Ilona Murai Kerman

Ilona Murai Kerman (1923 or 1924 – April 8, 2020), born Ellen Josephine Muray, was an American dancer.

Ilona Murai Kerman
Born
Ellen Josephine Muray

July 19 1924
Passaic, New Jersey
DiedApril 8, 2020
New Hyde Park, New York
OccupationDancer
Years active1940s-1970s
RelativesNickolas Muray (uncle)

Early life

Ellen Josephine Muray was born in Passaic, New Jersey,[1] the daughter of Stephen Muray and Ethel Muray. Her parents were born in Hungary. Photographer Nickolas Muray was her uncle.[2] She attended Public School 89 in Queens, and began as a dancer with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet in 1940, at age 15,[3] and described as "the youngest dancer ever taken into its ranks" at the time.[4]

Career

Murai danced with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet from 1940 to 1948, in productions of Samson et Dalila (1940), Tannhäuser (1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948), Aida (1945, 1946, 1947, 1948), Mignon (1945), Le Coq d'Or (1945), La Gioconda (1945, 1946, 1947, 1948), Manon (1947, 1948), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1947), and La Traviata (1947, 1948).[5] She danced at Jacob's Pillow in Winesburg, Ohio (1958),[6][7] and in several Herbert Ross works, including the world premiere of Caprichos (1950) with the American Ballet Theatre.[8]

She made her Broadway debut in 1949, and appeared as a dancer in several shows until 1963, including Touch and Go (1949–1950), Bless You All (1950–1951), Paint Your Wagon (1951–1952),[9] John Murray Anderson's Almanac (1953–1954), By the Beautiful Sea (1954),[10] Shangri-La (1956), Goldilocks (1958–1959),[11] and The Girl Who Came to Supper (1963–1964).[12] She danced in the European company of Oklahoma!, and on several early television programs.[13] She was active as a choreographer and taught dance on Long Island after 1970.[3]

Personal life

Ilona Murai married playwright and actor Sheppard Kerman (1928–1991) in 1957, in San Francisco; they had a daughter, Christina.[12] She experienced dementia before she died in 2020, from coronavirus, aged 96 years, at a care home in New Hyde Park.[13] Her name was included on the front page of The New York Times on May 24, 2020, under the headline "U. S. Deaths Near 100,000, An Incalculable Loss".[14] She was included in the roster of deaths at the Episcopal Actors' Guild annual memorial service in November 2020.[15]

References
  1. "Former Passaic Ballerina to Star with Liberace". The Herald-News. 1956-07-03. p. 5. Retrieved 2020-12-16 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. Grimberg, Salomon; Muray, Nickolas (2006-10-26). I Will Never Forget You: Frida Kahlo and Nickolas Muray. Chronicle Books. pp. 7, 41, note 4. ISBN 978-0-8118-5692-8.
  3. Kernan, Christina (2020-04-21). "Ballet, Broadway and TV Dancer Ilona Murai Dies, 96". Dance Magazine. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  4. "Queens Girl, Only 15, Enters Opera Ballet". Daily News. 1939-11-19. p. 137. Retrieved 2020-12-16 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Murai, Ilona [Dancer]". Met Opera Family Archives. Archived from the original on 2022-07-08. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  6. "Person: Ilona Murai". Jacobs Pillow Archive. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  7. "'Winesburg, Ohio' Leads Jacob's Pillow Program". The Berkshire Eagle. 1958-07-05. p. 30. Retrieved 2020-12-16 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Caprichos". American Ballet Theatre. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  9. CMJ (1953-01-20). "Stirring Musical Wins Applause". The Morning News. p. 14. Retrieved 2020-12-16 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Ilona Murai Joins 'By the Beautiful Sea'". Women's Wear Daily. September 29, 1954. p. 41 – via ProQuest.
  11. "Amusements: Leading Dancers Named Fok "Goldilocks"". Women's Wear Daily. August 1, 1958. p. 24 – via ProQuest.
  12. "Ilona Murai in Broadway Musical". The Herald-News. 1964-02-27. p. 14. Retrieved 2020-12-16 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. Rieber, Anthony (April 28, 2020). "Ilona Murai Kerman: Dancer enjoyed successful career in show business". Newsday. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  14. Barry, Dan; Buchanan, Larry; Cargill, Clinton; Daniel, Annie; Delaquérière, Alain; Gamio, Lazaro; Gianordoli, Gabriel; Harris, Richard; Harvey, Barbara (2020-05-24). "Remembering the 100,000 Lives Lost to Coronavirus in America". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  15. "The 2020 Annual Memorial List" The Eaglet 32(November 2020): 3.
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