David Winters (choreographer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids David Winters
Winters in the 1960s
Born	David Weizer (1939-04-05)April 5, 1939 London, England
Died	April 23, 2019(2019-04-23) (aged 80) Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.
Resting place	Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery
Citizenship	United Kingdom United States
Occupation	Producer, director, actor, screenwriter, film distributor, choreographer, dancer
Years active	1954–2019

David Winters (born April 5, 1939 – died April 23, 2019) was a talented person from England and America. He was an actor, dancer, choreographer (someone who creates dance routines), producer, and director. He also wrote movie scripts and helped distribute films.

When he was young, David Winters appeared in many TV shows and movies. Some of these included Lux Video Theatre and Rock, Rock, Rock. He became well-known for his roles in Broadway musicals like West Side Story (1957) and Gypsy (1959). When West Side Story was made into a movie in 1961, David Winters was one of the few actors from the Broadway show to be in the film. That movie was a huge success, winning 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Later, Winters became a famous dance choreographer. He worked on several films with music legends like Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret, starting with Viva Las Vegas (1964). He also choreographed the T.A.M.I. Show (1964) and A Star Is Born (1976). On television, his dance group, the David Winters Dancers, often performed popular dances of the 1960s. He even received an Emmy Award nomination for his choreography on the TV special Movin' with Nancy (1967).

In the 1970s, David Winters started producing and directing TV specials, such as Raquel! (1970). He also directed movies like Alice Cooper: Welcome to My Nightmare (1976) and Thrashin' (1986). From the 1980s to the 1990s, he ran a company called Action International Pictures. Here, he produced, distributed, and sometimes directed action movies. He continued to produce and direct films until he passed away in 2019.

Early Life and Dance Dreams

David Winters was born David Weizer in London, England, on April 5, 1939. His parents were Sadie and Samuel Weizer. His family moved to the United States in 1953, and he became an American citizen in 1956.

From a very young age, David was passionate about dancing. When he was 12, he would shine shoes to earn money for dance classes because he thought his mother wouldn't approve. When she found out, they made a deal: if he had his bar mitzvah, she would let him go to dance classes.

That same year, a talent agent saw David dancing in a restaurant in Manhattan. This led him to start acting and dancing on television. By the time he was 14, he had worked with many famous people like Jackie Gleason and Perry Como. He also performed in radio plays. Over 10 years, he appeared in more than 15 TV shows, including Lux Video Theatre and Mister Peepers.

Broadway Star and Choreographer

In 1954, David Winters acted in the film Roogie's Bump. That same year, he performed in a Broadway show called On Your Toes, which was directed by George Abbott and had dances created by George Balanchine.

In 1957, he played the role of Baby John in the very first Broadway production of West Side Story. This show was created and directed by Jerome Robbins. It was a huge hit and ran for 732 performances. The production was nominated for six Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

David Winters as Baby John (on the far left) in the original production of West Side Story

On May 21, 1959, he starred as Yonkers in another famous Broadway show, Gypsy. This show was also directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins. It received eight Tony Award nominations.

In 1961, David Winters appeared as A-Rab in the movie version of West Side Story. He was one of only a few actors from the original Broadway show to be in the film. The movie was the highest-earning film of that year and won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

From 1961 to 1967, he continued to act regularly on television shows like 77 Sunset Strip and Perry Mason.

Becoming a Dance Creator

In 1964, David Winters choreographed the film Viva Las Vegas, which starred Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret. Ann-Margret, who was one of his dance students, suggested him for the job. That year, he also choreographed Send Me No Flowers and the famous concert film T.A.M.I. Show. He also had a role in the film The New Intern.

Later in 1964, the variety show Shindig! started, and David Winters was its main choreographer. In 1965, he choreographed two more Elvis Presley films: Girl Happy and Tickle Me. He also worked on Ann-Margret's films. That year, he formed his own dance group, the David Winters Dancers, who performed on TV shows like Hullabaloo. He even helped create a popular dance called "the Freddy."

In 1967, David Winters directed two episodes of the TV show The Monkees. He also choreographed Elvis Presley in Easy Come, Easy Go. For his amazing dance work on the Nancy Sinatra TV special Movin' with Nancy, he was nominated for an Emmy Award.

Directing and Producing Films

In 1968, David Winters co-founded a company called Winters/Rosen, which made TV specials. He choreographed and directed The Ann-Margret Show. He also choreographed and performed with his dance group on a TV special hosted by Princess Grace Kelly.

In 1969, Winters directed and choreographed Ann-Margret: From Hollywood with Love, for which he received another Emmy nomination for dance choreography.

Winters directing Raquel!

On April 26, 1970, CBS aired Raquel Welch's first TV special, Raquel!. David Winters produced, directed, and choreographed this show, which was very popular.

In 1971, he produced and directed Once Upon a Wheel, a documentary about auto racing, hosted by actor Paul Newman.

In 1972, he produced, directed, and choreographed The Special London Bridge Special, starring Tom Jones. That year, he also produced Timex All-Star Swing Festival, a live concert featuring jazz legends like Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington. This special won a Peabody Award and a Christopher Award for Winters as its producer.

In 1973, he directed, choreographed, and produced the TV movie Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, starring Kirk Douglas.

In 1975, Winters directed the Alice Cooper concert film Alice Cooper: Welcome to My Nightmare. The following year, he choreographed A Star Is Born, starring Barbra Streisand.

He continued to choreograph for TV shows like Donny & Marie in 1977 and the Star Wars Holiday Special in 1978.

In 1979, Winters directed the sports comedy film Racquet. He also choreographed Roller Boogie.

In 1982, he produced, directed, wrote, and acted in the horror comedy The Last Horror Film. This movie was shown at film festivals and won an award for its cinematography.

In 1986, Winters directed the sports film Thrashin', which starred Josh Brolin. This movie was about teenage competitive skateboarders and had a popular soundtrack.

Later Works and Action Films

In 1987, David Winters started a new company called Action International Pictures (AIP). He worked with director David A. Prior on many films. They released movies like Deadly Prey and Aerobicide that year.

In 1988, he directed the action film Rage to Kill. He also produced many other action films like Dead End City and Night Wars.

In 1989, Winters directed and produced the action film Code Name Vengeance. He continued to produce a large number of action movies throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, including Future Force (1989) and Firehead (1991).

In 1993, AIP changed its name to West Side Studios, aiming to make more mainstream films. Under this new name, he produced movies like Night Trap (1993) and Raw Justice (1994).

In 2002, he produced, directed, and acted in the comedy film Welcome 2 Ibiza, which won an Audience Award at the Bangkok Film Festival.

In 2005, he produced the historical film The King Maker. In 2006, Winters acted in the mini-series Blackbeard.

In 2015, a dance film called Dancin': It's On! premiered, which David Winters directed. He said this project helped him reconnect with his love for dancing. The film featured winners and finalists from popular TV dance shows like So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars.

In 2018, David Winters released his autobiography called Tough Guys Do Dance.

Death

David Winters passed away on April 23, 2019, at the age of 80. He died from congestive heart failure.

Personal Life

David Winters was friends with rock singer Alice Cooper after directing his Welcome to My Nightmare tour in the mid-1970s. He hired ballerina Sheryl Goddard, who later became Alice Cooper's wife.

David Winters was married at least three times. He had a brother, a daughter, two sons, a stepson, and a granddaughter.

Awards and Nominations