Archie Savage (April 19, 1914 — February 14, 2003) was an American dancer, choreographer, and film and theatre actor.[1][2][3] He was a pioneer of the African-American modern dance. For several years he was a partner of Katherine Dunham in her dance company.[3] He was among the teachers of Dunham Technique at her school.[4]

Archie Savage, by Carl van Vechten

Savage became interested in dancing while he was a student in public schools in New York.[5]

Savage was one of the earliest black men to portray an astronaut in film.[citation needed] Another one, in the same year of 1960, was Julius Ongewe in the East German/Polish film The Silent Star (known in the US as First Spaceship on Venus).[3][better source needed]

The Archie Savage Dancers appear in the movie, “The Glenn Miller Story” and are acknowledged in the film's credits. In one scene, they appear on a screen in a recording studio as the band is recording the song “Tuxedo Junction,” to which they are performing.

Filmography

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References

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  1. ^ Archie Savage at streetswing.com
  2. ^ ARCHIE SAVAGE(1914–2003). American actor, dancer, and choreographer, in: Gary Westfahl's Biographical Encyclopedia of Science Fiction Film
  3. ^ a b c "Who Was the First Black Man in Space - In the Movies That Is?", by Sergio Mims, April 20, 2017 (retrieved April 12, 2020)
  4. ^ a b Katherine Dunham Timeline at Library of Congress
  5. ^ Smallwood, Bill (May 13, 1943). "Welles Had Hand In Career of Archie Savage". The California Eagle. California, Los Angeles. p. 6 B. Retrieved September 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
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