Dancer, choreographer, teacher, writer, director, actor, and puppeteer Gus Solomons, Jr. (born Gustave Martinez Solomons Jr. on Aug. 27, 1938, in Cambridge, Massachusetts) died Friday, Aug. 11 at 84.
Gia Kourlas in the New York Times writes: “His death, at Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital, was confirmed by Robert Gerber, Mr. Solomons’s friend and health proxy, who said the cause was sudden heart failure after several months of declining health.” The dance world has lost a legend.
A student of architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the ‘50s, he also studied dance at the Boston Conservatory of Music, and dance drew him in. He soon moved to New York to study dance at the Martha Graham School, joining experimentalists in the avant-garde scene. He performed with Donald McKayle and Pearl Lang, then in 1965, Merce Cunningham asked him to join his company. He founded his own company, The Solomons/Company/Dance, in 1972, and in 1996, he founded PARADIGM with Carmen de Lavallade and Dudley Williams. Solomons was a consummate teacher and served on various panels as a choreographic mentor to many young dance artists. There have been many tributes in honor of Solomons’ passing. Dancer and choreographer Kyle Abraham wrote the following in a post:
“I first saw Gus Solomons Jr. when I was auditioning for undergraduate programs in ‘96. I’d just cut my chin-length hair in an effort to have an easier time getting into a good dance program or appear more ‘professional.’ Gus stood in the front of the room, leading the audition with a salt-and-pepper version of the haircut you see in this photograph. Seeing him in that moment brought the biggest smile to my face. It made me realize I could in fact be ME…and still have a career in dance. Throughout my college years, I had several piercings and tattoos…and a clearer understanding of the spaces I was interested in occupying in this world. Ironically, by the time I worked with Gus in grad school in 2004, he was puzzled by the septum ring and head tattoo I adorned. I told him how seeing him in the 90s inspired me, and we laughed about our various looks and styles, etc. Over the years, we stayed in touch and checked in on one another. And years later, we had an opportunity to perform together at both Harlem Stage as part of their Legends and Legacy program, and at Danspace Project, where Gus invited me to be a guest on his company Paradigm’s 15th Anniversary presentation. I’m grateful that we got to connect on the phone during the height of the pandemic. And I’m grateful to have known you and call you a friend and mentor. So much more to say and share. But in this moment, I’ll just say, “Thank you, Gus.”
There was no information about arrangements at press time.
Rest in power, dear Gus!