Cahan, Cora (1940–)

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Cahan, Cora (1940–)

American modern dancer. Born Feb 26, 1940, in Brooklyn, NY.

Trained with May O'Donnell at High School of Performing Arts and with Norman Walker at Juilliard, and continued to work with both throughout career; danced O'Donnell's role in revivals of her Suspension and danced major parts for her in Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, Pelleas and Melisande and Dance Sonata; briefly danced with companies of Pearl Lang and Helen Tamiris, and joined faculty of Juilliard School (late 1950s); danced lead in Walker's Meditation of Orpheus (1964), The Testament of Cain, The Chanter (1965), and Elogés (1967); served on dance faculty of University of Cincinnati (mid-1960s); worked as administrator and executive director of Eliot Feld Ballet in NY where she helped turn a half-empty building into the prosperous Lawrence A. Wien Center for Dance and Theater; served as president of The New 42nd Street Inc., a non-profit arts organization; choreographed works include Iphigenia (1971).