Gerald Arpino

Gerald Arpino born 14 January 1923 (d. 2008)

Gerald Arpino was an American dancer and choreographer. He was the artistic director and co-founder of The Joffrey Ballet.

Born in Staten Island, New York, Gerald Arpino studied ballet with Mary Ann Wells, while stationed with the Coast Guard in Seattle, Washington.

Arpino first met Robert Joffrey at Wells's school. It was love at first sight. Although the passion between them faded after a few years, they maintained a close domestic arrangement until Joffrey's death in 1988. Arpino studied modern dance with May O'Donnell in whose company he appeared in the 1950s.

In 1956, Arpino was a founding member of the Robert Joffrey Ballet. He served as co-director of the American Ballet Center, the school of the Robert Joffrey Ballet, was resident choreographer for the company, and, in 1965, became co-director of the Joffrey Ballet.

After the death of Robert Joffrey in 1988, Arpino became the Artistic Director of the Joffrey Ballet and in 1995 moved the company to Chicago. In July 2007, he was named 'Artistic Director Emeritus' as a search for a successor began. Although the ballet he founded carried his partner's name, Arpino was equally significant in founding and artistically driving one of the great American ballet companies.

Arpino suffered an illness for seven months and eventually died on October 29, 2008.