Was Leon Danielian or Arlene Francis one of the first American male dancers to achieve international recognition?
Leon Danielian Leon Danielian (31 October 1920 – 8 March 1997) was an American ballet dancer, teacher, choreographer, and educator. As guest artist with ballet companies around the world, he became one of the first American male dancers to achieve international recognition.
Darlene Gillespie Gillespie was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. At age ten, she started singing lessons with Glen Raikes, and even took dance lessons with Burch Mann, founder of the American Folk Ballet Company. She auditioned for "The Mickey Mouse Club" in March 1955, was hired, and appeared on the program for all three seasons of its original run. She was the leading female singer and starred in the serial "Corky and White Shadow" during the first season. In the third season, she appeared in the serial "The New Adventures of Spin and Marty" with Tim Considine and David Stollery.