José Greco

José Greco
Born Costanzo Greco Bucci
(1918-12-23)December 23, 1918
Montorio nei Frentani, Italy
Died December 31, 2000(2000-12-31) (aged 82)
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation dancer, actor, director of his own dance company, composer
Years active 1948–1990
Known for Flamenco dancer
Spouse(s) Margaret Ana Borger-Greco, Ph.D. (?-2000) (his death)
Website José Greco Foundation for Hispanic Dance

José Greco (December 23, 1918 – December 31, 2000) was an Italian-born American flamenco dancer and choreographer known for popularizing Spanish dance on the stage and screen in America mostly in the 1950s and 1960s.[1]

Background

José Greco was born in Montorio nei Frentani of Italian parents, Paolo Emilio Greco and Maria Carmela Bucci. His real name was Costanzo Greco but he later changed it to José Greco. When he was 10 years old, Greco and his family moved to New York City. He began dancing in Brooklyn with his sister Norina at a young age.

Career

Greco made his professional dancing debut in 1937 at the Hippodrome Theatre in Manhattan. His most famous partners were La Argentinita (Encarnación López Júlvez) and, after her death, her sister Pilar López. In 1949, he started the José Greco Dance Company, with which he toured extensively.

He also appeared in a number of films, including Sombrero (1953), Around the World in 80 Days (1956), Holiday for Lovers (1959), Ship of Fools (1965), and The Proud and the Damned (1972).

In 1951 Greco made his first appearance in the UK at the Sadler's Wells Theatre.

Greco received many honors and awards including being knighted by the Spanish government (Cruz Laureada del Caballero del Mérito Civil) and receiving 4 honorary doctorates.[2]

José Greco started the José Greco Foundation for Hispanic Dance in 1972 and retired from the stage for the first time in 1974. He published an autobiography, Gypsy in My Soul: The Autobiography of José Greco, in 1977. He had six children, three boys and three girls. His sons José Luis and Paolo are composers; his son José Greco II is a dancer as are his three daughters, Alessandra, Carmela and Lola.

He came out of retirement in the late 1980s to form a company featuring his children. He appeared on stage for the last time in 1995, at the age of 77. Until his death he was Visiting Professor of Dance at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Death

José Greco died of heart failure in his home in Lancaster, on the last day of the year 2000. In an obituary in the Los Angeles Times, dance critic Lewis Segal noted that Greco had been characterized as "the undisputed Spanish dance star of the '50s and '60s" and "the greatest of all dance stars until the advent of Rudolf Nureyev" in terms of box-office power.[3][4]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1948 A Toast for Manolete Rafael
1953 Sombrero Gitanillo de Torrano
1956 Around the World in 80 Days Flamenco Dancer
1959 Holiday for Lovers Himself - Dancer
1965 Ship of Fools Pepe
1972 The Proud and Damned Ramon

Sources

References

  1. ↑ LEWIS SEGAL. dance critic, Los Angeles Times - Jose Greco; American Dancer Popularized Spanish Culture, Founded Flamenco Dynasty, obituary January 04, 2001
  2. ↑ Spanish Dance Legend José Greco Dies last retrieved March 17, [2007]. Archived September 5, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ LEWIS SEGAL. dance critic, Los Angeles Times - Jose Greco; American Dancer Popularized Spanish Culture, Founded Flamenco Dynasty, obituary January 04, 2001
  4. ↑ Ibid. Archived September 5, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
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