Born in 1934, Norman Walker was one of the foremost modern dancers of his generation, performing widely throughout the 1960s and forging a particularly strong connection with Jacob’s Pillow. He studied primarily with May O’Donnell, with whose company he made his professional debut in 1953. After his own company’s Pillow debut in 1961, Ted Shawn invited him to return the following season in the leading role of Shawn’s own signature work from the 1930s, Kinetic Molpai. Walker assembled a stellar group of dancers to accompany him in this first revival of Molpai (largely based on a silent film of the original cast), including Bruce Becker, Louis Falco, and Gus Solomons Jr., and the performances were accompanied by composer Jess Meeker. Walker’s company would appear several times more at the Pillow, and he taught and choreographed regularly in the Pillow’s School. This close relationship led to his being named as Director of Jacob’s Pillow in 1975, a post which he held for five seasons. Now retired from a prominent academic career, Walker continues to teach and choreograph around the world.
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