Warren Spears
Encyclopedia
Warren Spears was an American
dance
r and choreographer. Born in Detroit, Michigan
, he studied dance as a child, then moved to New York City
in 1972 to study at the Juilliard School
.
While in school, he came to the attention of Alvin Ailey
, who invited him to join his dance troupe. Spears danced with Ailey's troupe from 1974 to 1977, when he left to concentrate on his own choreography
.
Spears was a choreographer for the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, including choreographing dances in honor of the centennial of the Wright brothers
' flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
. The piece, evoking the courage of wartime flight, included a tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen
.
Spears returned to New York, where he founded his own dance company, the Spears Collection. He also worked with the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble and the Joyce Trisler Danscompany.
In the 1980s, he moved to Denmark
, where he founded the New Danish Dance Theater in 1983. He was knighted by Queen Margrethe
in 2003.
Spears appeared in the film Dancer in the Dark
for Lars von Trier
.
Spears died of multiple myeloma
in Copenhagen
, at the age of 50.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
r and choreographer. Born in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, he studied dance as a child, then moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1972 to study at the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
.
While in school, he came to the attention of Alvin Ailey
Alvin Ailey
Alvin Ailey, Jr. was an American choreographer and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York. Ailey is credited with popularizing modern dance and revolutionizing African-American participation in 20th century concert dance...
, who invited him to join his dance troupe. Spears danced with Ailey's troupe from 1974 to 1977, when he left to concentrate on his own choreography
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
.
Spears was a choreographer for the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, including choreographing dances in honor of the centennial of the Wright brothers
Wright brothers
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
' flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
Kitty Hawk is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,000 at the 2000 census. It was established in the early 18th century as Chickahawk....
. The piece, evoking the courage of wartime flight, included a tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen
Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen is the popular name of a group of African American pilots who fought in World War II. Formally, they were the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps....
.
Spears returned to New York, where he founded his own dance company, the Spears Collection. He also worked with the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble and the Joyce Trisler Danscompany.
In the 1980s, he moved to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, where he founded the New Danish Dance Theater in 1983. He was knighted by Queen Margrethe
Margrethe II of Denmark
Margrethe II is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1972 she became the first female monarch of Denmark since Margaret I, ruler of the Scandinavian countries in 1375-1412 during the Kalmar Union.-Early life:...
in 2003.
Spears appeared in the film Dancer in the Dark
Dancer in the Dark
Dancer in the Dark is a 2000 Danish musical drama film directed by Lars von Trier and starring Icelandic singer Björk, Catherine Deneuve, David Morse, Cara Seymour, Peter Stormare, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, and Joel Grey...
for Lars von Trier
Lars von Trier
Lars von Trier is a Danish film director and screenwriter. He is closely associated with the Dogme 95 collective, although his own films have taken a variety of different approaches, and have frequently received strongly divided critical opinion....
.
Spears died of multiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma , also known as plasma cell myeloma or Kahler's disease , is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell normally responsible for the production of antibodies...
in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, at the age of 50.