Prolific Black choreographer Gus Solomons Jr. dies after sudden heart failure
In the 2003 book, "Reinventing Dance in the 1960s," Solomons — who began dancing at age 4 — expressed that he constantly felt "a burning itch to perform and make dances."
The dancing world has lost a legendary figure in Gus Solomons Jr., who died of sudden heart failure on Aug. 11 at 84.
After several months of deteriorating health, the pioneering dancer, choreographer, educator and critic passed away at Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital in Manhattan, Robert Gerber, Solomons’ friend and health proxy, confirmed, according to The New York Times.
Solomons was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Aug. 27, 1938. While he began dancing when he was 4, his formal training began while a freshman at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he received an architecture degree.Â
In Sally Banes’ 2003 book, “Reinventing Dance in the 1960s,” Solomons expressed that he constantly felt “a burning itch to perform and make dances.”
His lifelong friend and former Solomons Company/Dance member Douglas Nielsen called Solomons “a major trunk to our dance family tree,” comparing his choreography steps to a crossword puzzle.
“He drew stick-figure drawings on graph paper for us to decipher, never knowing if there would be a sound score,” Neilson shared in an interview, according to The Times. “One time at Larry Richardson’s Dance Gallery, he played Jimi Hendrix super loud as the audience entered, and then shut it off as we proceeded to dance in silence for an hour.”
Solomons’ lengthy career landed him roles with several companies and choreographers, including Merce Cunningham and Martha Graham. His entry into the Cunningham group as the first Black dancer set a precedent for three other Black dancers over the company’s nearly 60-year history, all men.
Solomons expressed his enjoyment about taking Cunningham’s courses in an interview for the YouTube series “Mondays With Merce,” but said he “never aspired to be in the company because I didn’t look like anybody in that company.”
Standing at a towering 6’3″, Solomons was referring to both his height and his race. Still, from 1965 to 1968, while a Merce Cunningham Dance Company member, Solomons originated roles in several significant Cunningham pieces, including “Variations V,” “How to Pass, Kick, Fall and Run,” “Scramble,” “RainForest,” and “Walkaround Time.”
He departed after a back ailment that made it difficult for him to jump. Solomons recovered and returned to the dance scene, putting real effort into choreography.
He launched the Solomons Company/Dance in 1972, creating more than 150 pieces. Choreographer Donald Byrd said performing with Solomons’ group was a wonderful experience.
“My dances experimented with game rules to create accidental juxtapositions and unpredictable images,” Solomons wrote in “Reinventing Dance,” according to The Times.
Solomons relocated to New York in 1961 to perform in the Donald McKayle-choreographed Broadway production “Kicks & Co.,” which closed in Chicago after only four preview performances. He continued his studies and received a scholarship to study modern dance at the Martha Graham School and ballet at the Joffrey Ballet School.
He was a founding member of the Judson Dance Theater collective.
In 1996, Solomons collaborated with Carmen de Lavallade and Dudley Williams to create the performance ensemble Paradigm, which showcased seasoned dance artists.
“Gus’ presence in that white space of New York experimental dance was really important,” Byrd said, The Times reported. “And it made it all right for me to want to explore that way as a choreographer. And I think that was probably true for other people as well.”
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