RIP Muriel Manings, who died in New York on October 25, 2018, aged 95. She was without question one of the finest dancers of her generation. She was introduced to modern dance whilst a student at Brooklyn College, which in turn led her to the Martha Graham Company where she trained in ballet, most notably partnered with Benjamin Harkavy. Later she performed with the Marie Marchowsky, the Dudley-Maslow-Bales Trio, the New Dance Group and the Sophie Maslow Companies. • Muriel moved with her parents and younger brother to Staten Island in 1926, where they operated a candy store and cigar shop. She was already performing ballet, tap and acrobatics from the tender age of three. Whilst a student, she travelled around five hours per day from Staten Island to Brooklyn, and then to Manhattan to take dance classes after school. She graduated in 1945. • One of her career highlights was choreographing to a Woody Guthrie song and his cool response. She was acquainted with the Nicholas Brothers, worked with the statuesque Armgard von Bardeleben, and knew Pearl Primus (“Pearl didn’t just dance… she exploded!”). • Muriel was a great advocate for equal rights for performers and the gender disparities, including the far higher standards for female dancers than for male dancers. When she retired as a performer, she turned to teaching, working as a dance company director in New York. Later, as a choreographer, she traveled to Cuba to teach the elite dancers who auditioned, remembering them as, “An incredible assortment of concentrated talent”. • She was a former president of the American Dance Guild serving two terms, and as a master teacher, she taught at Connecticut College American Dance Festival and the 92nd Street Y.M & Y.W.H.A. Muriel was still performing well into her 80s. She recently produced her memoirs, Nine Years of Thursdays. • Muriel was married to the actor, drama director and teacher, William Korff until his death in 2002. • • • #iusedtobeinpictures #murielmanings #dancer #ballet #moderndance #marthagraham #marthagrahamdancecompany #sophiemaslow #pearlprimus #americandanceguild #equalrights #woodyguthrie #newdancecompany #brooklyncollege #statenisland #newyork
