Dennis Wayne's Dancers was a

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

based

contemporary ballet Contemporary ballet is a genre of dance that incorporates elements of classical ballet and modern dance. It employs classical ballet technique and in many cases classical pointe technique as well, but allows greater range of movement of the u ...

company founded around dancer Dennis Wayne by

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...

and Joanne Woodward. Formed in the summer of 1975 after Wayne left the

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 ...

, the

company drew on the talents of many famous dancers and received critical acclaim. The dancers came from a variety of different companies, including

Joffrey Ballet The Joffrey Ballet is one of the premier dance companies and training institutions in the world today. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the Joffrey regularly performs classical and contemporary ballets during its annual performance season at Lyric O ...

and

. Known for their virtuosic skill, the company performed both ballet and modern dance works. Dennis Wayne’s Dancers presented diverse programs with pieces by a variety of choreographers; though he also presented work he choreographed himself. Dennis Wayne also danced with the Company, but did not begin appearing with them until 1986. The original Company was disbanded in 1980 after Dennis Wayne suffered injuries in a car accident and was unable to perform. However, the company was reorganized in 1981 and received great critical acclaim. The Company toured widely, performing internationally in 64 countries. They also performed at various acclaimed venues in the United States including Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival where the Company made its world debut. In 1989 the Company disbanded after nine years.

References

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External links

Archive film of Dennis Wayne's Dancers performing Etudes aux Objets in 1977 at Jacob's Pillow
Contemporary dance companies