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Robert Thompson (dancer)

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Robert Thompson
BornRobert Lee Thompson
( 1933 -10-09)October 9, 1933
Louisiana, United States
DiedJune 13, 1984(1984-06-13) (aged 50)
California, United States
NationalityAmerican
Known forDance and choreography
MovementBallet/Modern/contemporary dance

Robert Thompson (sometimes credited as Bob Thompson) (October 9, 1933 – June 13, 1984) was a dancer and choreographer known for his work in both stage and film productions, particularly in ballet. A member of Jerome Robbins troupe, "Ballets USA", he is also known for his association with West Side Story, in which he performed in the 1961 film adaptation and later revivals, as well as his later contributions as choreographer to high profile productions, such as the film Xanadu

Early life

Robert Lee Thompson was born on 9 October 1933, in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana the oldest of three sons to Robert Lee Thompson Snr and Thelma Marie (née Devillier). His mother was from a long-established French Louisiana family. His father, Robert, had worked in the Research and Development department for Exxon.. Robert Lee Thompson Snr had taken his mother's maiden name. He was the son of Charles Emery, a Lumber Inspector from Missouri and Lennie Shields Thompson, the daughter of a Tennessee-born farmer, Robert Lee Thompson.

Thompson's family moved to Baytown, Texas when he was a teenager. It was there that at age sixteen he was enrolled in dance classes with Jean Blinka and Vivian Guiles by his mother. Whilst still at High School he was employed at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio and was featured in a floor show at the Shamrock Hotel. He soon began to take advanced classes in Houston and after graduating from Robert E Lee High School, he received a scholarship from the Houston Youth Ballet Foundation and danced several shows in Houston, his first being opposite Caroline Richter in The Golden Apple at Theatre Inc, Houston.. He received extensive training in classical ballet and tap dancing and operated a dance studio in Baytown. In the late 1950s he moved to California where his career would take off.

Career

After three months in California, Thompson landed a position in the Rhonda Fleming Act with whom he danced on the nightclub circuit in Las Vegas. He then did freelance dancing with Cyd Charisse and then more engagements in Las Vegas and Miami with Ann-Margaret.

Having been in the Los Angeles stage show version of Annie Get Your Gun with Mary Martin he landed his first television role when the show was transferred intact to TV as a special in 1957. He went on to perform on numerous TV programs with numerous stars including Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, Ann Miller, Marge and Gower Champion.

In 1960 he performed in the film Can Can with Shirley MacLaine and Frank Sinatra. He then landed a role in the multi-Academy Award winning film production of West Side Story in 1961, playing a featured role as Luis, one of the Sharks. Following his role in West Side Story (1961), Thompson joined Jerome Robbins’ Ballets U.S.A.. With the company, he performed in The Concert, New York Export: Opus Jazz, and Moves, and starred in Interplay with Chris Mayer and Susan Bourree. From 1963, he toured Europe for two years with Robbins’ group, performing Anonymous Figure with music by Teiji Ito in the Festival dei Due Mondi at the Teatrino delle Sette in Spoleto.

On returning from the tour, Thompson found himself in demand and landed dancing roles in numerous movies including Thoroughly Modern Millie and Doctor Dolittle in 1967 and a series of films with Barbara Streisand started with Funny Girl in 1968 and went on to include Hello, Dolly! and Up The Sandbox. He enjoyed working with Streisand, stating in an interview that she was great and loved by the cast.

Having done more shows with Danny Kaye and Dean Martin, Thompson began to turn his attention towards choreography. He secured numerous jobs as assistant choreographer, including one with Mama Cass in Las Vegas, and two years at the Hollywood Palace from 1969 to 1970.

By 1974, he had moved to San Francisco and was in a business partnership specialising in Victorian Home Decoration and landscaping in the San Francisco area. However, he also continued to occasionally choreograph when a project that took his interest was offered to him. He continued to choreograph into the early 1980s, including the film Xanadu as well as popular TV shows such as Happy Days and Hart to Hart.


Personal life

Thompson married Joan Patricia Daugherty in July 1953. In November of that year, their daughter Kristy Lin was born and in February 1955 they had a second child, a son Chadley Blake (known as Chad). In 1969, Thompson became interested in photography, creating a record of the lavish and colourful costumes on the set of Hello Dolly.

Robert Thompson passed away on June 13, 1984, in Los Angeles, California.

Productions

Theatre

Dance focussed productions

  • "Ballets USA", 1958, Thompson was part of the ensemble as a dancer. The show featured a collection of ballet pieces choreographed by Jerome Robbins including:

Film

Television

Choreography

As a choreographer, Thompson was predominantly credited as Bob Thompson

Film

Television

References

  1. ^ California, U.S., Death Index, 1940-1997, Los Angeles; 13 Jun 1984; Social Security: 456469098
  2. ^ 1940 United States Federal Census. Harris, Texas
  3. ^ Robert Thompson, Miss Daugherty wed in Texas, Daily World, Opelousas, Louisiana, p26, Sunday, July 26, 1953
  4. Robert L Thompson Obituary, Daily World Jan 18, 1991 ·Page 16, Opelousas, Louisiana
  5. Year: 1930; Census Place: Houston, Harris, Texas; Page: 14A; Enumeration District: 0054; FHL microfilm: 2342079
  6. 1910 United States Federal Census, Louisiana, Saint Landry
  7. ^ Wanda Orton, Baytonian is Choreographer, Dancer for Movies, Television, The Baytown, Jan 09, 1970, Page 9
  8. ^ Show Business Dancer from Opelousas Visits, Daily World Opelousas, Louisiana, p10, September 24, 1968
  9. ^ Native Dancer Recounts Years as a Professional, Daily World, Opelousas, Louisiana. p8, January 01, 1974
  10. Siegel, M. B. (1985), The Shapes of Change: Images of American Dance, United Kingdom: University of California Press. ISBN:9780520042032, 0520042034)
  11. Jowitt, D. (2004). Jerome Robbins: His Life, His Theater, His Dance, p351, United Kingdom: Simon & Schuster, ISBN:9780684869858, 0684869853
  12. ^ Texas, U.S., Birth Index, 1903-1997
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