Gemze de Lappe (February 28, 1922, Portsmouth, Virginia – November 11, 2017

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

) was an American dancer who worked very closely with Agnes de Mille and was frequently partnered by de Mille's favorite male dancer, James Mitchell. Born to daughter of Birch Wood de Lappe (an actor and teacher) and his wife, Maureen (an actress and drummer; maiden name, McDonough), Gemze attended Hunter College and the Ballet Arts School at Carnegie Hall. Originally trained by Irma Duncan and

Michel Fokine Michael Fokine, ''Mikhail Mikhaylovich Fokin'', group=lower-alpha ( – 22 August 1942) was a groundbreaking Imperial Russian choreographer and dancer. Career Early years Fokine was born in Saint Petersburg to a prosperous merchant an ...

, de Lappe began her career in Fokine's company. 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 ...

musical theatre performance credits include Simon of Legree in the original production of ''

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 chil ...

'' (also in the film version), '' Paint Your Wagon'' (Donaldson Award winner), Juno, and ''The American Dance Machine''. She appeared in the original West End and first national companies of ''

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of Claremore, Indian Territory, in 1906, it tell ...

'', dancing the iconic role of Laurey in the "Dream Ballet". In the early 1950s, she briefly formed part of a dance team with Dean Crane. De Lappe's long concert dance career included engagements with American Ballet Theatre and the

Agnes de Mille Dance Theatre The Agnes de Mille Dance Theatre toured the United States from 1953 to 1954 under the aegis of producer Sol Hurok. The company offered an overview of Agnes de Mille's choreography to that date, with the addition of Anna Sokolow's "Short Lecture & ...

. For several years, she was a professor of dance at Smith College, and has held a number of visiting appointments since her nominal retirement. In 1989, Niagara University awarded her an honorary doctorate. De Lappe died on 11 November 2017, up to which time she remained active as a choreographer and teacher; now, she remains especially well known for reconstructing the work of de Mille,

Isadora Duncan Angela Isadora Duncan (May 26, 1877 or May 27, 1878 – September 14, 1927) was an American dancer and choreographer, who was a pioneer of modern contemporary dance, who performed to great acclaim throughout Europe and the US. Born and raised in ...

, and

Jerome Robbins Jerome Robbins (born Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz; October 11, 1918 – July 29, 1998) was an American dancer, choreographer, film director, theatre director and producer who worked in classical ballet, on stage, film, and television. Among his nu ...

. She recreated de Mille's choreography for the 1979 Broadway revival of ''Oklahoma!'' and choreographed '' Abe Lincoln in Illinois'' on Broadway. She regularly traveled the country, recreating the original choreography for such shows as ''The King and I, Oklahoma!,

Brigadoon ''Brigadoon'' is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, and music by Frederick Loewe. The song " Almost Like Being in Love", from the musical, has become a standard. It features two American tourists who stumble upon Brigadoon, ...

,'' and '' Carousel'' for various professional, regional, and educational theatre companies. In Spring 2011, the

University of North Carolina School of the Arts The University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) is an arts school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It grants high school, undergraduate, and graduate degrees. Founded in 1963 as the North Carolina School of the Arts by then-Governo ...

presented an accurate recreation of the original Broadway production of ''Oklahoma!'' with the original choreography recreated by De Lappe. In 2007, she was awarded

Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre The Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre is a non-competitive award created by the American Theatre Wing in 1990. They are presented to institutions, individuals and/or organizations that have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in theatre, but ...

. In 2012, she received the Martha Hill Dance Fund Lifetime Achievement Award.

References

External links

* * * 200
performance
of Agnes de Mille's "Come to Me, Bend to Me," staged by de Lappe at

Jacob's Pillow Dance Jacob's Pillow is a dance center, school and performance space located in Becket, Massachusetts, in the Berkshires. The organization is known for a Summer dance festival. The facility also includes a professional school and extensive archives a ...

* 200
interview
about ''The King and I'' * 200
interview
about aging and her career * 201

about ''Oklahoma!'' in

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

* 201
interview
about ''Paint Your Wagon'' on the

New York City Center New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama,. The name "City Center for Music and Drama Inc." is the organizational parent of the New York City Ballet and, until 2011, the New York City Opera. and t ...

blog {{DEFAULTSORT:De Lappe, Gemze 1922 births 2017 deaths American ballerinas American choreographers American musical theatre actresses Hunter College alumni People from Portsmouth, Virginia 21st-century American women 20th-century American ballet dancers

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