JACK COLE: HOLLYWOOD'S FORGOTTEN CHOREOGRAPHY GENIUS

Noshing With Debra Levine – July 30, 2026

Author, Jazzed, Jack Cole and Twentieth-Century American Dance

This week on “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” I sit down with dance critic and author Debra Levine to explore the remarkable life and enduring legacy of Jack Cole, the groundbreaking choreographer widely regarded as the father of theatrical jazz dance. Her acclaimed book, Jazzed: Jack Cole and Twentieth-Century American Dance, uncovers the fascinating story of the visionary whose influence transformed Broadway, Hollywood, and generations of performers.

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Debra shares her own unexpected journey from modern dancer to business executive, and ultimately to becoming one of America’s leading dance writers. She reveals how filmmaker Kenneth Anger inspired her to tell Cole’s story, why “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” remains his masterpiece, and how Cole’s brilliance often went unrecognized despite shaping some of Hollywood’s most memorable dance sequences.

We also discuss Cole’s larger-than-life personality, his relationships with studio moguls and stars like Rita Hayworth, his surprising connections to organized crime, why choreographers rarely receive the recognition they deserve, and the unexpected place where Debra uncovered much of her research. It’s a captivating look at an artistic pioneer whose impact on American entertainment continues to resonate today.

ABOUT DEBRA:

Debra Levine is a Hollywood-fascinated dance critic whose discovery of Jack Cole turned her aesthetic world on its head. The Los Angeles-based writer is the author of dance criticism and feature writing published in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, La Opinión, Long Beach Press Telegram, South China Morning Post and Dance Magazine.

In support of her writing, Debra has produced and hosted many talks, interviews, screening events in the realm of dance/film. Those events have taken place at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, and, in Los Angeles, Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, UCLA Film & Television Archive, Dance Camera West, American Cinematheque, The Soraya, and Hollywood Heritage. She is the founder of artsmeme, an arts blog.

Debra Levine     Website

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