Bettis, Valerie (1919–1982)

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Bettis, Valerie (1919–1982)

American dancer and choreographer. Born Valerie Elizabeth Bettis in Houston, Texas, Dec 20, 1919; died Sept. 26, 1982, in New York, NY; dau. of Royal Holt and Valerie Elizabeth (McCarthy) Bettis; attended University of Texas; studied dance with Rowena Smith and Tina Flade in Houston; m. Bernardo Segall (Brazilian concert pianist and composer), 1943 (div.); m. Arthur A. Schmidt.

Studied under Hanya Holm in whose Trend she made her professional debut (1937); was a member of the Hanya Holm company (1938–40); had 1st major solo in The Desperate Heart (1943); founded her own group (1944), presenting, among others, As I Lay Dying and Domino Furioso; choreographed Virginia Sampler for Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo (1947); enjoyed a huge success on Broadway as Tiger Lily in the musical Inside USA (1948); choreographed for tv (1940s); in Hollywood, worked on 2 Rita Hayworth films: Affair in Trinidad and Salomé (1951); also choreographed and appeared in off-Broadway and London productions of Ulysses in Nighttown (1958); founded her own dance studio in NY (1963) and also taught at Perry-Mansfield School at Connecticut College.