Beverly Blossom
Professor Emeritus
Beverly Blossom (Choreographer and Dancer) was a principal dancer with the Alwin Nikolais Dance Theatre for ten years from l953 to l963. She then produced concerts of her own choreography in New York in the l960’s, participating in the development of the film stage theatre of actor/poet Roberts Blossom, to whom she was married from l966 to l970. She has in recent years produced concerts of her own choreography as part of the "downtown dance" scene. She has choreographed and performed more than l00 works and has received numerous grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council for the Arts, Illinois Arts Council, and private foundations.
A Professor at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana from l967 to l990, in recent years Beverly Blossom has renewed her career as a performer, presenting her solo works at the l988 Jacob’s Pillow, Massachusetts “Splash” Festival, and at the Joyce Theatre l989 showcase “Womanworks”. In l993, Ms. Blossom was awarded a New York Dance and Performance Award (a “Bessie”) for sustained achievement. She holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Roosevelt University, Chicago, and a master’s degree in dance from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. Currently a Professor Emeritus from the University of Illinois, since her retirement, Beverly Blossom has been choreographing for her own company (Blossom & Co.Inc.), performing and teaching. She currently lives and works in Chicago, in the South Loop.
