Michael Kidd

From Grokipedia

Michael Kidd (August 12, 1915 – December 23, 2007) was an American choreographer, dancer, and actor celebrated for his dynamic and character-driven choreography that revolutionized musical theater and film during the mid-20th century. Born Milton Greenwald in Brooklyn, New York, to Jewish immigrant parents, Kidd initially trained as a ballet dancer, becoming a soloist with the Ballet Theatre (now American Ballet Theatre) from 1942 to 1947 before transitioning to Broadway and Hollywood. His signature style emphasized everyday movements and athleticism, transforming ordinary actions into exuberant dance sequences that advanced the integration of narrative and movement in American musicals.

Kidd's Broadway career launched with his Tony Award-winning choreography for Finian's Rainbow in 1947, marking the first of five such honors he would receive for Guys and Dolls (1951), Can-Can (1954), Li'l Abner (1957), and Destry Rides Again (1960), making him the first choreographer to win five Tonys. He also directed and choreographed later productions like The Rothschilds (1970) and the 1974 revival of Good News, contributing to over a dozen major shows that defined the Golden Age of musical theater. In film, Kidd's most iconic work was the barn-raising dance in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), widely regarded as one of the greatest dance sequences in film history, along with sequences for The Band Wagon (1953), It's Always Fair Weather (1955), and Hello, Dolly! (1969). His film contributions extended to non-musicals like Walk on the Wild Side (1962) and The Nutty Professor (1963), where he also appeared as an actor.

In recognition of his lifetime achievements, Kidd received an honorary Academy Award in 1997 for elevating the art of dance in cinema, as well as a Career Achievement Award from the Palm Springs International Film Festival in 1996. He continued working into the 1980s and 1990s, choreographing for television specials and touring productions, before his death from cancer at age 92 in Los Angeles, survived by his wife Shelah and four children. Kidd's influence endures in modern musicals, where his emphasis on accessible, story-serving choreography remains a cornerstone of the genre.

In brief

Michael Kidd (born Milton Greenwald; August 12, 1915 – December 23, 2007) was an American film and stage choreographer, dancer and actor, whose career spanned five decades, and who staged some of the leading Broadway and film musicals of the 1940s and 1950s. Kidd, strongly influenced by Charlie Chaplin and Léonide Massine, was an innovator in what came to be known as the "integrated musical", in which dance movements are integral to the plot. He was probably best known for his athletic dance numbers in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, a 1954 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical.

Film critic Stephanie Zacharek called the barn-raising sequence in Seven Brides "one of the most rousing dance numbers ever put on screen". He was the first choreographer to win five Tony Awards, and was awarded an honorary Oscar in 1996 for advancing dance in film.