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Valerie Bettis

Valerie Elizabeth Bettis (December 1919 – September 26, 1982) was an American modern dancer and choreographer. She found success in musical theatre, ballet and as a solo dancer.

Valerie Bettis
Born(1919-12-20)December 20, 1919
Houston, Texas, U.S.
DiedSeptember 26, 1982(1982-09-26) (aged 62)
New York City, U.S.
Occupations
Years active1949–1961
Spouses

Biography edit

Valerie Bettis was born in 1919 on either December 19[1] or December 20,[2] in Houston, Texas. Her parents were Royal Holt Bettis and Valerie Elizabeth Bettis (née McCarthy).[3] Her father died when she was 13 years old, after which her mother married Hugh Prather.[2] In 1943, Bettis married Bernardo Segall, who was then her company's music director,[1] though the marriage ended in divorce in 1955. In 1959, she married Arthur A. Schmidt who died in 1969.[2] On September 26, 1982, Bettis died at Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan at the age of 62.[4]

Career edit

Bettis found success both as a modern dancer and as a choreographer, often both in the same production. She was known for her "versatility, vivid stage presence, and flamboyant theatricality".[4]

Early career edit

Bettis began taking ballet lessons in Houston at the age of 10. While in high school, she participated in her school's dramas and musicals. She attended the University of Texas for only one year, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta,[5] before moving to New York City to study modern dance under Hanya Holm. She performed and toured with Holm's company from 1937 tto 1940.[1][2]

In 1941, Bettis formed her own dance ensemble and began her career as a solo dancer. She found early success with her 1943 solo dance The Desperate Heart, which incorporated the poem of the same name by John Malcolm Brinnin. The New York Times' dance critic, John Martin, listed it among the most outstanding performances of 1943. Louis Horst described The Desperate Heart as "the finest solo work in the entire modern dance repertory of this decade".[6]

Ballet edit

In 1947, Bettis choreographed with a major ballet company.[2] Her production of Virginia Sampler, as performed by the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, was called "an interesting and unsuccessful experiment".[7] In 1948, she adapted, directed and choreographed William Faulkner's novel As I Lay Dying, fusing acting and dance into a dance play. John Martin, The New York Times' dance critic, called it "a completely authoritative work of art". Doris Hering of Dance Magazine wrote, "Only an artist with the deepest feeling for movement and drama could have worked the wonders Miss Bettis did with the material at hand." Bettis's next attempt at a dance play, Domino Furioso, which was premiered at the 1949 American Dance Festival, was less successful, attracting mixed reviews: "attractive" and "easy to take in",[8] Hering this time wrote, "If Miss Bettis is not careful she will talk us all to death."[9] Bettis found success in 1952 when she choreographed a ballet based on the Tennessee Williams play, A Streetcar Named Desire. Critics described it as "gripping" and a "stunning, explosive creation".[10]

Musical theatre edit

Bettis first tried her hand at musical comedies when she choreographed and performed in Glad to See You in 1944.[3] In 1948, she won a Theatre World Award for her performance in Inside U.S.A.,[11] a revue that ran for nearly 400 performances at the New Century Theatre and the Majestic Theatre.[12] Her performance in the 1950 revue Bless You All was praised by Life magazine both for her dancing and for her singing abilities.[13]

Movies edit

Rita Hayworth's dances to the songs "Trinidad Lady" and "I've Been Kissed Before" in the 1952 movie Affair in Trinidad, as well as the "Dance of the Seven Veils" in the 1953 movie Salome, were choreographed by Valerie Bettis.[citation needed]

Year Title Role Notes
1952 Affair in Trinidad Veronica Huebling
1953 Let's Do It Again Lilly Adair

Selected choreography edit

  • The Desperate Heart (1943)
  • Yerma (1946)
  • Virginia Sampler (1947)
  • As I Lay Dying (1948)
  • Domino Furioso (1949)
  • The Golden Round (1955)
  • The Past Perfect Hero (1958)
  • Closed Door (1959)
  • Early Voyagers (1960)
  • Songs and Processions (1964)
  • Echoes of Spoon River (1976)

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Brandenstein, Sherilyn (May 30, 2010). "Bettis, Valerie Elizabeth". Handbook of Texas. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d e . Heritage Dance Coalition. March 17, 1983. Archived from the original on September 26, 2010. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
  3. ^ a b Ian Herbert, ed. (1981). "BETTIS, Valerie". Who's Who in the Theatre. Vol. 1. Gale Research Company. pp. 66–67. ISSN 0083-9833.
  4. ^ a b Anderson, Jack (September 28, 1982). "Valerie Bettis, Choreographer and Modern Dancer, is Dead". The New York Times. p. 12.
  5. ^ "Notable Thetas – Heritage". Kappa Alpha Theta. January 7, 2015. Retrieved April 5, 2014.
  6. ^ "Concert Program" (PDF). ICKL Proceedings 2001. International Council of Cinematography Laban: 247. 2001. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  7. ^ Amberg, George (2007). Ballet in America – The Emergence of an American Art. Read Books. p. 60. ISBN 978-1-4067-5380-6.
  8. ^ Gottlieb, Beatrice (Winter 1950). "Dance Chronicle: Trends in Modern Dance". The Kenyon Review. 12 (1): 148–155. JSTOR 4333127.(subscription required)
  9. ^ Anderson, Jack (1987). The American Dance Festival. Duke University Press. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-8223-0683-2 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ Kolin, Philip C. (2000). Williams: A Streetcar named Desire. Cambridge University Press. p. 157. ISBN 978-0-521-62610-1 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ "Theatre World Awards Recipients". Theatre World Awards. 2010. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  12. ^ ​Inside U.S.A.​ at the Internet Broadway Database
  13. ^ "Bless You All: The Ladies Cop the Honors in a New Revue". Life. Vol. 30, no. 4. January 22, 1951. p. 58 – via Google Books.

External links edit


valerie, bettis, valerie, elizabeth, bettis, december, 1919, september, 1982, american, modern, dancer, choreographer, found, success, musical, theatre, ballet, solo, dancer, born, 1919, december, 1919houston, texas, diedseptember, 1982, 1982, aged, york, city. Valerie Elizabeth Bettis December 1919 September 26 1982 was an American modern dancer and choreographer She found success in musical theatre ballet and as a solo dancer Valerie BettisBorn 1919 12 20 December 20 1919Houston Texas U S DiedSeptember 26 1982 1982 09 26 aged 62 New York City U S OccupationsDancerchoreographeractressYears active1949 1961SpousesBernardo Segall 1943 1955 Arthur A Schmidt 1959 1969 his death Contents 1 Biography 2 Career 2 1 Early career 2 2 Ballet 2 3 Musical theatre 2 4 Movies 3 Selected choreography 4 References 5 External linksBiography editValerie Bettis was born in 1919 on either December 19 1 or December 20 2 in Houston Texas Her parents were Royal Holt Bettis and Valerie Elizabeth Bettis nee McCarthy 3 Her father died when she was 13 years old after which her mother married Hugh Prather 2 In 1943 Bettis married Bernardo Segall who was then her company s music director 1 though the marriage ended in divorce in 1955 In 1959 she married Arthur A Schmidt who died in 1969 2 On September 26 1982 Bettis died at Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan at the age of 62 4 Career editBettis found success both as a modern dancer and as a choreographer often both in the same production She was known for her versatility vivid stage presence and flamboyant theatricality 4 Early career edit Bettis began taking ballet lessons in Houston at the age of 10 While in high school she participated in her school s dramas and musicals She attended the University of Texas for only one year where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta 5 before moving to New York City to study modern dance under Hanya Holm She performed and toured with Holm s company from 1937 tto 1940 1 2 In 1941 Bettis formed her own dance ensemble and began her career as a solo dancer She found early success with her 1943 solo dance The Desperate Heart which incorporated the poem of the same name by John Malcolm Brinnin The New York Times dance critic John Martin listed it among the most outstanding performances of 1943 Louis Horst described The Desperate Heart as the finest solo work in the entire modern dance repertory of this decade 6 Ballet edit In 1947 Bettis choreographed with a major ballet company 2 Her production of Virginia Sampler as performed by the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo was called an interesting and unsuccessful experiment 7 In 1948 she adapted directed and choreographed William Faulkner s novel As I Lay Dying fusing acting and dance into a dance play John Martin The New York Times dance critic called it a completely authoritative work of art Doris Hering of Dance Magazine wrote Only an artist with the deepest feeling for movement and drama could have worked the wonders Miss Bettis did with the material at hand Bettis s next attempt at a dance play Domino Furioso which was premiered at the 1949 American Dance Festival was less successful attracting mixed reviews attractive and easy to take in 8 Hering this time wrote If Miss Bettis is not careful she will talk us all to death 9 Bettis found success in 1952 when she choreographed a ballet based on the Tennessee Williams play A Streetcar Named Desire Critics described it as gripping and a stunning explosive creation 10 Musical theatre edit Bettis first tried her hand at musical comedies when she choreographed and performed in Glad to See You in 1944 3 In 1948 she won a Theatre World Award for her performance in Inside U S A 11 a revue that ran for nearly 400 performances at the New Century Theatre and the Majestic Theatre 12 Her performance in the 1950 revue Bless You All was praised by Life magazine both for her dancing and for her singing abilities 13 Movies edit Rita Hayworth s dances to the songs Trinidad Lady and I ve Been Kissed Before in the 1952 movie Affair in Trinidad as well as the Dance of the Seven Veils in the 1953 movie Salome were choreographed by Valerie Bettis citation needed Year Title Role Notes 1952 Affair in Trinidad Veronica Huebling 1953 Let s Do It Again Lilly AdairSelected choreography editThe Desperate Heart 1943 Yerma 1946 Virginia Sampler 1947 As I Lay Dying 1948 Domino Furioso 1949 The Golden Round 1955 The Past Perfect Hero 1958 Closed Door 1959 Early Voyagers 1960 Songs and Processions 1964 Echoes of Spoon River 1976 References edit a b c Brandenstein Sherilyn May 30 2010 Bettis Valerie Elizabeth Handbook of Texas Texas State Historical Association Retrieved August 25 2010 a b c d e Guide to the Valerie Bettis Papers ca 1942 1982 Heritage Dance Coalition March 17 1983 Archived from the original on September 26 2010 Retrieved August 25 2010 a b Ian Herbert ed 1981 BETTIS Valerie Who s Who in the Theatre Vol 1 Gale Research Company pp 66 67 ISSN 0083 9833 a b Anderson Jack September 28 1982 Valerie Bettis Choreographer and Modern Dancer is Dead The New York Times p 12 Notable Thetas Heritage Kappa Alpha Theta January 7 2015 Retrieved April 5 2014 Concert Program PDF ICKL Proceedings 2001 International Council of Cinematography Laban 247 2001 Retrieved April 5 2024 Amberg George 2007 Ballet in America The Emergence of an American Art Read Books p 60 ISBN 978 1 4067 5380 6 Gottlieb Beatrice Winter 1950 Dance Chronicle Trends in Modern Dance The Kenyon Review 12 1 148 155 JSTOR 4333127 subscription required Anderson Jack 1987 The American Dance Festival Duke University Press p 19 ISBN 978 0 8223 0683 2 via Google Books Kolin Philip C 2000 Williams A Streetcar named Desire Cambridge University Press p 157 ISBN 978 0 521 62610 1 via Google Books Theatre World Awards Recipients Theatre World Awards 2010 Retrieved April 5 2024 Inside U S A at the Internet Broadway Database Bless You All The Ladies Cop the Honors in a New Revue Life Vol 30 no 4 January 22 1951 p 58 via Google Books External links editValerie Bettis at the Internet Broadway Database nbsp Valerie Bettis at the Internet Off Broadway Database Valerie Bettis at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Valerie Bettis amp oldid 1217836493, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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