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David Winters (choreographer)

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David Winters (choreographer)

David Winters (born David Weizer; April 5, 1939 – April 23, 2019) was an English-born American actor, dancer, choreographer, and filmmaker. At a young age, he acted in film and television projects such as Lux Video Theatre, Naked City; Mister Peepers, Rock, Rock, Rock, and Roogie's Bump. He received some attention in Broadway musicals for his roles in West Side Story (1957) and Gypsy (1959). In the film adaptation of West Side Story (1961) he was one of the few actors to be re-cast in a different role than what he performed in the original stage version. West Side Story became the highest grossing motion picture of that year, and won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Winters became a dance choreographer. On films, he choreographed several projects with Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret starting with Viva Las Vegas (1964). Other dance choreography credits include T.A.M.I. Show (1964), Send Me No Flowers (1964), Billie (1965), A Star Is Born (1976), etc. On television, he was frequently seen with his troupe on a variety of shows choreographing popular dances of the 1960s. At the Emmy Awards, for the television special Movin' with Nancy (1967), his choreography was nominated in the category Special Classification of Individual Achievements.

In the 1970s, Winters ran Winters-Rosen a production house, where he produced, directed, and choreographed television specials. Some of these credits are The Ann-Margret Show (1968), Ann-Margret: From Hollywood With Love (1969), Raquel! (1970), Once Upon a Wheel (1971), Timex All-Star Swing Festival (1972). In films, he directed Alice Cooper: Welcome to My Nightmare (1976), The Last Horror Film (1982), Thrashin' (1986). From the 1980s to the 1990s, Winters ran Action International Pictures where he would produce, distribute and direct action oriented films. From the 2000s to his death in 2019, Winters continued to produce, direct, and act.

Winters was born David Weizer in London, England, the son of Jewish parents Sadie and Samuel Weizer. His family relocated to the United States in 1953. He became a naturalized United States citizen in 1956. Winters was interested in dancing at an early age.

At age 12, Winters was shining shoes to pay for dance classes afraid his mother would not approve. She eventually caught him and made a deal to make him stop: if he did his bar mitzvah, she would bring him to dance classes. That same year, Winters was spotted by a talent agent while dancing in a Manhattan restaurant. From this point he began acting and dancing on television. By the age of 14 he had worked with Jackie Gleason, Martha Raye, Mindy Carson, Sarah Churchill, Wally Cox, George Jessel, Ella Raines, Paul Douglas, and Perry Como. He also was heard on radio plays with Donald Cook and Joseph Cotten. It led him to act in over 15 television shows during a span of 10 years, including Lux Video Theatre, Naked City, The Red Buttons Show, Mister Peepers, etc.

In 1954, Winters acted in the film Roogie's Bump. That year he performed in the first Broadway revival of On Your Toes, directed by George Abbott and choreographed by George Balanchine. It opened on October 11, 1954, at the 46th Street Theatre, where it ran for 64 performances.

On November 23 of that year he acted in another Broadway play called Sandhog. In the musical, Winters alongside Yuriko, Eliot Feld, Muriel Mannings, and Betty Ageloff played a group of kids. Paul Affelder of The Brooklyn Eagle praised all the performances, and found the kids talented.

In 1956, Winters appeared in the film Rock, Rock, Rock!

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