Nash, Joe.

Joe Nash is a former dancer, black dance historian and more recently coordinator of black dance history courses at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater School in New York, and director and founder of the Multiethnic Christian Education Resources Center of the National Council of Churches

Born in New York City, Nash came from a musical family and trained to become a secretary. He began dancing in 1940 with the National Youth Administration, then spent four years in the Army in Europe. Following World War II, he enrolled in the dance division of the American Theatre Wing. He studied ballet and modern dance, making his first professional appearance with the Charles Weidman Dance Group.

Nash's dance career includes such Broadway shows as "Show Boat," "Finian's Rainbow," "Bless You All," "Flahooley," "My Darlin' Aida," "Livin' the Life," and "Inside the U.S.A." His concert performances include New York City Center's production of "Carmen Jones" and "Love for Three Oranges." His television credits include "Omnibus," "The Hit Parade," "The Paul Whiteman Show," "The Ed Sullivan Show," and the Canadian production of "Portfolio."

Joe Nash's role with dance more recently has moved into the area of art administration with such organizations as the National Endowment for the Arts and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre Foundation where he served as a dance panelist and a member of the Board of Trustees respectively. He has also functioned as lecturer, dance teacher and exhibition coordinator. In the role of researcher of black dance history, Nash has compiled an extensive collection of photographs, manuscript items, programs and flyers, news clippings, decoupage art, books and dissertations documenting black dance and dancers from the 1920's through the l980's.

From the description of Black dance collection, 1939-1990. (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 122626348