgate Comedy Hour”. Gus enjoyed the work but did not find it fulfilling. He said once "If you were in Oklahoma and it ran nine years, you made that your career." Gus did not want this kind of lifestyle in New York, he wanted to teach jazz dance to the world.
Gus was offered a job at The Film Council of America in Evanston, IL. He accepted the position and moved from New York to the Chicagoland 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. Gus was the first to put dance on television by teaching a 15 minute series called JAZZ DANCE on WTTW Channel 11 in Chicago. Gus Giordano was the pioneer of dance on television. 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.
In 1953, Gus and Peg Giordano opened their dance school in Evanston, IL. What started as a one room studio blossomed into Gus Giordano Dance School. Now Gus Giordano Dance School resides in Chicago, where Gus always dreamed his School would be one day. [12] His daughter, Amy P. Giordano, is currently the owner and Executive Director of Gus Giordano Dance School, the oldest running jazz school in the country. [16]
Gus Giordano's technique was based in modern, learned from his teacher Katherine Dunham.[[[wikipedia:Citation needed|citation needed]]] His class begins with strong floor work gained from another of his teachers, Hanya Holm.[[[wikipedia:Citation needed|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, Gus compiled his teachings and techniques into what is now considered one of the most influential books on jazz dance, Anthology of American Jazz Dance, the first book on jazz dance that includes over 250 technical pages detailing his regal Giordano technique. Gus Giordano is considered one of the forefathers of jazz dance. His technique and style have shaped today's modern jazz dance. Gus said "Jazz dance is a living art form, changing with the fashion of the times, but its roots remain in the original classic Jazz method, which never goes out of style."[15]
Ten years after his studio opened, Ann Barzel (dance critic) asked Gus to perform with his classes for visiting Bolshoi Ballet dancers who wanted to see what jazz dance looked like. Gus took his senior students and choreographed a number for them to perform. The Bolshoi dancers were impressed, and Gus’ students were invited to tour Russia the next year. Thus, Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, his company, was born in 1963. Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago was renamed in 2009 to Giordano Dance Chicago by Gus’ daughter, Nan Giordano. It currently performs at Chicago's Harris Theater.[3] Many dancers became part of the company after spending time in Giordano II, the "apprentice" company. Giordano II performs in large pieces with the company.
Gus Giordano founded the First American Jazz Dance World Congress in 1990, a five-day event celebrating the uniquely American art form of jazz dance. Gus invited all the jazz master teachers to teach at JDWC including Robert Battle, Homer Bryant, Randy Duncan, Frank Hatchett, Liz Imperio, Joe Lanteri, Luigi, Matt Maddox, 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), Pittsburg, PA (2012) and at Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center (1996). Held in the summer, the Congress gathered dancers, teachers, and performers from across the United States and other countries.[4] At the Congress, these jazz dance enthusiasts took classes from world-class Master Teachers, see performances by internationally-known dance companies, witness the judging of new jazz dance choreography in competition for the Leo Award, and discussed any topic of interest to jazz dancers in formal panel discussions and informally throughout the Congress. The Congress also included a professional public performance segment, the Jazz Dance World Festival, attracting some of the most acclaimed jazz dance companies from across the US and around the world.
Gus Giordano’s beloved wife, Peg, passed away suddenly from a heart attack on May 10, 1993. Peg was Giordano’s right arm, in every aspect. Giordano’s daughter, Amy P. Giordano, assumed all of her mother’s responsibilities for her father’s business and became Gus’ personal assistant upon Peg’s death in 1993.
Gus 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”.
Gus Giordano received numerous honors and awards for his outstanding work in the dance community throughout his lifetime. In 1980, Giordano's television show The Rehearsal won an Emmy, the PBS award and the Ohio State award. In 1991, Giordano received the “Circle of Dance Award” from Dance Teacher Now Magazine. In 1985, April 25th was declared Gus Giordano Day in the state of Illinois by Governor James R Thompson. In 1986 he was the American Ambassador of Jazz Dance to Brazil. In 1989, October 13 was declared Gus Giordano Day in the City of Chicago by Mayor Richard M Daley. In 1993, he received the Ruth Page Lifetime Service to the Field Award along with his wife, Peg Giordano. In 1996, he was “The Scholar-in-Residence” award from the University of Missouri. This award goes to “distinguished alumnus” and “outstanding individuals that have made a substantial mark in their field of study”. [14] During that time he performed for the last time at the University, “Tribute to Peg”, a number he choreographed in memory of this late wife. In 1997, he served as National Spokesperson of National Dance Week. In 1991, he won Katherine Dunham Award for “excellence and great contributions to the arts”. In 2005, he received the Heritage Award from the National Dance Association for his contributions to dance education. In 2005, he received the Chicago Senior Citizen of The Year Award from Mayor Richard M Daley.
Gus Giordano died on March 9, 2008 of pneumonia. He was 84 years old. He has four children, Patrick, Marc, Nan, and Amy.
Tribute
Dance scholars have praised Gus Giordano for establishing jazz dance as an legitimate, international artistic medium.[5][6] Ruth Page, a pioneer of dance in America, 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.” [13]
Gus taught and influenced many dancers, teachers, choreographers, actors, and artists including: Ann Margaret (Actor), Judi Sheppard Missett (Founder/CEO Jazzercise, Inc), Gregory Hines (Actor/Dancer/Choreographer), Mia Michaels (Choreographer So You Think You Can Dance & more), Colleen Zenk (Actor As The World Turns), Daryl Hannah (Actor), Patrick Swayze (Dancer/ Actor), Tim Anderson (Artist), Jimmy Locust (Choreographer Janet Jackson), Joe Tremaine (Tremaine Dance Conventions), Robert Battle (Alvin Ailey), Joe Lanteri (NYC Dance Alliance), Sherry Zunker & Frank Chavez (Founders River North Dance Chicago), Nick Pupillo (Founder Visceral), Claire Batille (Hubbard Street Director)
In 2009, Gus’ daughter Amy Giordano, produced Gus: An American Icon, a documentary about Gus Giordano. Narrated by former Giordano student Colleen Zenk and directed by Pedro Brenner, the film includes interviews with Gus Giordano's friends and collaborators. The film won prizes for Excellence at the Canada International Film Festival and for Best Documentary at the 2010 Burbank International Film Festival.[7][8]
On July 10, 2017 Gus’ daughter, Amy Giordano, founded The Gus Giordano Jazz Legacy Foundation in honor of her father, Gus, and to keep the ever-changing style of jazz alive. As Gus said “I know one thing for certain about jazz dance, it’s a living art form, which is always about to do something new” (site the video). The Gus Giordano Jazz Legacy Foundation also provides scholarships, as Gus and Peg gave thousands of dollars in scholarships to many dancers in their lifetime, including Lane Alexander (Founder Chicago Human Rhythm Project), Judi Sheppard Missett (Founder Jazzercise, Inc), Ian Eastwood (World of Dance), Adrian Lee (Teacher/Choreographer), Laura Klein (‘Bebe’ in the original cast of Chorus Line on Broadway), Homer Bryant (Founder Chicago Multicultural Dance), and Billy Siegenfeld (Jump Rhythm Jazz Project). The Gus Giordano Jazz Legacy Foundation is dedicated to preserving and continuing Gus Giordano’s legacy by enriching the lives of others through Jazz Dance. The Gus Giordano Jazz Legacy Foundation aims to create the same culture, uplifting spirit, and dedication to spreading the joy of jazz that Gus Giordano gave to thousands of people in his lifetime.