Jacques d'Amboise (born Joseph Jacques Ahearn; July 28, 1934 – May 2, 2021)
was an American ballet dancer, choreographer, and educator. He joined the
New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company's fir ...
in 1949 and was named principal dancer in 1953, and throughout his time with the company he danced 24 roles for
George Balanchine. He also made film appearances, including ''
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'' and ''
Carousel''. He choreographed 17 ballets for the New York City Ballet and retired from performing in 1984.
D'Amboise founded the
National Dance Institute in 1976 to promote dance to children. His work with the institute was featured in the documentary, ''
He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin''', which won an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
and a
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
. He received the
MacArthur Fellowship in 1990, the
Kennedy Center Honors
The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to Culture of the United States, American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in ...
in 1995, and the
National Medal of Arts
The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and Patronage, patrons of the arts. A prestigious American honor, it is the highest honor given to artists and ar ...
in 1998.
Early life and training
Joseph Jacques Ahearn was born on July 28, 1934, in
Dedham, Massachusetts, to an
Irish American
Irish Americans () are Irish ethnics who live within in the United States, whether immigrants from Ireland or Americans with full or partial Irish ancestry.
Irish immigration to the United States
From the 17th century to the mid-19th c ...
father, Andrew Ahearn, and a mother of
French Canadian
French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French people, French colonists first arriving in Canada (New France), France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of ...
descent, Georgette D'Amboise. He was one of four children.
[ His father worked as a personal telegraph operator to Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.] The family later moved to Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York. His father became an elevator operator at the Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.[
At age seven, d'Amboise was sent to his sister's ballet class, and within six months he entered George Balanchine's School of American Ballet.][ In 1946 his mother managed to convince the family to change their surname from Ahearn to hers, d'Amboise, as "it's aristocratic, it's French...and it's a better name". Thus his name was legally changed to Joseph Jacques d'Amboise.][ The same year he started performing child roles with Ballet Society.] He left high school at age fifteen when he joined the New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company's fir ...
.
Career
In 1949, 15-year-old d'Amboise was recruited to the New York City Ballet. Soon he was cast in lead roles, including the lead in Lew Christensen's ''Filling Station''.[ In 1953 he was promoted to principal dancer.][ Balanchine created 24 roles for him, including '' Western Symphony'' (1954), '' Stars and Stripes'' (1958), '']Episodes
Episodes may refer to:
* Episode, a part of a dramatic work
* Episodes (TV series), ''Episodes'' (TV series), a British/American television sitcom which premiered in 2011
* Episodes (journal), ''Episodes'' (journal), a geological science journal
...
'' (1959), '' Movements for Piano and Orchestra'' (1963), '' Jewels'' (1967), '' Who Cares'' (1970), '' Robert Schumann's Davidsbündlertänze'' (1980), as well the New York City Ballet 1957 revival of Balanchine's ''Apollo
Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...
'', in which d'Amboise danced the titular role.[ He also choreographed 17 ballets for the company.][
Outside of the New York City Ballet, d'Amboise had also appeared in films. In 1954 he played Ephraim in ]Stanley Donen
Stanley Donen ( ; April 13, 1924 – February 21, 2019) was an American film director and choreographer. He received the Honorary Academy Award in 70th Academy Awards, 1998, and the Golden Lion#Golden Lion – Honorary Award, Career Golden Lion ...
's film, '' Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'', after Donen spotted d'Amboise in a performance of ''Filling Station''.[ In 1956 he appeared in two films, '' Carousel'' as Starlight Carnival barker and '' The Best Things in Life Are Free''.][ In 1957 he performed in the Broadway musical, '' Shinbone Alley''.][
In 1976 he founded the National Dance Institute to promote dance to children.][ At first the group only had 30 boys.][ As of 2021 the program had reached 2 million children.] In 1978 he was named dean of dance at State University of New York at Purchase. D'Amboise was the subject of Emile Ardolino's documentary, '' He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin''', which followed his works with the National Dance Institute. The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1983 and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program in 1984.
He retired from the New York City Ballet in 1984, shortly before he turned 50. He later stated he decided to retire as there were few roles he could dance at that age. He then shifted his focus to the National Dance Institute. In 1986 he appeared in the Disney film, '' Off Beat'', with his character teaching dance to New York City police.
In 1994, he co-founded the National Dance Institute New Mexico (NDI New Mexico) with Catherine Oppenheimer.
Awards and honors
Honors d'Amboise received include the MacArthur Fellowship in 1990, the Kennedy Center Honors
The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to Culture of the United States, American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in ...
in 1995, the National Medal of Arts
The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and Patronage, patrons of the arts. A prestigious American honor, it is the highest honor given to artists and ar ...
in 1998, and the Fred and Adele Astaire Awards in 2011. He also received the Heinz Award
The Heinz Awards are individual achievement honors given annually by the Heinz Foundations, Heinz Family Foundation. The Heinz Awards each year recognize outstanding individuals for their innovative contributions in three areas: the Arts, the Eco ...
, the New York Governor's Award, and honorary doctorate degrees from Boston College and Montclair State University.
Personal life
In 1956 d'Amboise married Carolyn George, a New York City Ballet dancer and later a photographer. They had four children, including Christopher, a dancer and choreographer, and Charlotte, also a dancer and actress. Carolyn George died in 2009.
Death
D'Amboise died at his home in Manhattan on May 2, 2021, following complications from a stroke at the age of 86.[
]
References
External links
* National Dance Institute
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:D'Amboise, Jacques
1934 births
2021 deaths
American choreographers
American male ballet dancers
American people of French-Canadian descent
American people of Irish descent
Artists from Dedham, Massachusetts
American ballet teachers
Dancers from Massachusetts
Dancers from New York (state)
Jacques d'Amboise
MacArthur Fellows
New York City Ballet principal dancers
People from Washington Heights, Manhattan
School of American Ballet alumni
United States National Medal of Arts recipients
Kennedy Center honorees