Gennaro, Peter, 1919-2000

Choreographer, dancer, and dance teacher, Peter Gennaro (1919-2000) was acclaimed for his work on Broadway and television, as well as for his significant contributions to the development of jazz dance.

Born in Metairie, Louisiana, Gennaro showed early promise as a dancer. He studied with local teachers until his military service during World War II. After his release from the army, Gennaro moved to New York City, where he studied at the American Theater Wing and the Katherine Dunham School. In 1947, he joined the San Carlo Opera Company, and in the following year he got his first Broadway job as a member in the chorus of Make Mine Manhattan. In the following years, Gennaro earned dancing roles in Guys and Dolls (1950) and Arms and the Girl (1950). In 1954, he gained attention as one of the three dancers in Bob Fosse's "Steam Heat" number in the Broadway production of The Pajama Game. He also was featured in the "Mu Cha Cha" number with Judy Holliday in Bells Are Ringing (1956). At around the same time, he began giving dance lessons to other professional performers, introducing them to his distinctive dancing style. Gennaro's first Broadway credit as a choreographer was Seventh Heaven (1955). His next major assignment was West Side Story (1957), which he co-choreographed with Jerome Robbins. Gennaro was responsible for much of the choreography for "America" and "Dance at the Gym." Other notable Broadway productions on which Gennaro served as the choreographer include Fiorello! (1960), Bajour (1965), Irene (1973) and Little Me (1982), all of which earned him a Tony Award nomination. He won the Tony Award for Best Choreography for the original production of Annie (1977). Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Gennaro also became a popular household name through numerous television appearances as a dancer and his work as a television choreographer. Among the many television series in which his Peter Gennaro Dancers appeared were The Perry Como Show, The Judy Garland Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, and The Bing Crosby Show. Between 1974-1980, Gennaro staged the shows at New York City's Radio City Music Hall, which also involved providing choreography for the Rockettes.