I wrote a post for Nina Amir's blog My Son Can Dance. It is about teaching boys ballet.
If you enjoy it please leave her a comment!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Saturday, April 3, 2010
David Hatch Walker 1949-2010
Older Martha Graham Company fans may remember David Hatch Walker, formerly a principal dancer.
The National Ballet School of Canada's 50th reunion is coming up, and therefore classmates have been looking each other up and happily getting in touch after many years (well, my classmates anyway).
I have wondered for the past few years why I could not find David through the internet. I thought he had to be teaching somewhere.... last year I heard from The Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance that they had not been able to locate him.
Recently, Ann Ditchburn (NBS classmate) inquired at the Martha Graham Center and received this back:
"Dear Ann,
I'm so sorry to tell you that we received news a few weeks ago that David Hatch Walker had passed away. We were told he had MS. This information came to us from Trish Beaty. You can reach her at xxxxxx. I danced with David for years. He was a beautiful dancer who could transform himself in the Graham roles. It's terribly sad to have lost him.
Yours,
Janet
Janet Eilber
Artistic Director
Martha Graham Center"
I then asked Amy Bowring of Dance Collection Danse (Canada's dance history archives)if she had any information about David. She sent me this youtube link of David dancing in "Diversions of Angels" (also features his wife of that time, Takako Asakawa), saying that David had had MS and died of a stroke, in Toronto, this February.
My condolences to David's loved ones that we classmates do not know....I last saw David in NYC in the early 80's....
I know that David would have had supportive visits from his Toronto classmates, had they known. We will sadly miss seeing him or hearing from him....
The National Ballet School of Canada's 50th reunion is coming up, and therefore classmates have been looking each other up and happily getting in touch after many years (well, my classmates anyway).
I have wondered for the past few years why I could not find David through the internet. I thought he had to be teaching somewhere.... last year I heard from The Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance that they had not been able to locate him.
Recently, Ann Ditchburn (NBS classmate) inquired at the Martha Graham Center and received this back:
"Dear Ann,
I'm so sorry to tell you that we received news a few weeks ago that David Hatch Walker had passed away. We were told he had MS. This information came to us from Trish Beaty. You can reach her at xxxxxx. I danced with David for years. He was a beautiful dancer who could transform himself in the Graham roles. It's terribly sad to have lost him.
Yours,
Janet
Janet Eilber
Artistic Director
Martha Graham Center"
I then asked Amy Bowring of Dance Collection Danse (Canada's dance history archives)if she had any information about David. She sent me this youtube link of David dancing in "Diversions of Angels" (also features his wife of that time, Takako Asakawa), saying that David had had MS and died of a stroke, in Toronto, this February.
My condolences to David's loved ones that we classmates do not know....I last saw David in NYC in the early 80's....
I know that David would have had supportive visits from his Toronto classmates, had they known. We will sadly miss seeing him or hearing from him....
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