| Join NDA in celebrating the life of our Heritage Honoree, jazz great Gus Giordano.
Giordano's achievements are multi-faceted: dancer, master teacher, choreographer, author, and founder of the Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Center. His artistry is seen throughout the entertainment industry, including his program "The Rehearsal" that received an Emmy and the PBS Award, and his choreography in the film "The Music Box." Giordano minored in dance at the University of Missouri, performed on Broadway, and studied with Hanya Holm and Alwin Nikolais. His book, the first "Anthology of American Jazz Dance," has been described as his “rite of passage."(Dance Magazine) His Jazz Dance World Congress is held annually, his repertoire is performed internationally and he teaches at major dance conventions and schools.
In 1985, the Illinois governor declared Gus Giordano Day and, in 1995, the jazz master received the Honorable Artist Award in Japan. Giordano has acted as the National Dance Week Spokesman and has received the Katherine Dunham and Chicago Senior of the Year awards. He serves on the faculties of the International Tanz Wochen–Stuttgart, the Academie International Des Danse–Paris and the Cologne Dance Festival. The Heritage Award is the highest honor that NDA bestows on a dance educator for a lifetime of achievements. |