Terry DeMari, Omaha Dancer and Teacher Jan 1, 1928 – Feb 11, 2015 Born Samuel Ciciulla in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Terry was preceded in death by his parents, Filadelfo and Rosa (DeMari) Ciciulla, and three siblings. Survived by special friends: Chad McVicker, Bruce Riley, Janice Riley, Barbara Arms, Arnott Mader; other friends and neighbors. VISITATION begins Monday, February 16th at 10am, followed by a REMEMBRANCE SERVICE at 11am, all at the West Center Chapel. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Chad McVicker for later donation to Ballet Nebraska in Terry’s name. Samuel’s story began on January 1, 1928 in Council Bluffs, Iowa, when he was born, the youngest of four children, to Italian immigrants Filadelfo and Rosa (DeMari) Ciciulla. It was Omaha Tech High Schools wrestling coach Ray Carnes who first noticed in Sam an athleticism unique to dancers. As a result, Sam then studied ballet with Cora Quick who encouraged him to further his training in New York. During the summer of 1950 Sam moved to New York where he was under the tutelage of world renowned teachers George Balanchine and Martha Graham. George Balanchine was regarded as the foremost contemporary choreographer in the world of ballet. Martha Graham was an American modern dancer and choreographer whose influence on dance has been compared with the influence Picasso had on the modern visual arts. Adopting his mothers maiden name, he performed professionally as Terry DeMari with the Monica Lind dancers at the Palace Theater on Broadway. The Palace Theater was home to many super stars such as Judy Garland who appeared just prior to the Monica Lind dancers. In 1953, out of St. Louis, Terry performed in 13 Broadway musicals. Returning to New York in 1954, he signed a contract with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo which toured America for ten months by bus. They performed in Omaha where DeMari received a standing ovation for his performance in Leonide Massines ballet, Harold in Italy. The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo toured primarily in the U.S. after World War II began. The company introduced audiences to ballet in cities and towns across the country, in many places where people had never seen classical dance. Ballet Russe was the first touring ballet company in the United States. In the early 1900s, Sergei Diaghilev founded the Ballet Russe in Russia. He hired artists such as Picasso, Monet, Dali, Chagall, and composers, Stravinsky, Saint-Saens, and Rachmaninoff, to create backdrops for sets, costumes and music. These creations remain undiminished by time. After three seasons with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Terry joined the Broadway musical My Fair Lady, which toured nationally for several years and performed in Omahas Auditorium Music Hall in 1957. In 1960 My Fair Lady was selected to tour the Soviet Union for three months in a cultural exchange program initiated by President Eisenhower and Russias Nikita Khrushchev. The tour included Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev, and Odessa. During the Moscow portion of the tour, Premier Khrushchev invited the company dancers to observe the May Day parade in Red Square. On May 1, 1960, as the company stood to the right of Khrushchev, who was observing the parade from the top of Lenin and Stalins tomb, ceremonies were interrupted, and the Premier announced that American pilot, Francis Gary Powers had been shot down and captured while flying his U2 over Russia. While performing in Leningrad and Kiev, tensions were growing between America and the Soviet Union. Finally, the State Department felt it prudent to cancel the last tour in Odessa. However, while in Leningrad, the company attended a performance of Don Quixote by the Bolshoi Ballet. The next day the Ballet Russe Company was invited to a luncheon by Russias principal dancer Rudolph Nureyev. Over Russian cuisine, Nureyev asked many questions about life in America. A year later, he defected while the Bolshoi was on tour, and Nureyev became a sensation in America, England, and France. Other productions in which Terry performed included: Brigadoon, Oklahoma, Kiss Me Kate, Paint Your Wagon, Call Me Madam, Wonderful Town, Peter Pan, Damn Yankees, and Camelot. In three productions of Hello Dolly, Terry was the dance director for shows starring Carol Channing, Eve Arden, Dorothy Lamour, and Ginger Rogers. Gower Champion, Tony award winning director, choreographer and dancer, recommended that Terry restage the original choreography and musical numbers for Broadway producer David Merrick. Merrick was creating a new touring company starring Dorothy Lamour. After teaching Ms. Lamour the musical numbers and choreography, Terry coached her during the Hello Dolly production at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas where she shared an alternate leading role with Ginger Rogers. There were two performances every night with Ginger doing the first, and Dorothy doing the second. After three months, Dorothy was ready to take her show on tour. Terry returned to New York to audition and hire singers and dancers for Dorothys new company. Ms. Lamour remained a close friend of Terrys until her death on September 22, 1993. Assisted by three former colleagues, Terry helped organize a four-day reunion of former members of the Ballet Russe, considered to be historys most illustrious ballet company. The reunion was held in June of 2000 in New Orleans. Geller and Goldfine of Los Angeles created a documentary of the event which included the history of the various companies which performed under the banner of the Ballet Russe. It was nominated for an award at the Sun Valley Film Festival. Terry and his three colleagues produced two books, Reminiscences I and II which contained personal stories and historic photos of the Ballet Russe dancers from 1915 to 1963. These books may be found in the libraries of several cities and universities. During his career, Terry was associated with stage and screen stars such as Carol Channing, Ginger Rogers, Eve Arden, Jane Powell, Brian Aherne, Alice Faye, Phil Silvers, and Howard Keel. His colleagues in choreography included Jack Cole, Hanya Holm, Gemze de Lappe, and Gower Champion. In 1996 Terry returned to his hometown of Omaha, where he taught at the Omaha Theater Ballet until it closed in 2010.
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