Frank Hatchett
Frank Hatchett III | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | December 7, 1935 Danville, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | December 23, 2013 (aged 78) |
| Occupations |
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| Known for | Developing VOP jazz |
Frank Hatchett III (December 7, 1935 – December 23, 2013)[1] was an American jazz dancer and dance teacher known for developing VOP, a commercial jazz style that combined traditional jazz technique with contemporary social dance, hip-hop, modern dance and African dance. He performed in theatre, film, television and nightclubs before establishing dance schools in Springfield, Massachusetts, and Hartford, Connecticut.
Hatchett later became a prominent teacher in New York City, where he co-founded the Hines-Hatchett studio with Maurice Hines and remained associated with the school after it became Broadway Dance Center. He taught into his late seventies and received a Dance Teacher Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.
Early life
[edit]Hatchett was born in Danville, Virginia, on December 7, 1935, and was raised in East Hartford, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts.[2][1] He began dancing as a child at a local Connecticut studio and later trained with Philadelphia dance teacher Eleanor Harris, who helped him secure work in revues in Atlantic City and Las Vegas.[2]
Career
[edit]Performing and teaching
[edit]Hatchett began his professional career as a jazz dancer, working in theatre, film, television, concert productions and nightclubs.[3] His appearances included work alongside entertainers such as Sammy Davis Jr. and Eartha Kitt, and he later appeared on MTV's The Real World and VH1's Driven.[4]
Hatchett opened his first studio, the Hatchett School of Dance, in a converted storefront in Springfield, Massachusetts, where it served neighborhood youth.[2][4] He later opened a second school in Hartford, Connecticut.[4]
After moving to New York City, Hatchett studied Katherine Dunham technique, along with African, East Indian and Caribbean dance forms.[2] He began teaching at Jo Jo's Dance Factory in 1980.[2]
In 1982, he and Maurice Hines established the Hines-Hatchett dance studio in New York City.[5] Richard Ellner assumed ownership of the studio in 1984 and renamed it Broadway Dance Center. Hatchett and Hines remained associated with the new school.[6]
VOP jazz
[edit]Hatchett developed a style of jazz dance known as VOP, combining elements of Katherine Dunham technique with contemporary social dance.[3] Dance Magazine described VOP as blending traditional jazz, hip-hop, modern dance and African dance into a commercial style.[5]
In its obituary, Dance Magazine described Hatchett as a jazz pioneer whose teaching developed during a period of transition in jazz dance, as hip-hop was becoming increasingly influential.[5]
His teaching emphasized both dance technique and performance projection, with students performing combinations for one another at the end of class.[3]
Later teaching career
[edit]Hatchett later taught regularly at Broadway Dance Center in New York City and traveled as a guest teacher.[3] He also taught for organizations including the Jazz Dance World Congress, Dance Masters of America and Dance Educators of America.[5]
Hatchett continued teaching into his late seventies and appeared at the Dance Teacher Summit in 2013.[7]
Broadway Dance Center faculty member Sheila Barker was one of Hatchett's former students and later became his teaching assistant. In a 2023 profile, Barker described his influence on her approach to teaching jazz dance.[7][8]
Publications
[edit]Hatchett's book, Frank Hatchett's Jazz Dance, co-written with Nancy Myers Gitlin, was published in 2000.[3]
An instructional video featuring Hatchett was released in 2003 as part of the Live at Broadway Dance Center series.[3]
Recognition and later life
[edit]ABC's Good Morning America referred to Hatchett as the "Doctor of Jazz".[4]
In 2002, Hatchett was one of four dance teachers honored at the TDF/Astaire Awards.[9]
In 2013, Dance Teacher presented Hatchett with its Lifetime Achievement Award.[7] Hatchett died on December 23, 2013, at age 78.[5][1]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Frank Hatchett III". New England Funeral & Cremation Center. December 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Boross, Bob (2014). "Frank Hatchett's Jazz Dance". In Guarino, Lindsay; Oliver, Wendy (eds.). Jazz Dance: A History of the Roots and Branches. University Press of Florida. pp. 109–112. ISBN 978-0-8130-4929-8.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Maxwell, Kristen (July 24, 2007). "Teacher's Wisdom: Frank Hatchett". Dance Magazine. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Warren, Charmaine Patricia (January 9, 2014). "Three dance greats pass on". New York Amsterdam News. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Schwab, Kristin (January 1, 2014). "Frank Hatchett (1935–2013)". Dance Magazine. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
- ↑ Fuhrer, Margaret (April 27, 2009). "Across the Floor". Dance Magazine. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Schwab, Kristin (July 1, 2013). "2013 Lifetime Achievement Award: Frank Hatchett". Dance Teacher. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
- ↑ "2023 Dance Teacher Award Honoree Sheila Barker Continues the Legacy of Her Mentors Through Jazz". Dance Teacher. July 7, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2026.
- ↑ Simonson, Robert; Gans, Andrew (May 17, 2002). "Stro, Foster and Bohon Win TDF/Astaire Awards". Playbill. Retrieved July 20, 2026.