Donald Saddler
| Donald Edward Saddler | |
|---|---|
| Born |
January 24, 1918 Van Nuys, California, USA |
| Died | November 1, 2014 (aged 96) Englewood, New Jersey |
| Occupation | Choreographer, dancer |
Donald Edward Saddler (January 24, 1918 – November 1, 2014) was an American choreographer, dancer, and theatre director.
Born in Van Nuys, California, Saddler studied dance at an early age to regain his strength after a bout of scarlet fever. He spent his school vacations at the MGM studios, eventually dancing in the chorus of movie musicals such as The Great Ziegfeld (1936), Rosalie (1937), Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937), Babes in Arms (1939), and The Wizard of Oz (1939) .
Saddler was an original member of the American Ballet Theatre, appearing in Giselle, Pillar of Fire, and Fancy Free before heading overseas to serve in World War II. When he returned, he decided to forego ballet in favor of Broadway musicals, appearing in High Button Shoes (1947) and two 1950 revues, Dance Me a Song and Bless You All, before winning his first assignment as a choreographer for Wonderful Town in 1953, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Choreography.
In 1958, Saddler won critical acclaim for his choreography for a Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival "dance drama" adaptation of Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio, in which he also performed.
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