Doris Niles
Doris Niles | |
|---|---|
 Doris Niles, from a 1922 issue of Broadway Brevities | |
| Born | Doris Jones May 20, 1905 |
| Died | November 15, 1998 (aged 93) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Dancer |
| Years active | 1921-1961 |
| Spouse | Serge Leslie |
Doris Niles (née Jones; May 20, 1905 – November 15, 1998)[1][2] was an American dancer.
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Early life[edit]
Niles was born in Redlands, California, the daughter of banker Charles R. Jones.[3][4] Her younger sister Cornelia Niles also pursued a dance career, and taught dance at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle.[5]
Career[edit]
When she was 17 years old, Niles was hired as a dancer at the Capitol Theatre in New York City. She soon specialized in "exotic" dances meant to evoke Asian cultures, in spectacles choreographed by Alexander Oumansky. She and her sister danced recitals together in 1926-1927,[6] including two at Carnegie Hall.[7][8] At 22, she went to Spain, to study Spanish dance. She soon performed for King Alfonso XIII and Queen Victoria Eugenia.[9] Though her company toured in the United States in 1928-1929,[10][11] she stayed mainly in Europe, performing and learning until 1940, when the hazards of World War II sent her home to the United States.[12] In 1928 she wrote a syndicated series of essays that appeared in American newspapers, "How to Grow Graceful".[13]
She continued working as a dancer and teaching dance, mainly in Los Angeles, until her retirement after 1961.[14][15] In 1963 she choreographed a production of Turandot for the Redlands Bowl.[16] She was admired for her beauty and extravagant costumes as well as for her dance steps.[17]
Dance library[edit]
Niles and her husband collected an extensive library of books on dance. They sold the collection in 1971 to a library in Stuttgart.[18]
Personal life[edit]
Niles married her dance partner, fellow American Willis "Serge" Leslie, in 1930, in Paris.[19][20]
She died in Santa Paula, California on November 15, 1998, aged 94 years.[21]
Publications[edit]
- A bibliography of the dance collection of Doris Niles & Serge Leslie, 1966
References[edit]
- ^ "Doris Niles - New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909". FamilySearch. 9 August 1926.
- ^ "Doris Niles - New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909". FamilySearch. 24 August 1928.
- ^ "Ebell Books Doris Niles"[permanent dead link] Los Angeles Times (September 28, 1941): C5.
- ^ "Artists Formerly of San Bernardino" San Bernardino County Sun (June 23, 1928): 17. via Newspapers.com
- ^ Karen Bell-Kanner, Frontiers: The Life and Times of Bonnie Bird, American Modern Dancer and Dance Educator (Routledge 2013): 10. ISBN 9781134423385
- ^ "Doris Niles Gives Program of Dances"[permanent dead link] Boston Daily Globe (March 22, 1927): 8.
- ^ "Niles Sisters in Solo Dances"[permanent dead link] New York Times (December 2, 1926): 24.
- ^ "Nileses Give a Recital"[permanent dead link] New York Times (February 2, 1927): 22.
- ^ "Dances for Royalty" Salt Lake Telegram (July 8, 1928): 19. via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Doris Niles, Famous Spanish Dancer, Appears Next Friday"[permanent dead link] Atlanta Constitution (January 13, 1929): 12.
- ^ "Doris Niles, Young American Dancer, Will Appear Here" Bismarck Tribune (February 14, 1929): 15. via Newspapers.com
- ^ Betty Luerssen, "Costumes, Programs Salvaged By Continental Dance Couple"[permanent dead link] Christian Science Monitor (April 6, 1949): 14.
- ^ Doris Niles, "Balance is Grace" Post-Crescent (December 26, 1928): 8. via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Doris Niles Appealing in Dances"[permanent dead link] Los Angeles Times (May 11, 1953): B8.
- ^ "On, Off Stage" San Bernardino County Sun (July 27, 1961): 18. via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Doris Niles Sets Ballet for Bowl" San Bernardino County Sun (August 29, 1963): 21. via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Duo Charms with Dances"[permanent dead link] Los Angeles Times (October 3, 1941): 17.
- ^ Martin Bernheimer, "Stuttgart Buys L.A. Dance Library"[permanent dead link] Los Angeles Times (June 4, 1971): A7.
- ^ "Native Daughter is Married in France" San Bernardino County Sun (May 31, 1930): 13. via Newspapers.com
- ^ "Dance Pair Win Favor"[permanent dead link] Los Angeles Times (October 22, 1941): A10.
- ^ Myrna Oliver, "Doris Niles; American Concert and Ballet Dancer" Los Angeles Times (November 26, 1998).
External links[edit]
- A 1928 etching[permanent dead link] by Troy Kinney, a drawing of Doris Niles in a Spanish dance pose; in the collection of the Childs Gallery in Boston, Massachusetts.
- Cornelius Conyn, Doris Niles, Interpreter of the Spanish Dance[permanent dead link] (C. W. Beaumont 1937).
- Serge Leslie and Doris Niles, A Bibliography of the Dance Collection of Doris Niles & Serge Leslie, Part 2 (C. W. Beaumont, 1966).
- Serge Leslie and Doris Niles, A Bibliography of the Dance Collection of Doris Niles & Serge Leslie, Part 3 (C. W. Beaumont, 1974).
- Serge Leslie, A Bibliography of the Dance Collection of Doris Niles & Serge Leslie, Part 4 (C. W. Beaumont, 1981).
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