Thursday,
July 29, 2004
This event is open to the public
Film
Screening
Jeni LeGon: Living in a Great Big Way
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Museum of Contemporary Art Auditorium
220 E. Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
Moderated
Discussion
7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Museum of Contemporary Art Auditorium
220 E. Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
For more information or to register for this event, call 312-422-5580 or email ihc@prairie.org
The HistoryMakers are proud to present An Evening With Jeni LeGon in partnership with the Illinois Humanities Council. This event will feature a screening of dancer Jeni LeGon’s recently released biographical film, “Living in a Great Big Way,” followed by a moderated discussion with LeGon. Dr. LeGon, a preeminent African American tap dancer and the first African American to sign a long-term contract in Hollywood, will talk about her experiences regarding segregation and integration. This program will also serve as the kick-off event for the Chicago Human Rhythm Project’s Rhythm Asia series at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Jeni LeGon
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Jeni LeGon auditioned at the age of thirteen for the Count Basie Chorus Line. Rather than dance in dresses as most chorus girls did, LeGon always wore pants, allowing her to demonstrate her considerable talents as a tap dancer. With a combination of skill, attitude and style, LeGon became a featured dancer, and one of the first African Americans to secure a long-term contract in Hollywood, where she danced with such notables as Bill Bojangles, the Nicholas Brothers and Fats Waller, including a now-famous sequence with Bojangles in 1935s Hooray for Love. LeGon later went on to perform on Broadway and throughout Europe, and in 1969, she moved to Canada where she opened her own dance studio.
Thank you to our partners!
The Illinois Humanities Council
