ANN REINKING

(10 November 1949 - 12 December 2020)

The American actress, dancer and choreographer Ann Reinking, who has died aged 71, was a celebrated performer on stage and in films. Born in Seattle, she learned ballet from an early age, making her stage debut at twelve in the Royal Ballet’s Giselle. She studied with San Francisco Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet and joined the chorus at Radio City Music Hall. Among her first musical shows were Bye Bye Birdie (1965), Fiddler on the Roof, Girl Crazy, A Chorus Line, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Pal Joey, the tour of Applause which she also choreographed, and Cabaret on Broadway. She toured in and choreographed Chicago in the style of Bob Fosse, with whom she worked on Pippin (1972), becoming his muse and partner. They worked together on his Dancin’ revue and a revival of Sweet Charity. She was in Fosse’s All That Jazz, an autobiographical film based on their relationship. Fosse died in 1987 but Reinking perpetuated his work in a tribute show, Fosse (2001). On film she was part of Stanley Donen’s Hollywood spoof Movie Movie, and appeared in John Huston’s Annie and Blake Edwards’ Micki + Maude. Reinking produced a documentary In My Hands: A Story of Marfan Syndrome (2009), about the genetic disorder of the body’s connective tissue, from which Reinking’s son Chris Stuart suffers. She was married four times, to Larry Small, Herbert A. Allen, James Stuart and Peter Talbot. She won multiple awards including a Tony for Dancin’ and an Olivier Award for Fosse.

MICHAEL DARVELL