Jack Cole was an American dancer, choreographer, and theatre director known as the father of theatrical jazz dance.
Born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Cole virtually invented the idiom of American Show Dancing known as 'Theatre Dance'. He developed an entirely personal mode of jazz-ethnic-ballet that prevails as the dominant look of and technique for dancing in today's musicals, films, nightclub revues, television commercials and music videos.
Early on he decided to pursue dance with the Denishawn Dance Company led by Ruth St Denis and Ted Shawn. Cole also performed with Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman, but eventually left the modern dance world for commercial dance career in nightclubs, performing with Alice Dudley, Anna Austin and Florence Lessing.
Cole is credited with choreographing and/or directing the stage musicals Alive and Kicking, Magdalena, Carnival in Flanders, Zenda, Foxy, Kismet, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Kean, Donnybrook!, Jamaica, and Man of La Mancha. His film work includes Moon Over Miami, Cover Girl, Tonight and Every Night, Gilda, The Merry Widow, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, There's No Business Like Show Business, Kismet (1955 film), Les Girls, and many others. He was most famous in Hollywood for his work with Rita Hayworth and Marilyn Monroe.Cole's unmistakable style endures in the work of Gwen Verdon, Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins, Gower Champion, Peter Gennaro, Michael Bennett, Tommy Tune, and countless other dancers and choreographers.
He was reportedly a demanding and relentless taskmaster in his pursuit of dance excellence.