Jaime Juan Rogers (May 13, 1940 – January 4, 2024), pronounced and sometimes credited as Hymie Rogers,Bill McCormick, "Broadway has Best Fight", ''The Tennessean'', December 27, 1964, p. 81 was an American dancer, choreographer, and director. Nominated for an Emmy in 1976, and perhaps best known for his work with

Sammy Davis Jr. Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, actor, comedian, dancer, and musician. At age two, Davis began his career in Vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the Will Mastin Trio, which t ...

in the

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

musical '' Golden Boy'', for choreographing the TV series '' Fame'' and his part in the film ''

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a Musical theatre, musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a Book (musical theatre), book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo an ...

'', his career spanned the stage, film and television.

Early life

Rogers was born in New York City on May 13, 1940, to Jaime Juan Rogers Santos and Ambrosia “Fari” Clemente Y Torres. His parents were respectively from Juncos County and Rio Piedras,Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: New York, New York, New York; Roll: 6151; p. 11; Enumeration District: 31-2067 Puerto Rico. They married in Puerto Rico in 1925. His paternal grandparents were Juan Rogel and Esperanza Santos. When his father moved to New York in 1929 he changed Rogel to Rogers on his documentation and was known as Rogers from then on. Rogers' older sister Margareto (1928–), was born in Puerto Rico, while he and his sister Polly (1937–2007) were born in New York. For a time, he and his sister were educated in Puerto Rico. In 1940, Jaime's father was drafted into the military during World War 2. After the war, he and Ambrosia separated, and Jaime Sr. opened a barber shop and remarried, going on to have two sons, Glbert and Hiram, with his new wife Tiana. Rogers' father died in 1969 in

The Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

, and his mother died in 1984. Rogers began dancing at the age of four, taught by his sister Polly. Together, they were child stars on the Latin variety show ''Spanish Hour''.Billman, L. (1997). Film choreographers and dance directors: an illustrated biographical encyclopedia, with a history and filmographies, 1893 through 1995, p. 470, United Kingdom: McFarland & Company. Rogers trained at the

High School of Performing Arts The High School of Performing Arts (informally known as "PA") was a public alternative high school established in 1947 and located at 120 West 46th Street in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, from 1948 to 1984. In 1961, the school was ...

Salli Stevenson, ''Jaime Rogers: Fame's New Kid on the Block'', ''Los Angeles Times'', September 8, 1985, p. 367 and

The Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a Private university, private performing arts music school, conservatory in New York City. Founded by Frank Damrosch as the Institute of Musical Art in 1905, the school later added dance and drama programs and became ...

. He also trained in karate.

Career

Rogers joined dance companies such as

Martha Graham Martha Graham (May 11, 1894 – April 1, 1991) was an American modern dancer, teacher and choreographer, whose style, the Graham technique, reshaped the dance world and is still taught in academies worldwide. Graham danced and taught for over s ...

José Limón José Arcadio Limón (January 12, 1908 – December 2, 1972) was a dancer and choreographer from Mexico and who developed what is now known as 'Limón technique'. In the 1940s, he founded the José Limón Dance Company (now the Limón Dan ...

Katherine Dunham Katherine Mary Dunham (June 22, 1909 – May 21, 2006) was an African American dancer, choreographer, anthropologist, and social activist. Dunham had one of the most successful dance careers of the 20th century and directed her own dance compan ...

Doris Humphrey Doris Batcheller Humphrey (October 17, 1895 – December 29, 1958) was an American dancer and choreographer of the early twentieth century. Along with her contemporaries Martha Graham and Katherine Dunham, Humphrey was one of the second gen ...

Donald McKayle Donald McKayle (July 6, 1930 – April 6, 2018) was an American modern dancer, choreographer, teacher, director and writer best known for creating socially conscious concert works during the 1950s and '60s that focus on expressing the human con ...

Jerome Robbins Jerome Robbins (born Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz; October 11, 1918 – July 29, 1998) was an American dancer, choreographer, film director, theatre director and producer who worked in classical ballet, on stage, film, and television. Among his nu ...

, and

Antony Tudor Antony Tudor (born William Cook; 4 April 1908 – 19 April 1987) was an English ballet choreographer, teacher and dancer. He founded the London Ballet, and later the Philadelphia Ballet Guild in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., in the mid-195 ...

. In 1960 he formed his own touring dance company. In 1961, he played Loco, a member of the Sharks gang in the film ''

''. He appeared on Broadway in '' Golden Boy'', ''

Flower Drum Song ''Flower Drum Song'' was the eighth musical theatre, musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on the 1957 novel, ''The Flower Drum Song'', by Chinese-American author C. Y. Lee (author), C. Y. Lee. It premiered on Broadway the ...

'', ''

Annie Get Your Gun Annie may refer to: People and fictional characters * Annie (given name), a given name and a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Annie (Malayalam actress) (born 1975), Indian actress who works in Malayalam-language films * ...

'', ''

Finian's Rainbow ''Finian's Rainbow'' is a musical with a book by E. Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane, produced by Lee Sabinson. The original 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances, while a film version was re ...

'', ''

Wildcat The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while th ...

'', ''Kicks and Co.'', ''We Take the Town'' with Robert Preston, and ''

Bravo Giovanni ''Bravo Giovanni'' is a musical theatre, musical with a book by A. J. Russell, lyrics by Ronny Graham, and music by Milton Schafer. It is based upon Howard Shaw's 1959 novel, ''The Crime of Giovanni Venturi''. The musical was conceived as a vehicle ...

''."Jaime Juan Rogers: 1940–2024"
Dance Educator in Memoriam 2023–2024, National Dance Education Organsation In the musical ''Golden Boy'', he played alongside

as He-Who-Gets-Killed. The show climaxed in a fight scene between the two, choreographed by Donald McKayle. When Davis later that year hosted the ''Tonight Show'' starring

Johnny Carson John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, and writer best known as the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson is a cultural phenomenon and w ...

, he invited Rogers on to the show to do a dance piece. Rogers later choreographed the London production of ''Golden Boy''. At the age of 25, Rogers decided to concentrate his career on choreography. His work as a choreographer and director included over 40 television series and 30 specials across the globe. His producing credits included thirty-three episodes of ''

The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour ''The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour'' is an American variety show starring American pop singers Sonny Bono and Cher, who were married to each other at the time. The show ran on CBS in the United States, and premiered in August 1971. The show was ca ...

'', '' Ben Vereen... Comin' at Ya'', and ''

The Emmys The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...

''. He choreographed the 1968 '' Elvis Presley Comeback Special''. In 1976, Rogers was nominated for an Emmy for his choreography in

Mary Tyler Moore Mary Tyler Moore (December 29, 1936 – January 25, 2017) was an American actress, producer, and social advocate. She is best known for her roles on '' The Dick Van Dyke Show'' (1961–1966) and ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977), whic ...

’s special ''Mary’s Incredible Dream''. In 1978 he choreographed the film '' Ringo'', starring

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...

. Rogers was a founding director of the Inner City Repertory Dance Company ("ICRDC") along with Donald McKayle and Janet Collins in 1971. During the 1971-72 television season, her served as choreographer on the NBC series

The Dean Martin Show ''The Dean Martin Show'' is a TV Variety show, variety-Television comedy, comedy series that ran from 1965 to 1974 for 264 episodes. It was broadcast by NBC and hosted by Dean Martin. The theme song to the series was his 1964 hit "Everybody Loves ...

and the weekly syndicated series Chevrolet Presents The Golddiggers, both produced by Greg Garrison. In 1985, he replaced

Debbie Allen Deborah Kaye Allen (born January 16, 1950) is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, singer, director, producer, and a former member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. She has been nominated 20 times for an Emmy Award ...

as choreographer for 48 episodes of the TV series '' Fame''. Rogers choreographed other TV series and films including ''

Breakin' ''Breakin (also known as ''Breakdance'' in the United Kingdom and ''Break Street '84'' in other regions) is a 1984 American breakdancing-themed musical film, musical film directed by Joel Silberg and written by Charles Parker and Allen DeBev ...

'', '' Wholly Moses'', ''

Caddyshack ''Caddyshack'' is a 1980 American sports comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, written by Brian Doyle-Murray, Ramis and Douglas Kenney, and starring Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight (his final film role), Michael O'Keefe and Bill ...

'', and ''

Americathon ''Americathon'' (also known as ''Americathon 1998'') is a 1979 American science fiction comedy film directed by Neal Israel and starring John Ritter, Fred Willard, Peter Riegert, Harvey Korman, and Nancy Morgan, with narration by George Carlin ...

''. The ''Los Angeles Times'' described his style as an "exuberant, modern dance-based combination of geometrically balanced lines, driving rhythms and explosive leaps and turns". Rogers produced numerous Las Vegas acts, working with stars such as

Juliet Prowse Juliet Anne Prowse (25 September 1936 – 14 September 1996) was a British-American dancer and actress whose four-decade career included stage, television and film. She was born in Bombay (today's Mumbai) then of British India, raised in South ...

Wayne Newton Carson Wayne Newton (born April 3, 1942), also known as Mr. Las Vegas, is an American singer and actor. One of the most popular singers in the United States from the mid-to-late 20th century, Newton remains one of the best-known entertainers in ...

Rita Moreno Rita Moreno (born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano; December 11, 1931) is an American actress, dancer, and singer. With a career spanning eight decades she is known for her roles on stage and screen, and is one of the last remaining stars from t ...

, and

Joan Rivers Joan Alexandra Molinsky (June 8, 1933 – September 4, 2014), known professionally as Joan Rivers, was an American comedienne, actress, producer, writer and television host. She was noted for her blunt, often controversial comedic persona that w ...

. He also produced U.S. and global concert tours for such groups as

Sha Na Na Sha Na Na was an American rock and roll and doo-wop revival group formed in 1969. The group performed a song-and-dance repertoire based on 1950s hit songs that both revived and parodied the music and the New York City street culture of the 1 ...

The Jackson Five The Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons, are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was formed in Gary, Indiana in 1964, and originally consisted of brothers Jackie, Ti ...

The Temptations The Temptations is an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1961 as The Elgins, known for their string of successful singles and albums with Motown from the 1960s to the mid-1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield ...

, and

Gladys Knight & the Pips Gladys Knight & the Pips were an American Rhythm and blues, R&B, soul music, soul, and funk family music group from Atlanta, Georgia, that remained active on the music charts and performing circuit for over three decades starting from the early ...

and worked with

Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, ...

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...

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David Copperfield ''David Copperfield''Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work; see is a novel by English author Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from infancy to matur ...

, and

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

. In 2005, Rogers was presented with a Lifetime Achievement award at the Les Horton Dance Award ceremony.

Personal life and death

In 1962, Rogers married dancer Barbara Dell Alexander and their son Jaime Juan Rogers Jr. ("Jimmy") was born the same year. In 1972, he married the dancer and actress Lee Lund (1943–2021). Lee attended

Juilliard The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Founded by Frank Damrosch as the Institute of Musical Art in 1905, the school later added dance and drama programs and became the Juilliard School, named aft ...

after Rogers graduated. She had also started her professional career dancing on Broadway and later moved to the West Coast where she married Rogers. In 1974 they had a daughter, AmbereFitzpatrick, Jackie
"The View from Milford; Three Generations, Four Dancers and a Five, Six, Seven, Eight"
''The New York Times'', May 12, 1991, Section 12CN, p. 2 and later divorced in 1981. Rogers died in Los Angeles on January 4, 2024, at the age of 83."Jaime Rogers"
Emmys.com. Retrieved October 13, 2024 He was survived by his wife, Austrian-born actress and dancer, Ina Haybaeck-Rogers (born 1975).

Credits

Theatre

*''

'', 1960 *''

'', 1960 *''We Take the Town'', 1961 *''Kicks and Co.'', 1961 *''

'', 1962 *'' Golden Boy'', 1964 *''

'', 1966 *'' Golden Boy'', 1968 West End – producer and choreographer at the

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in Soho. The theatre was designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1910. The auditorium holds 2,286 people. Hundreds of stars have played there, many wit ...

Film

*''

'', 1961 movie – Loco *''

'' – choreography *'' Wholly Moses'' – choreography *''

'' – choreography *''

'' – choreography

Television

*''

'', 1971-72 *'' Chevrolet Presents The Golddiggers'', 1971-72 *''

'', 1971, 33 episodes *'' Ben Vereen... Comin' at Ya'', 1975 *'' Fame'', 1985 *'' Elvis Presley Comeback Special'', 1968 *'' Mary’s Incredible Dream'', 1976

Concert tours and productions

The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...

The Fifth Dimension The 5th Dimension is an American vocal group. Their music encompasses sunshine pop, pop soul, and psychedelic soul. They were an important crossover music act of the 1960s and 1970s, although both praised and derided for their particular music ...

The Manhattan Transfer The Manhattan Transfer was an American vocal group founded in 1969 in New York City, performing music genres like a cappella, Brazilian jazz, Swing music, swing, vocalese, rhythm and blues, Pop music, pop, and standards. They have won eleven G ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rogers, Jaime 1940 births 2024 deaths American modern dancers American choreographers Dancers from New York (state) Martha Graham Musical theatre choreographers Juilliard School alumni American people of Puerto Rican descent The High School of Music & Art alumni