Maria Pogee

Maria Pogee
Born Elvira Maria Victoria Garcia
(1942-04-07) April 7, 1942
Santa Fe, Argentina
Occupation dancer, actress, choreographer
Years active 1958–Present
Spouse(s) Ruben Grinspanas (1966-1990) (until death)

Maria Pogee (sometimes credited as "Maria Pohji") (born 7 April 1942) is an Argentine-American dancer who performed on stage, television and film in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.[1] She is also a choreographer, dance teacher and actress. She appeared in the movie Wacky Taxi (1972).[1][2]

Education

Pogee received her education in the performing art in Buenos Aires at the Teatro Colon.[1]

Career

In 1950, Pogee appeared on television variety shows with the "Lobato" dancers.[1] The group toured in the United States and Pogee left in 1961 to pursue other employment opportunities.[1] She performed with Juliet Prowse, Sammy Davis Jr., and Shirley MacLaine. From October 1965 to February 1966, Pogee was a "Hollywood a go go" dancer.[1]

In 1960, Pogee worked at "Moulin Rouge", a night club, restaurant and showroom in Hollywood. The show was produced by Frank Sennes Sr, the Las Vegas showman. The dance group was scheduled to open at the El Rancho Vegas in Las Vegas but their starting was prevented by a fire at the hotel.[3]

Pogee played "Tiger Lily" in the 1979 Broadway production of Peter Pan starring Sandy Duncan.[4][5]

In 1983, Pogee choreographed Stars!, a theatrical production in South Africa which was produced by Anthony Farmer.[6] in Sun City, Bophuthatswana, South Africa.[7][8]

In 1998, Pogee choreographed The Mystery of Edwing Drood, a musical at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Anthony Del Valle wrote in Las Vegas CityLife Review Journal, "Quietly, magically, she not only does what the script demands with maximum grace and minimum fuss but makes one want to see more."[9][10]

In 2009, Pogee represented Argentina as an international judge on four episodes of the reality television show Superstars of Dance on the NBC Network.[11][1] Pogee has taught at Backstage Dance Studio[12] and jazz workshops at the Liberace Center for professional dancers in Las Vegas Valley.[13][14]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Maria Pogee Gazzarri Dancers website. Accessed 5 September 2015.
  2. ↑ Wacky Taxi IMBD. Accessed 5 September 2015.
  3. ↑ Tuttle G. Hotel fire almost stands argentine dancers in Las Vegas. Las Vegas Review-Journal, 24 July 1960 p30.
  4. ↑ Hischak T. The Oxford Companion to the American Musical: Theatre, Film, and Television. Oxford University Press, USA, 2008 p576. ISBN 0195335333, 9780195335330.
  5. ↑ Maria Pogee. IBDB. Accessed 5 September 2015.
  6. ↑ Anthony Farmer's STARS! 24 November 1983. The Star Tonight!, p7.
  7. ↑ Minervini R. She's tutti frutti in rehearsal tights. Rand Daily Mail, 24 November 1983, p6.
  8. ↑ Baneshik P. The Star Tonight!' The Percy Baneshik Column, 7 December 1983 p18.
  9. ↑ Valle A. D. M is for Murder. CityLife, p38.
  10. ↑ Drood opens tonight at UNLV Panorama 30 April 1998, p9 at mypubliclibrary.com digital collections.
  11. ↑ Superstars of Dance. IMDB.
  12. ↑ 42 Years of Instructors, 1973 thru 2015. Backstage Dance Studio, Las Vegas, Nevada. Accessed 25 September 2014.
  13. ↑ Forrest, D. Las Vegas Review Journal 25 August 1985.
  14. ↑ Duke, F. Pete Barbutti guests on NBC-TV, park jazz. Las Vegas Review Journal, 26 May 1976 p14.


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