Jerome Robbins

Career overview

Jerome Robbins was born Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz on October 11, 1918, in New York City. He was an American dancer, choreographer, film director, theatre director, and producer who worked across classical ballet, stage, film, and television. Known primarily for Broadway theater and ballet or dance, his career included everything from classical ballet to contemporary musical theater, as well as occasional film directing and television directing and producing.

Among the numerous stage productions he worked on were On the Town, High Button Shoes, The King And I, The Pajama Game, Bells Are Ringing, West Side Story, Gypsy: A Musical Fable, and Fiddler on the Roof. Robbins was also one of the founding members of the Ballet Theatre when it was formed in 1940. He portrayed a variety of roles for several years before devising his own creations, such as Fancy Free, which was about three sailors on leave in New York and marked the beginning of a long association with Leonard Bernstein.

Robbins was a five-time Tony Award winner and a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors. He also received two Academy Awards, including the 1961 Academy Award. His known credits included acting, and he lived until July 29, 1998, passing away at the age of 79.