{"id":706,"date":"2007-07-16T10:00:16","date_gmt":"2007-07-16T09:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lasalsavive.org\/portale\/?p=706"},"modified":"2026-10-06T09:38:59","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T08:38:59","slug":"16-luglio-2007-lutto-muore-la-ballerina-millie-donay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lasalsavive.org\/portale\/2007\/07\/16\/16-luglio-2007-lutto-muore-la-ballerina-millie-donay\/","title":{"rendered":"16 Luglio 2007: lutto, muore la ballerina Millie Donay"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Il mondo si addolora per la perdita di una delle pioniere della danza latino-americana, <strong>Millie Donay<\/strong> (Carmela Dante DeFrancesco), che \u00e8 deceduta per un tumore al colon, luned\u00ec 16 luglio 2007, nel New Jersey.<br \/>Millie conobbe <strong>Cuban Pete<\/strong> al <strong>Palladium Ballroom<\/strong> verso il 1950 e ci fu un&#8217;immediata chimica, al punto che lei gli chiese subito di ballare. Inizialmente fenomenale ballerina di Lindy Hop, lui le parl\u00f2 del mambo e della clave, ai quali lei aggiunse i movimenti &#8220;jazzy&#8221; del Lindy ed il resto \u00e8 storia latina del ballo.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-3875\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"406\" height=\"490\" src=\"http:\/\/www.lasalsavive.org\/portale\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/pete_millie.jpg\" alt=\"Cuban Pete mostra una foto insieme a Millie Donay\" class=\"wp-image-3875\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lasalsavive.org\/portale\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/pete_millie.jpg 406w, https:\/\/www.lasalsavive.org\/portale\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/pete_millie-248x300.jpg 248w, https:\/\/www.lasalsavive.org\/portale\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/pete_millie-400x482.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 406px) 100vw, 406px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>Cuban Pete<\/strong> mostra una foto insieme a <strong>Millie Donay<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ballando ai suoni ardenti di tutte le principali band latine, Cuban Pete e Millie elettrizzarono il mondo con i loro personali e innovativi movimenti ritmici, spettacoli originali, riuscendo a catapultare il Mambo verso il successo internazionale. Ogni mercoled\u00ec notte, tantissime persone affollavano il Palladium Ballroom fra la cinquantaquattresima e Broadway, per guardare il loro Mambo scintillante, il doble Mambo, la Rumba e la sexy Guajira, ballata su &#8220;Love for sale&#8221;. Millie \u00e8 famosa per la sua creazione di giri del corpo, in particolare dove finiva il giro mostrando il fondoschiena al pubblico.<br \/>\nNessuno dopo di lei \u00e8 stato in grado di perfezionare quel particolare movimento che faceva impazzire il pubblico!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"SpiritMovesMambo.m4v\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1xDWNTe8gYw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Questo duo dinamico ha segnato il ballo latino! Si sono esibiti al <strong>Carnegie Hall<\/strong>, all&#8217;<strong>Apollo Theater<\/strong>, al <strong>Waldorf Astoria<\/strong>, al <strong>Copacabana<\/strong>, all&#8217;<strong>Astor Hotel<\/strong>, al <strong>Latin Quarter<\/strong> di Boston con <strong>Xavier Cugat<\/strong> e al <strong>Madison Square Garden<\/strong> per il presidente israeliano <strong>Ben Gurion<\/strong>. Sono comparsi nella pellicola, <strong>&#8220;Mambo Madness&#8221;<\/strong>, sono apparsi su LIFE magazine e nelle trasmissioni: <strong>Nat King Cole Telethon<\/strong>, <strong>Art Raymond Poncho Show<\/strong>, <strong>Jose Curbelo Show<\/strong>, e hanno fatto una tourne\u00e8 per <strong>l&#8217;Arthur Murray Dance Studios<\/strong> insegnando il loro stile latino.<br \/>Hanno ballato in nightclubs da costa a costa ed in Canada, riscuotendo un successo stellare.<br \/>Hanno ballato nel <strong>Catskill Mountains<\/strong>, presso tutti i principali hotel e mostre, ed ogni gioved\u00ec notte al <strong>Cory&#8217;s<\/strong>, ricevendo applausi e standing ovations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Cuban Pete<\/strong> e <strong>Millie<\/strong> si sono separati nel 1956, mantenendo un&#8217;amicizia duratura. Hanno avuto una figlia, Denise, che ha preso il nome dalla loro comune amica, l&#8217;attrice <strong>Denise Darcel<\/strong>.   Dopo una breve carriera da solista, durante la quale ha ballato per <strong>Perez Prado<\/strong> a Las Vegas, dal 1957 al 1960, ha fatto coppia con <strong>Marilyn Winters<\/strong>, creando il primo ed unico duo femminile di   ballo latino nello stile &#8220;side-by-side&#8221; (una sorta di Mambo Legends al femminile).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Millie ritorn\u00f2 a ballare solo dopo aver incontrato e sposato Michael Dante DeFrancesco dal quale ebbe tre figli. Nel 1992 lei apparve e fece la coreografia insieme a <strong>Cuban Pete<\/strong> nel film <strong>&#8220;Mambo Kings&#8221;<\/strong>, e fece un evento speciale al Nevele hotel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Successivamente partecip\u00f2 anche a programmi, documentari ed eventi latini nel Nord Est degli Stati Uniti.<br \/>La sua memoria continua con sua figlia <strong>Denise Gerard<\/strong>, e con i figli Joseph, Michael e Anthony DeFrancesco, e con i parenti Tammy e Kelly, Gina Gerard, Jordan, Nicole, Carmelina DeFrancesco, Michael e Raymond DeFrancesco.<br \/>I funerali si sono tenuti sabato 21 luglio 2007.<br \/>Prossimamente ci sar\u00e0 un memoriale in suo onore nella citt\u00e0 di New York.<br \/>Millie Donay non \u00e8 stata solo la pi\u00f9 influente ballerina di Mambo New Yorkese ma \u00e8 stata una vera \u00e8 propria antesignana delle odierne ballerine di salsa.<br \/>Che riposi in pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span><i class=\"fas fa-arrow-right\"><\/i><\/span>English <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MILLIE DONAY<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">(Carmela Dante DeFrancesco)<br \/>\nFebruary 23, 1934 \u2013 July 16, 2007<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The world mourns the loss of one of America\u2019s pioneer female Latin dance legends, Millie Donay (Carmela Dante DeFrancesco), who succumbed to colon cancer Monday, July 16, 2007, in New Jersey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Millie met Cuban Pete at the Palladium Ballroom around 1950, and there was instant chemistry, so much so that she asked him to dance. Initially a phenomenal Lindy Hopper, he taught her the Mambo and the clave, to which she added jazzy Lindy moves, and the rest is Latin dance history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dancing to the fiery sounds of all the major Latin bands, Cuban Pete and Millie electrified the world with their daring, innovative rhythmic moves and custom, original routines, catapulting the Mambo to an international craze. Every Wednesday night, hordes of people flocked to the Palladium Ballroom on 54th and Broadway, to watch their scintillating Mambo, double Mambo, Rumba, and the sexy, steamy Guajira, danced to Love for Sale. Millie is most famous for her creation of body rolls, especially one where she turned her back to the audience as she tapped her derriere. No one has since been able to perfect that particular move\u2026it brought the house down! This dynamic duo put Latin dance on the map!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They performed at Carnegie Hall, The Apollo Theater, Waldorf Astoria, Copacabana, Astor Hotel, the Latin Quarter in Boston with Xavier Cugat, and Madison Square Garden for Israeli President Ben Gurion. They appeared in the film, \u201cMambo Madness,\u201d were featured in LIFE magazine, appeared on the Nat King Cole Telethon, Art Raymond Poncho Show, the Jose Curbelo Show, and toured for Arthur Murray Dance Studios training their Latin department. They danced in nightclubs from coast-to-coast, and in Canada, achieving international stardom. They danced in the Catskill Mountains, at all of the major hotels, in jamborees and exhibitions, and every Thursday night at Cory\u2019s, receiving thunderous applause and standing ovations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cuban Pete and Millie parted ways in 1956, but remained friends through the years. They have one daughter, Denise, named after their good friend, actress Denise Darcel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After a short solo career, during which time she fronted Perez Prado in Las Vegas. From 1957\u20131960, she paired with Marilyn Winters, creating the first and only two-woman, side-by-side Latin dance team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Millie returned to dancing solo before meeting and marrying Michael Dante DeFrancesco, with whom she had three sons. In 1992, she appeared and co-choreographed with Cuban Pete in the film, \u201cMambo Kings,\u201d and a special event at the Nevele Hotel. She participated in Latin dance panels, quorums, television documentaries, and hosted Latin dance events in the Northeast region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She is survived by her daughter, Denise Gerard, sons Joseph, Michael, and Anthony DeFrancesco, daughters-in-law Tammy and Kelly, granddaughters Gina Gerard, Jordan, Nicole and Carmelina DeFrancesco, and grandsons Michael and Raymond DeFrancesco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A private service will be held Saturday, July 21, 2007. There will be a Memorial held in her honor in New York City in the near future, details to follow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Il mondo si addolora per la perdita di una delle pioniere della danza latino-americana, Millie&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3875,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,427],"tags":[438,436,437,435],"class_list":["post-706","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-biografie","category-news","tag-arthur-murray-dance-studios","tag-cuban-pete","tag-jose-curbelo-show","tag-millie-donay"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lasalsavive.org\/portale\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/706","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lasalsavive.org\/portale\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lasalsavive.org\/portale\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lasalsavive.org\/portale\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lasalsavive.org\/portale\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=706"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.lasalsavive.org\/portale\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/706\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15976,"href":"https:\/\/www.lasalsavive.org\/portale\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/706\/revisions\/15976"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lasalsavive.org\/portale\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lasalsavive.org\/portale\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=706"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lasalsavive.org\/portale\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=706"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lasalsavive.org\/portale\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=706"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}