Dancer and Choreographer, today is known as the "Father of Theatrical Jazz Dance" by giving it a syncopated, cool sense of power and gravity. Cole attended the Columbia University in New York, but after seeing a great performance by the Denishawn dance company soon left school to seek a dance career. Eventually landing in Hollywood and choreographed many Musical Films he would start evolving jazz dance in his musicals to new heights with his unique style of dance, he was not afraid to incorporate sensual movement, bumps and grinds etc. into his choreography plus his use of emphasized isolations, angled foot placements, quick directional changes, and long knee slides.

    Worked with such stars as Gwen Verdon (assistant Choreographer to Cole,) Marilyn Monroe, Gower and Marge Champion, Rita Hayworth, Tommy Tune, Rod Alexander, Ann Miller and Lauren Bacall and many, many others.

    Jack Cole began as a modern dancer with Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn and later Charles Weidman and Doris Humphrey. Cole had a back ground in East Indian dancing and styled much of his work after another dancer named Bhaskar. He was also an avid devotee of American Vernacular dances such as the Charleston and the American Lindy hop. Many dance Choreographers watched, studied and or copied Cole. He was an absolute inspiration to Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse, Gwen Verdon and many other well known dancers today.

"What Is Jazz" ...with Cole and Chita Rivera

Jack Cole Documentary Trailer