Matt Mattox
Encyclopedia
Matt Mattox is a jazz
and ballet dancer.
Mattox was a protegé of the legendary jazz dance pioneer Jack Cole
, with whom he worked on Broadway in Magdalena
(1948). His other Broadway credits include Harry Beaton in the 1957 revival of Brigadoon
. Mattox also performed concert engagements with his own dance company. His brief career as a Broadway choreographer included Jennie
and Say, Darling
.
• Matt Mattox took the fluid, animalistic style of Jack Cole and merged it with his own vast background in ballet technique to create a technique for jazz dance that is clean, powerful, and extremely challenging. His jazz class is assembled in the progression of a ballet class, and he calls his exercises "the barre." Mattox also has specifically designed the exercises to relate to the combinations given at the end of his class. The positions, shapes, and qualities developed during the barre are visible within his own detailed and polished style.
However, Mattox had a higher profile as a specialty dancer in Hollywood musicals. His best-known film role is Caleb Pontipee in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, but he was also a principal dancer in, among others, Yolanda and the Thief
, The Band Wagon
(Cyd Charisse
's partner in the ballet sequence), Till the Clouds Roll By
, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and There's No Business Like Show Business
. In addition, Mattox was a regular guest on television variety show
s, for which he choreographed as well as performed.
Bob Fosses.
One of the world's most influential teachers of jazz dance—or, as he called it, "freestyle dancing"--Mattox now lives and works in Perpignan, France.
Jazz dance
Jazz dance is a classification shared by a broad range of dance styles. Before the 1950s, jazz dance referred to dance styles that originated from African American vernacular dance. In the 1950s, a new genre of jazz dance—modern jazz dance—emerged, with roots in Caribbean traditional dance...
and ballet dancer.
Mattox was a protegé of the legendary jazz dance pioneer Jack Cole
Jack Cole (choreographer)
Jack Cole was an American dancer, choreographer, and theatre director known as the father of theatrical jazz dance.-Early life:...
, with whom he worked on Broadway in Magdalena
Magdalena
Magdalena is the original version of the name Magdalene , and is used in Czech, German, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish, Bulgarian, Polish, Slovak, Georgian, Slovene among other languages.Magdalena may also refer to:...
(1948). His other Broadway credits include Harry Beaton in the 1957 revival of Brigadoon
Brigadoon
Brigadoon is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. Songs from the musical, such as "Almost Like Being in Love" have become standards....
. Mattox also performed concert engagements with his own dance company. His brief career as a Broadway choreographer included Jennie
Jennie
For the Douglas Preston novel, see Jennie .For the name, see Jennifer Jennie is a musical with a book by Arnold Schulman, music by Arthur Schwartz, and lyrics by Howard Dietz, and starred Mary Martin....
and Say, Darling
Say, Darling
Say, Darling is a three-act comic play by Abe Burrows and Marian and Richard Bissell about the creation of a Broadway musical. Although the play featured nine original songs with lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Jule Styne, all of the songs were presented as either rehearsal or...
.
• Matt Mattox took the fluid, animalistic style of Jack Cole and merged it with his own vast background in ballet technique to create a technique for jazz dance that is clean, powerful, and extremely challenging. His jazz class is assembled in the progression of a ballet class, and he calls his exercises "the barre." Mattox also has specifically designed the exercises to relate to the combinations given at the end of his class. The positions, shapes, and qualities developed during the barre are visible within his own detailed and polished style.
However, Mattox had a higher profile as a specialty dancer in Hollywood musicals. His best-known film role is Caleb Pontipee in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, but he was also a principal dancer in, among others, Yolanda and the Thief
Yolanda and the Thief
Yolanda and the Thief is a 1945 MGM musical-comedy film set in a fictional Latin American country, and stars Fred Astaire, Lucille Bremer, Frank Morgan, Ludwig Stossel and Mildred Natwick, with music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Arthur Freed...
, The Band Wagon
The Band Wagon
The Band Wagon is a 1953 musical comedy film that many critics rank, along with Singin' in the Rain, as the finest of the MGM musicals, although it was only a modest box-office success. It tells the story of an aging musical star who hopes a Broadway play will restart his career...
(Cyd Charisse
Cyd Charisse
Cyd Charisse was an American actress and dancer.After recovering from polio as a child, and studying ballet, Charisse entered films in the 1940s...
's partner in the ballet sequence), Till the Clouds Roll By
Till the Clouds Roll By
Till The Clouds Roll By is a 1946 American musical film made by MGM. The film is a fictionalized biography of composer Jerome Kern, who was originally involved with the production of the film, but died before it was completed...
, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and There's No Business Like Show Business
There's No Business Like Show Business (film)
There's No Business Like Show Business is a 20th Century Fox musical film that was released on December 16, 1954. The title is borrowed from the famous song in the stage musical Annie Get Your Gun....
. In addition, Mattox was a regular guest on television variety show
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
s, for which he choreographed as well as performed.
Bob Fosses.
One of the world's most influential teachers of jazz dance—or, as he called it, "freestyle dancing"--Mattox now lives and works in Perpignan, France.