Background
Greco, Jose was born on December 23, 1918 in Montorio nei Frentani, Italy. Son of Paolo Emilio and Carmela (Bucci) Greco. came to the United States, 1928, naturalized, 1928.
Greco, Jose was born on December 23, 1918 in Montorio nei Frentani, Italy. Son of Paolo Emilio and Carmela (Bucci) Greco. came to the United States, 1928, naturalized, 1928.
Student, Leonardo da Vinci Art School, New York City. Studied dancing with Helene Veola.
His real name was Costanzo Greco Bucci but he later changed it to José Greco. When he was 10 years old, Greco and his family moved to New York City. Greco made his professional dancing debut in 1937 at the Hippodrome Theatre in Manhattan.
In 1949, he started the José Greco Dance Company, with which he toured extensively.
He also appeared in a number of films, including Sombrero (1953), Around the World in 80 Days (1956), Holiday for Lovers (1959), Ship of Fools (1965), and The Proud and the Damned (1972). In 1951 Greco made his first appearance in the United Kingdom at the Sadler"s Wells Theatre.
José Greco started the José Greco Foundation for Hispanic Dance in 1972 and retired from the stage for the first time in 1974. He published an autobiography, Gypsy in My Soul: The Autobiography of José Greco, in 1977.
He had six children, three boys and three girls.
He appeared on stage for the last time in 1995, at the age of 77. Until his death he was Visiting Professor of Dance at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
José Greco died of heart failure in his home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In an obituary in the Los Angeles Times, dance critic Lewis Segal noted that Greco had been characterized as "the undisputed Spanish dance star of the "50s and "60s" and "the greatest of all dance stars until the advent of Rudolf Nureyev" in terms of box-office power.
Fellow National Endowment for the Arts, since 1993. Member Sigma Delta Pi (distinguished member 1986).