Multi-talented entertainer Ann Reinking passes away at 71. Breaking into Broadway at just 19, Reinking charted a legacy that upcoming dancers study today. Actor, dancer and choreographer Ann Reinking was also a protégé of trailblazing choreographer and dancer Bob Fosse.
Reinking is best known for her legendary performances in classic Broadway musicals like “Chicago,” “Cabaret” and “Pippin,” as well as appearing in Fosse’s “Dancin’.” Reinking’s first movie break happened in 1978 when she made her film debut in “Movie Movie.” In 1979 Reinking starred in Bob Fosse’s “All That Jazz,” skyrocketing her career and cementing her as one of the most notable dancers of the generation.
Over the course of her career Reinking has received multiple award nominations, including an Academy Award nomination for “All That Jazz” and a Tony Award nomination for best actress for her role as Joan of Arc in “Goodtime Charley.” Reinking’s effortless dance performance in Bob Fosse’s 1977 production of “Chicago” magnified the brilliancy of Fosse’s historic choreographic style. Reinking then revamped “Chicago” in the 1990s, earning her a Tony Award for best choreographer in 1996 for the revival of “Chicago.”
Her last Broadway production was “Fosse,” a musical centered around the legendary choreography Bob Fosse created. Reinking co-directed, co-created and co-choreographed the play, performing for the last time on Broadway in 2001 as a member of the “Fosse” ensemble cast.
In addition to being a film and Broadway star, Reinking also was a documentarian.
According to the Washington Post, Reinking “was a national spokeswoman for the Marfan Foundation, which seeks to raise awareness of Marfan syndrome, a connective tissue disorder that affects skeletal development. (Her son has the condition.) She also produced two documentaries about Marfan syndrome and other medical challenges.”
Although Ann Reinking is gone she will always maintain a happy space in all of our memories.
“The world and our family have lost a vibrant, amazing talent and beautiful soul. Ann was the heart of our family and the life of the party,” her family said in a statement on Monday. “She was visiting our brother in Washington state when she went to sleep and never woke up. We will miss her more than we can say. Heaven has the best choreographer available now. I’m sure they are dancing up a storm up there! Annie, we will love and miss you always!!!”