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Stage Name |
Birth Name |
| Blair and Dean |
Fred Difederico |
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Dorothy Dean |
Ballroom and Musical Comedy dancers
who performed from 1937 to 1963 were very similar to the Champions,
DeMarcos
and Veloz
and Yolanda in their routines. Blair (24) and a young Dorothy
Dean (14) met each other at the Ernest
Belcher Dance Studio in Los Angeles, California while taking
ballet lessons at the studio. Mr. Belcher approached Blair and
Dean about doing a ballet routine for the Redlands Bowl outdoors
concert in Redlands, California he was hired to supply dancers
for. The show was a huge success for this new partnership and
after the show Blair approached Dorothy about becoming as what
was called then a 'ballroom dance team' as the Belcher Studios
offered ballroom lessons with Bill Moffett, she said 'yes'. They
studied for two years with Mr. Moffett both together in ballroom
as well as furthering their ballet background in dance with Mr.
Belcher.
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| Their first
performance in Ballroom was a little nightclub in North Hollywood,
California. Dorothy recalled "that the first night was very
shaky and nerve racking and was not their best but was acceptable."
The nightclub liked them anyway and hired them for two more weeks
of performances. Needless to say they were much better the second
night. From there, Blair would track down any and all offers to
perform at Clubs, Ballrooms, Theatres, Festivals and Concerts
in So. California. This led to many performances as well as strengthening
their personal relationship which eventually became romantic and
hearing wedding bells in the near future. They would be married
on October, 9th, 1939, remaining devoted to each other untill
Blair's death in 1993.
Marge
Champion helped with some of their early choreography and
for the next three years this team would gain valuable experience
performing their routines at shows and nightclubs which allowed
them to perfect their routines. While at the Coconut Grove in
Los Angeles in 1941 doing a performance, comedians Laurel and
Hardy were in the audience and liked what they saw. The next day
Laurel and Hardy's agent was sent to recruit them for the 'Laurel
and hardy Vaudeville Tour'.
The two would accept the offer and went
on the road together for the first, but not last time. For the
next six weeks they would perform weekly in may theatres across
the country, ending up in Chicago, IL. in freezing weather, cold
winds and a snow storm. Laurel and Hardy had had enough of Vaudeville
and touring and ended the tour. After the tour ended and now being
stranded in Chicago, the two looked for work. Blair went to a
booking agent and the two were on their way, working many nightclubs
in the Midwest.
Arriving in New York City in 1943 and
getting a little apartment, they continued to practice their routines
while unsuccessfully trying to locate work, finally, at last the
two were approached by a booking agent asking them to perform
their dance routines at a private club called the 'Fox and Hound'
in Boston, MA. which proved to be their springboard to fame. From
there they would be signed by the MCA corporation and worked many
Nightclubs, Theatres and Hotels around the country.
Returning to California in 1963 taking
long a needed rest, they would hang up their dance shoes and retire
from the dance circuit. The change was a little rough at first
but they eventually purchased a Ranch in Norco, California with
Blair becoming a real estate broker and Dorothy settling into
a loving house wife and full time mother to her two small children.
Dorothy Dean now resides in Hemet, (Riverside) California
happily with her current husband Frank Wick whom she met... where
else than, at a dance in 1997. |
Birth Place |
Birth Date |
Spouse |
Offspring |
| (Blair) - Steudenville, Ohio |
Oct 9, 1914 - Aug 13, 1993 |
Dorothy Dean |
Chris DiFederico (b. 1952) |
| --------------------------- |
Dominique Difederico (b. 1957) |
| (Dean) - Huntington Park, Ca. |
b. March, 19, 1923 |
Fred Difederico |
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Frank Wick |
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Dance Types |
Dance Partners |
Routine Music Titles |
| Adagio |
Only Each Other |
Claire Delune |
| Ballet |
Royal Hawaiian dancers at Royal Hawaiin Hotel |
Dancing in the Dark |
| Ballroom |
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Tea For Two |
| Bolero |
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| Tango |
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| Waltz
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Night Clubs |
Theaters |
Stage |
| Chez Paree - (Chicago) |
Catskills, the |
Laurel and Hardy Vaudeville Tour
(c.1940s) |
| Coconut
Grove (LA) |
Grand Theatre (NYC) |
Les Brown Tour and others (c. 1952) |
| Copacabana
- (NYC) |
Lowes State (NYC) |
Redlands Bowl Concert (c.1930s) |
| Fox and Hound |
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Wayne King Concert Tour (c. 1951) |
| Henry Grady Hotel - (Atlanta) |
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| Lido
- (Florida) |
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| Riviera - (NYC) |
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| Royal Hawaiian Hotel "Pink
Palace" (Oahu) link |
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| Statler Hotels Chain |
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Films |
Television |
Links |
| Lawrence Welk - Kinescope Film |
1948 - Morry Amsterdam Show (c.
1950) [Dupont] |
n/a |
| New Orleans Melodies (Soundie) |
1954 - Tonight! (Orginal Late Night
Show)
hosted by Steve Allen |
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| NOTE: Dorothy can be reached by phone at 1-909-929-1918
/Or at SRFMCOWBOY@aol.com |
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Ballrooms
