Joan Bayley: The most important name in musical theater/dance history you don’t know
Joan Bayley rehearsing with Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby for “White Christmas”
Joan Bayley, classical dancer, and principle choreographer/choreographic assistant during MGM’s Golden Era passed away on January 5th 2022, just shy of her 102nd birthday. Don’t know who she is? Neither do a lot of people. And that needs to change.
Often called “The Greatest Dance Teacher There Ever Was,” the musical theater and dance world was forever changed for the better because of Joan.
Joan was born on May 23rd, 1920. A classical ballet dancer trained by Muriel Stewart (one of her “child protegés”) and Carmelita Maracchi, she went on to dance for Balanchine (both in the film of “On Your Toes” and at NYCB at the very beginnings of the company, including performing in the first professional production of “Serenade.”) She found her niche at MGM, where she soon became a choreographer and choreographer's assistant (principally for Bob Alton) for basically every great Golden Age MGM musical. Her credits include everything from “American in Paris” and "White Christmas," to "Gentleman Prefer Blondes" and "South Pacific" (for which she singlehandedly recreated the Broadway choreography on the film cast.) Joan received praise and gratitude from everyone from Judy Garland and Marilyn Monroe for helping get them dance-ready, to established dance stars like Gene Kelly, Danny Kaye, Donald O'Connor, and her especial friend George Chakiris (who she discovered.) She also worked with Vera Ellen, Shirley Jones, Agnes DeMille, Lestor Horton, and many others. Eventually Joan started teaching at major dance studios in Los Angeles - the last to pass on Carmelita's technique and training style.
She taught at the Westside Academy of Dance until she was 99 years old, and even after she occasionally taught on Zoom. Joan was unique, one of a kind. Many well-known teachers could instantly recognize one of Joan's students in their class. There's no one else in the United States who teaches like she did - emphasizing artistry, strength, and even steps that have begun to be omitted from most classes. And she is probably the only person who could do 64 entrechat sixes without breaking a sweat. She was known for her long lines, beats and feet so strong and high arched, her pointe shoes had to be reinforced with a steel shank. She was married to the love of her life Ray Weamer for 60 years (he passed away in 2004.) Ray was an original Balanchine dancer who moved into dancing and coaching for Hollywood musicals and danced into his 50’s.
Joan had a tremendous impact on me. I knew her since before I was born - my mom was a ballet dancer, and Joan was her teacher from an early age. I was finally allowed to take classes from her when I turned 17 (she let me in a year early.) Joan changed my life personally and professionally - helping me become the artist I am today and becoming a second grandmother to me. I know how big of a role she played in my accomplishing my dreams of performing and creating on Broadway and how I always knew she was in my corner, cheering me on (as she was for all her students.)
The main reason Joan isn't more widely known is because of how humble she was. No matter how hard you begged her she would never tell you which films she'd worked on, or which stars she'd coached. She was known for her kindness, her work ethic, and the reverence and joy she created just by entering a room – not for being a celebrity (though she certainly deserved to be.) She is the historical link between the Ballet Russes era and the modern era – spanning every style, genre and generation in between. She is beloved by her students who remained loyal to her for decades – her classes somehow sat in the midst of a remarkable duality – one where beginners felt welcome and stayed for years, and the most advanced professionals sometimes couldn’t make it through, and had to leave before the end, utterly exhausted, but proclaiming how much better they were for the experience.
Here are some of my favorite stories about Joan:
- In the famous finale number of “No Business Like Show Business,” Joan is hiding behind the staircase shouting “Left! Right! Left! Right!” to keep Marilyn Monroe walking on time and in unison with the rest of the cast.
- Joan sitting for hours in a projection booth meticulously transcribing the Broadway “South Pacific” choreography to then go and teach it to the film cast.
- Joan always talked to everyone who came to her class, personally. She actively gave corrections, always in a positive way, and would enthusiastically point out when you were doing something well or had improved in a particular area.
- Joan’s classes were unparalleled! She always started with a plié combination that included four grande pliés in each position (four in first, four in second, four in fourth, four in fifth.) Then you would reverse it. Then, sometimes, because she knew you could do it better, you’d do the whole thing again on both sides! Her developé combinations at the bar were of the slow, Russian variety, and we used to joke that they were the equivalent of: “Slooowly developé en avant…then I’m going to mosey across the street and get a cup of coffee, sloooowly walk back and finish it, come back into class, sit down, and then you can sloooowly lower the leg…” She would always do beats at the bar and extended beat combinations in the center…and her adagio combinations were always connected to acting and style…you were always telling a story. And you might repeat the combination four times (each group) before moving on – which was actually fun! It really gave you the chance to get strong, not worry about the combination and just act! She would also try to do any especial favorite steps of the students who were in class. And her combinations always had little tricks that made you really have to think!
- When I first moved to NYC she gifted me with her personal tickets to the invited dress of ABT’s “Sleeping Beauty.” I remember getting all dressed up and going to Lincoln Center and getting to peek behind the curtain of this wonderful ballet company.
- Joan loved musical theater and would always incorporate stylistic elements into her choreography. She was so supportive of my musical theater career and valued it just as much as a ballet career (unlike other teachers I’ve encountered over the years.)
- Joan loved long-stemmed English roses and had the most wonderful garden outside her house.
- Joan loved dance and musical theater history. I remember her eyes widening with excitement when I was a teenager and I told her how much I loved Gwen Verdon and Bambi Lynn. She was so happy that the upcoming generation knew and valued these special performers.
- Joan notoriously (and counter to 99% of teachers) started her class with RIGHT hand on the barre – to better work and strengthen (most people’s) non-dominant side. My mom’s favorite dancer was always Gelsey Kirkland. Once when she came to visit me in NYC I found out Gelsey was teaching at Steps on Broadway. We both went and took Gelsey’s class. My mom was standing on the end of the barre, and, out of habit, started with her right hand on the barre (everyone else in class had their left hand on the barre.) My mom was oblivious until Gelsey very kindly walked over and pointed it out. She then smiled, looked my mom dead in the eye and said: “Joan Bayley, right?”
- She encouraged anyone who had interest in pursuing choreography and when she was putting together a dance performance evening would often let those students choreograph and/or perform their own work. She was one of the few shepherds of female choreographers (especially classically) in the 20th century.
- Joan got together with her students outside of class – made them feel valued and loved, and offered wonderful encouragement and advice.
- When Joan taught at Dance Center West, on the weekends she would bring her grandsons who would wait in the lobby until class was over. To this day my mom remembers them swinging their legs, sitting on benches that were too tall for them. Afterward Joan would take them out for spaghetti.
- Joan always said that whenever she and Ray were in between jobs – that’s when they would go celebrate and have fun! They would take that time to go see shows, go out to dinner…I remember, right after I had (at that time) the biggest success of my career, I suddenly found myself without a gig…and no day job. I was panicked. Joan’s example gave me permission to not just sit at home and worry, refusing to spend a single penny lest I never earn another (LOL.) That led to an extremely memorable night at the theater and a bit of stress lifted off my shoulders.
- Joan often conducted dance auditions for MGM films. Her husband Ray used to sneak out and teach the dancers who were waiting in the lobby the audition ahead of time because he wanted them to succeed. After he’d retired, Ray would come to class with Joan and walk around, offering kind encouragement and corrections to all the students. Joan and Ray taught one of the only pas de deux classes in L.A. for years and were the very best. In that class they often taught old MGM musical dance tricks (including specialties of Donald O’Connor.) It was probably the only place you could learn some of those things, and now, if they are even remembered, you basically have to figure it out yourself on the job trying to recreate an old recording.
- Joan’s students would throw her a birthday party every year – the L.A. Times even covered her 100th birthday (a drive by celebration in the midst of Covid.)
- She always let us know that hard work and kindness were the most important qualities of an artist. She had no patience for any egos that walked into class or her rehearsal room (she notoriously didn’t like Ginger Rogers apparently for this very reason,) and didn’t “flatter” those who just walked in with good technique. Your character was the most important thing to her. It was safe to “fail” or “mess up” in her class – usually, it just resulted in joyful peals of laughter from everyone. We were all working towards the same goal and we were going to have fun along the way. There was no need to be a prima donna.
- This year I received a Christmas card from Joan that arrived a few days after she’d passed away. Joan always had a kind of magic to her, and it was as if she’d somehow planned it. Reading her words after the devastating news of her passing was like one more incredible gift she’d managed to give me – taking care of us even from beyond the grave.
Joan is survived by her daughter Deborah Galambos, her grandsons Guy Galambos, Andrew Galambos, and their wives Shoshannah and Holly (respectively) as well as her great-grandchildren Noah Galambos, Emma Galambos, Ezra Galambos, Zane Galambos, and several first cousins in the U.S. and Canada. Joan was especially proud that Ezra is following in her footsteps as a dancer and has inherited her Great Grandmother’s graceful head, neck and arms.
For more information on Joan please visit: http://www.joanbayley.com
And here's a tribute video/mini biography that was made about her: https://vimeo.com/292390695/3905fff18c?fbclid=IwAR1LjpKIXFkhgoC0hoFSICDvM-ELUWy8efKNjVvzSrIg2k0bFT7ZTbE6UbM