Bob Fosse: As previously mentioned, one of Bob Fosse’s biggest successes as a Broadway choreographer was his Tony Award winning work in Chicago. His legacy has been secured by his successes as a choreographer and director both on Broadway and in Hollywood. He made his choreographic debut on Broadway with The Pajama Game in 1954, and his directorial debut with Redhead in 1959. Other than the 1976 Chicago, some of his other major successes on the stage include the 1966 Sweet Charity and 1972 Pippin. It would be easy to make the mistake of thinking that he was also involved with the original production of Cabaret because he directed and choreographed the film version, which was so successful that the Broadway revival implemented a lot of its components.
Jerome Robbins: Jerome Robbins secured his Broadway legacy when he conceived, directed, and choreographed the beloved West Side Story in 1956, which has music by another Broadway legend, Stephen Sondheim. When anyone does the iconic snapping associated with the Sharks and the Jets, audiences immediately think about the work of Jerome Robbins. West Side Story redefined the relationship between dance and musicals because it was so dance-driven. According to Playbill, many credit the emergence of the concept of Broadway performers needing to be “triple threats” to this musical because it demanded that the lead actors could act, sing, and dance. Peter Gennaro aided Jerome Robbins in choreographing West Side Story by taking on “America” and “Mambo.” Some of Robbins’ other successes include Gypsy, Peter Pan, and Bells Are Ringing.
Agnes de Mille: Having made a name for herself in the American Ballet Theatre, Agnes de Mille found her major Broadway success when she choreographed the 1943 musical Oklahoma!. She revolutionized how dance was utilized in theatre by making it a vehicle to convey plot and story as opposed to a flashy break from the dramatic action to entertain an audience. Possibly her most famous contribution was the Dream Ballet that reached to the heart of the show’s plot through movement. The concept of a Dream Ballet became a trope that has often been used in musical theatre through the ages, and is directly inspired by Agnes de Mille’s original one. Some of her other work on Broadway included Brigadoon, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Paint Your Wagon, and 110 in the Shade.
Michael Bennett: Best known for his work as the choreographer of A Chorus Line, Michael Bennett made a name for himself with his character-driven movement. His work was often very athletic but steered away from the ballet base used by other major choreographers. He found a way to combine theatricality with newer, popular dance styles to successfully convey story through movement. Other than A Chorus Line, his other Broadway successes include Follies, Company, Seesaw, and Dreamgirls. To this day, there has yet to be a revival of A Chorus Line that does not use Michael Bennett’s original choreography which speaks to the legacy he’s left behind. Dance Magazine interviewed Bennett about the musical, and he said, “I want the audience to walk out of the theater saying, ‘Those kids shouldn’t be in a chorus!’...And I want the people in that audience to go to other shows and think about what’s really gone into making that chorus. I want them to ask: ‘Who’s behind the star? Who else is on stage?’”
Savion Glover: Although many of the aforementioned choreographers were well-versed in tap, Savion Glover took Broadway by storm with the way he used the classic dance style in Bring in Da’ Noise, Bring in Da’ Funk. The show utilized rhythm tap and projects to do a retelling of black history from slavery to the present day in a musical revue he co-conceived with director George C. Wolfe. Glover won the Tony Award for Best Choreography for this production in 1996, having also performed in the show. He brought a modern vibrance to tap dancing that Broadway had never seen before. His path led him back to Broadway in 2016 when he worked on Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed.
