Hanlon-Ford BallThe highlight of the Harvard Invitational Competition is the Hanlon-Ford Ball, held on Saturday evening. The Ball features the final rounds of the open level competition, the formation team competition, professional performances, and an elegant evening of social dancing. The Ball was named after Marguerite Hanlon (Radcliffe '42) and John Ford whose generous gifts over the years made Harvard Ballroom what it is today. Tickets:
Competitors - Free! Formal attire requested. Marguerite Hanlon and John FordMarguerite Hanlon, a Boston native, was a dedicated wife for 36 years to her investment banker husband and proud mother of a talented figure skater daughter (now a prominent medical doctor/researcher). She loved to dance and after a few months of lessons in the International Style, she competed at her first United States Ballroom Championships at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. John Ford, originally from Georgia, started as a Joffrey Balley student dancing on Broadway. Between shows he chanced upon a ballroom dance competition at Roseland and was impressed with the newly-formed Theater Arts division. He never planned to stay, but fell in with the serious students and enjoyed a stellar competitive career for a number of years. Later, he operated performing arts and ballroom dance studios. John and Marguerite met in the late 70's after John had sold his studio and was days away from retiring to Acapulco. Marguerite, who had since moved to Boca Raton, FL, had been referred to John from her teacher in Boston. Their dramatic partnership flourished. As their competition days drew to an end, they turned their energy to John's captivating dance dramas that incorporate narration, acting, music and dance; and to their favorite project- The World Professional International Team Matches held annually at USDSC. All of their endeavors were designed to bring dance and the arts to the people of the world and to promote ballroom dancing in particular. Hanlon-Ford shows were extremely popular in all parts of the world and drew thousands of spectators in huge venues. The pair made guest appearances in Russia, Taiwan, China, Japan, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Canada, Greece, and Italy. John estimated that every year for the last ten years of their partnership, they traveled enough miles to take them around the world three times. Among their production highlights is Ballroom Fever, the show that grew from the ballroom concert filmed live at the Imperial Palace of Vienna in 1998. Composed of an extraordinary company of talented, entertaining world-class dancers and a noted director and promoter in George Veras (Yanni's manager); and Gustavo Sagastume, their co-executive producer, (best known for his lavish mega-productions of Yanni, John Tesh, Riverdance and the Gypsy Kings), it received rave reviews the world over including one from The New York Times. Other notable productions include: A Night To Remember (PBS, 1987); A Zeigfeld Extravaganza (PBS, 1989); Dance Show, Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas (FOX TV, 1990); The Annual Marguerite Hanlon-John Ford Professional International Team Match (1985-94,1998); Shows for the Grand Finale at the Italian Dance Festival (Cervia, Italy, 1990-96). In 1996, Marguerite and John also made a journey to the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Athens to appeal to the great gods of Mt. Olympus to admit ballroom dance to the Olympics! For all their efforts, Marguerite Hanlon and John Ford, along with Fred Astaire, were the first inductees into the Dancers Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, NV in 1989. In 1996, the were honored by the Greek Ballroom Society and The Greek Cultural Committee for their recognition of Greece's contribution to Western Civilization and for their work promoting ballroom dance for inclusion in the Olympic Games. In 2000, the National Dance Council of America proudly inducted them into the United States DanceSport Hall of Fame, a lifetime achievement award bestowed for outstanding contribution, devotion and dedication to dancing in the United States. (Adopted from an article by Susan W. Fell for the National Dance Council of America, Inc.) |
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