William Weslow

Infobox actor


imagesize = 150px
name = William Weslow
birthdate = 1925
birthplace = Seattle, Washington, USA
occupation = Dancer

William Weslow is an American dancer who split his career between ballet and musical theatre.

Dance career

Weslow studied ballet with the noted teacher Mary Ann Wells, whose other students included Marc Platt and Tommy Rall. [Sasha Anawalt, "The Joffrey Ballet: Robert Joffrey and the Making of an American Dance Company" (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1998), 44n. ISBN 0226017559.] He spent most of his career with the New York City Ballet, where he was promoted to soloist by 1960. [John Martin, "Artists of the New York City Ballet in an Ever More Distinctive Setting," "New York Times" 21-2-1960: X10. ProQuest. Accessed 4-3-2008.] In addition to featured roles in George Balanchine's "Night Shadows" (or "La Somnambula"), "Theme and Variations", "The Prodigal Son", "Western Symphony", and "The Four Temperaments", Weslow also danced in ballets by Frederick Ashton, Todd Bolender, Willam Christensen, and Lew Christensen. At American Ballet Theatre, he was featured in Katherine Litz's "The Enchanted." Some of his performances were filmed and have been archived at the New York Public Library.

On Broadway, Weslow was featured in "Annie Get Your Gun" and appeared in the original casts of four other musicals, including "Call Me Madam", "Wonderful Town", and "Plain and Fancy". He also performed at Radio City Music Hall.

Weslow's television credits include being a regular on "Your Hit Parade", as well as guest appearances on "Omnibus" and various specials.

Later life

By the late 1960s, Weslow had already gained a reputation as a skilled masseuse, working with dancers like his friend Edward Villella. [Edward Villella, "Prodigal Son: Dancing for Balanchine in a World of Pain and Magic" (Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1998), 195, 197. ISBN 0822956667.] After retiring from dance, Weslow became a successful massage therapist. [Deborah Blumenthal, "The Advantages of Massage," "New York Times" 15-5-1983: 337. ProQuest. Accessed 4-3-2008.]

Personal life

Weslow was involved at various times with photographer George Platt Lynes [David Leddick, "Intimate Companions: A Triography of George Platt Lynes, Paul Cadmus, Lincoln Kierstein, and Their Circle" (New York: Macmillan, 2000), 256. ISBN 0312271271.] and choreographer Jerome Robbins. [Greg Lawrence, "Dance with Demons: The Life of Jerome Robbins" (New York: Berkley, 2002), 163. ISBN 0425183475.]

References

Further reading

* "Weslow, William." In Barbara Naomi Cohen-Stratyner, "Biographical Dictionary of Dance." New York: Collier Macmillan, 1982.

External links

* [http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?id=95418 Entry at the Internet Broadway Database]