The late Hinton Battle will be honored with a free full day of dance, held at Open Jar Studios June 10. The "Day of Dance" will offer classes inspired by Hinton's career—ranging from ballet, tap, jazz, and men's hip-hop—and a panel discussion on Battle's legacy featuring his family, friends, and colleagues. The day will span from 10 AM to 6:30 PM, with five instructors for the classes to be announced shortly.
Classes will be free of charge and admission will be granted on a first-come, first-serve basis upon sign-up. Each class will be limited to 75 students to prevent crowding and leave plenty of room for movement. Open enrollment begins today, and ends June 1. Visit here to sign up.
Three-time Tony-winning dancer, actor, and choreographer Hinton Battle passed away January 29 after a brief illness. He was 67. At the age of 18, Battle made his Broadway debut as the original Scarecrow in The Wiz, receiving momentous acclaim for his energetically-athletic dance style. He would later go on to work with some of the most influential choreographers in the industry, including Bob Fosse in the original production of Dancin' and Michael Bennett in the original production of Dreamgirls.
Battle received an impressive three Tony Awards for originating three vastly varied roles: in Sophisticated Ladies, The Tap Dance Kid, and Miss Saigon. He won Best Featured Actor in a Musical for all three roles, making him the most-awarded actor in the category's history.
Read Battle's full Playbill obituary here.
Sign up for the Hinton Battle "Day of Dance" at DayofDanceNY.com.
