Jerome Robbins

Jerome Robbins (1918–1998) was one of the greatest choreographers of his time. In addition to his ballets, he also achieved success and fame as a choreographer and director of Broadway musicals, plays and films. With a body of work that continues to be performed all over the world, he left an indelible mark on American dance and musical theatre.

Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz (his birth name) was born in New York in 1918, the son of Jewish-Russian immigrants from a region now partly in Lithuania and partly in Belarus. His love of theatre stemmed from a fascination with puppetry. His sister Sonya, a modern dancer, sparked his interest in dance. Jerome took lessons in a wide variety of dance styles, studied piano and violin, and received acting and singing training. Although he initially studied chemistry at New York University under pressure from his father, he abandoned his studies after a year to pursue a career in dance. From 1937, he danced with several modern dance companies and in Broadway musicals. Even then, he created short revue choreographies. In 1940, he joined the corps de ballet of Ballet Theatre (now American Ballet Theatre), and was promoted to soloist a year later. In 1944, he created his first full-length ballet for the company: Fancy Free, which also marked the beginning of his collaboration with composer Leonard Bernstein. In 1949, he joined the newly founded New York City Ballet, where he worked successively as a dancer and choreographer, associate artistic director, and – after the death of George Balanchine – as ballet master in chief. In 1958, he also founded his own company, Ballets: U.S.A., which, despite great success in New York and Europe, had a short-lived existence.

Robbins created more than sixty ballets, performed not only by New York City Ballet but also by prestigious ballet companies around the world. He also choreographed and directed numerous Broadway shows, the most famous of which include On the Town, The King and I, Gypsy, Funny Girl, Fiddler on the Roof and West Side Story. The 1962 film version of West Side Story earned him two Academy Awards, for direction and choreography. In addition, he won five Tony Awards, several Donaldson Awards and an Emmy Award. In 1981, he received the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors and was named a Chevalier of the French Ordre National de la Légion d’honneur.

Last update: 10-06-2025