Dania Krupska (August 13, 1921 – August 27, 2011) was an American dancer and choreographer. Krupska was born in

Fall River Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state. Located along the eastern shore of Mount H ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

in August 1921. She originally trained for the

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

and began her professional career in the 1930s in such companies as the Philadelphia Ballet. She made her

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

debut in the original cast of

Agnes de Mille Agnes George de Mille (September 18, 1905 – October 7, 1993) was an American dancer and choreographer. Early years Agnes de Mille was born in New York City into a well-connected family of theater professionals. Her father William C. deMill ...

's ''

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical theater, musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs (play), Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of ...

'' (1943), later taking over the role of Dream Laurey (which she also performed on tour). She quickly became one of de Mille's regular assistant choreographers, working on ''

Allegro Allegro may refer to: Common meanings * Allegro (music), a tempo marking indicate to play fast, quickly and bright * Allegro (ballet), brisk and lively movement Artistic works * L'Allegro (1645), a poem by John Milton * ''Allegro'' (Satie), an ...

'' (1947), '' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'' (1949), '' Out of This World'' (1950), and ''

The Girl in Pink Tights ''The Girl in Pink Tights'' is a musical comedy with music by Sigmund Romberg; lyrics by Leo Robin; and a musical book by Jerome Chodorov and Joseph Fields. The musical opened on Broadway on March 5, 1954 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre where it ra ...

'' (1954). Krupska also assisted de Mille on the ballet ''

Fall River Legend ''Fall River Legend'' is a ballet by American choreographer Agnes de Mille. While the ballet tells the infamous story of Lizzie Borden, it notably alters the outcome of court case, with Borden receiving a guilty verdict rather than an acquittal. D ...

'' (1948); de Mille's insistence that Krupska be allowed to dance one performance as

Lizzie Borden Lizzie Andrew Borden (July 19, 1860 – June 1, 1927) was an American woman tried and acquitted of the August 4, 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts. No one else was charged in the murders, and despite ost ...

led to an explosive quarrel with

Alicia Alonso Alicia Alonso (born Alicia Ernestina de la Caridad del Cobre Martínez del Hoyo; 21 December 1920 – 17 October 2019) was a Cuban prima ballerina assoluta and choreographer whose company became the Ballet Nacional de Cuba in 1955. She is best ...

, unbeknownst to Krupska herself. Before switching to choreography full-time, Krupska also appeared on Broadway in ''

The King and I ''The King and I'' is the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the childre ...

'' and the original '' Can-Can'' (1953). Krupska's best-known work as a choreographer is ''

The Most Happy Fella ''The Most Happy Fella'' is a 1956 musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Frank Loesser. The story, about a romance between an older man and younger woman, is based on the 1924 play '' They Knew What They Wanted'' by Sidney Howard. The show i ...

'' (1956), for which she received her first Tony nomination. (She also staged the 1959 revival.) None of her other Broadway shows were hits, although she earned another Tony nomination for ''

The Happiest Girl in the World ''The Happiest Girl in the World'' is a musical with a book by Fred Saidy and Henry Mayers, lyrics by E.Y. Harburg, and music taken from the works of Jacques Offenbach. Based on the comedy ''Lysistrata'' by Aristophanes and tales of Greek mythol ...

'' (1961). Krupska also choreographed ''

Shoestring Revue Shoelaces, also called shoestrings (US English) or bootlaces (UK English), are a system commonly used to secure shoes, boots, and other footwear. They typically consist of a pair of String (cord), strings or cords, one for each shoe, finished o ...

'' (1955), off-Broadway shows, and the jazz ballet ''Points on Jazz'' (staged by

American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant, it is recognized as one of the world's leading classical ballet companies. Through 2019, it had an annual ei ...

in 1961). She also staged the 1962 production of ''

Fiorello! ''Fiorello!'' is a musical about New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia, a reform Republican, which debuted on Broadway in 1959, and tells the story of how La Guardia took on the Tammany Hall political machine. The book is by Jerome Weidman and ...

''. Krupska was married to the late

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

actor

Ted Thurston Ted Thurston (January 9, 1917 – July 23, 1994) was an American actor and singer. Born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Thurston made his Broadway debut in the short-lived 1951 musical ''Flahooley''. He had better luck with his next show, the Lerner ...

. She died in August 2011 at the age of 90 in East Hampton, Suffolk, New York.Ancestry: Dania Krupska
/ref>

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Krupska, Dania 1921 births 2011 deaths American choreographers American female dancers American musical theatre actresses Dancers from Massachusetts People from Fall River, Massachusetts 21st-century American women

See also

References

External links