Jacques d’Amboise (born Joseph Jacques Ahearn, July 28, 1934 – May 2, 2021) was an American ballet dancer, choreographer, actor, and educator. He joined the New York City Ballet in 1949 and was named principal dancer in 1953, and throughout his time with the company, he danced 24 roles for George Balanchine. He also made film appearances, including Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Carousel. He choreographed 17 ballets for the New York City Ballet and retired from performing in 1984.
D’Amboise founded the National Dance Institute in 1976 to promote dance to children. His work with the institute was featured in the documentary, He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin’, which won an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. He received the MacArthur Fellowship in 1990, the Kennedy Center Honors in 1995, and the National Medal of Arts in 1998.[Wikipedia]
“I was sad to hear the news about Jacques d’Amboise’s passing and decided to pay tribute to him by making available this 1983 EYE ON DANCE link of the irrepressible Jacques and his family.When I invited Jacques d’Amboise to be a guest on the Eye of Dance “Dancing Families” segment, he packed up the whole family onto the subway and came up to our studio at the top of Washington Heights in the midst of a snowstorm.When he arrived I asked if they would like to compose a dance on the set, and without hesitation, he said “yes” for everyone. The results are in the clip:Jacques, Carolyn, Christopher, Charlotte, and Kate d’Amboise.I believe this is the only footage of all the dancing members of the d’Amboise family on video, speaking, and dancing.Enjoy!Celia Ipiotis
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