Jerome Robbins: A Biography

Early Life and Influences

  • Birth and Family Background: Jerome Robbins was born on October 11, 1918, in New York City. He was the younger of two children born to Harry Rabinowitz, an immigrant from Poland (1904), and Lena Rips. The family name was later changed to Robbins for work in the theater.
  • Father's Businesses: Harry Rabinowitz initially owned a delicatessen on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. In the 1920s, the family moved to Jersey City and then Weehawken, New Jersey, where his father co-founded the Comfort Corset Company with a brother-in-law.
  • Early Aptitudes and Education: Young Jerome demonstrated an early talent for music, dancing, and theatrics. He attended schools in Weehawken and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1935.
  • University and Financial Hardship: He matriculated at New York University in Fall 1935, intending to study either chemistry or journalism. However, the worsening Depression in 1936 led to his family's inability to support his education, especially since he admitted to failing two out of five courses (math and French).
  • Entry into Show Business: Unwilling to work in the corset factory, Robbins sought employment in show business. His sister, Sonia, already a professional dancer, helped him secure an apprenticeship with Senya Gluck-Sandor's Dance Center.
  • Gluck-Sandor's Influence: Gluck-Sandor was a hybrid choreographer, blending ballet training with modern dance, and experience from Broadway, burlesque, and vaudeville. His expressive, theatrical style immediately appealed to Robbins.
  • Early Dance Training: Robbins also studied ballet with Ella Daganova. In 1937, he appeared in "The Brothers Ashkenazi," a Yiddish Art Theatre production directed by and starring Maurice Schwartz, with choreography by Sandor.

Early Professional Works and Rise

  • Tamiment Resort (1937-1939): Robbins spent three summers dancing and choreographing at Tamiment, a progressive-movement resort in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains. The resort featured a resident performing troupe and showcased emerging talents like Danny Kaye, Imogene Coca, and Carol Channing.
    • Early Choreographic Style: His work at Tamiment varied, including burlesque-like blackout sketches and dramatic pieces with strong social commentary, such as "Death of a Loyalist" and "Strange Fruit" (set to Abel Meeropol's song about a lynching).
    • Initial Audience Reception: He began to gain recognition, with some dances performed under the Theatre Arts Committee at New York’s 92nd Street YMHA and others as part of "The Straw Hat Revue," which Tamiment producer Max Liebman brought to Broadway in 1939.
  • Diverse Early Work: Robbins took on one-shot roles in ballet performances at locations like Jones Beach and the New York World's Fair. During regular theater seasons, he worked in Broadway choruses for "Great Lady" (1938), "Stars in Your Eyes" (1939), and "Keep Off the Grass" (1940), the last of which was choreographed by George Balanchine.
  • Ballet Theatre (Joining in 1940): In summer 1940, Robbins was accepted into the newly formed Ballet Theatre. He quickly advanced from the corps de ballet to solo roles, compensating for a lack of