Lester Wilson facts for kids

Lester Wilson (born April 13, 1942 – died February 14, 1993) was a talented African-American dancer, choreographer, and actor. He was known for his amazing dance moves and for creating dances for many famous movies and shows. Lester Wilson studied at the Juilliard School, which is a very famous performing arts school.

About Lester Wilson

Lester Wilson started his career working with big names in entertainment. In 1963, he was chosen by Bob Fosse, a famous director, for a show called Pal Joey. He also toured London with the legendary Sammy Davis, Jr. in a show called Golden Boy. In 1969, he helped create the dances for Johnny Hallyday's big show in Paris.

His Amazing Dance Work

Lester Wilson's most famous dance work was for the 1977 movie Saturday Night Fever. He taught John Travolta all the cool dance moves for the film. He also choreographed for many other stars like Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, Billy Crystal, Liza Minnelli, and Ann-Margret. He even created the dances for Ann-Margret's big shows in Las Vegas. Later, he choreographed the popular 1992 movie Sister Act.

In 1991, Lester Wilson was nominated for an Emmy Award. This award was for his choreography in a TV special called American Dance Honors. He also choreographed several shows on Broadway, including Grind which starred Ben Vereen.

His Legacy

Lester Wilson passed away in February 1993 from a heart attack in Los Angeles. He was 50 years old. Before his death, he was a big supporter in the fight against AIDS. He created special dances for organizations like AIDS Project/L.A. to help raise awareness and support.

Lester Wilson also appeared as an actor. He played a grocery store manager in a 1975 episode of the TV show Good Times. The episode was called "Florida's Protest".

Movies and TV Shows

Here are some of the movies and TV shows Lester Wilson worked on:

• Der Kommissar, an episode called In letzter Minute, West Germany (1970) - He was a musical act and actor.
• Funny Lady (1975) - He was an assistant choreographer.
• Saturday Night Fever (1977) - He was the choreographer.
• Beat Street (1984) - He was the choreographer.
• The Last Dragon (1985) - He was a choreographer with Lawrence Leritz.
• Scrooged (1988) - He was the choreographer and an actor.
• Hot Shots! (1991) - He was the choreographer.
• Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993) - He was the choreographer.
• Sister Act (1992) - He was in charge of musical staging.
• Made in America (1993) - He was the choreographer.