A true original, Beverly Blossom (1926-2014) was raised in Chicago where she studied dance, piano, and elocution. She debuted at age five as part of a W.P.A. spectacle at Soldier Field, and she later moved to New York to continue training. She performed for more than a decade with the Alwin Nikolais Dance Company, after which she returned to her home state to teach at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, retaining the title of Professor Emeritus until her death. Her zany personality was reflected in her bright red hair, which she explained in a New York Times interview: “I always have to tell the hairdresser that I want to look like Bozo the Clown.” This is one of three solos she presented in her only Pillow engagement, receiving raves for a performance that was “both surreal and hilarious.”
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