NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Thursday, April 3, 2014, 3:15 PM
Bronx dance pioneer Joan Miller, who spent decades blazing a trail for borough theater hopefuls at Lehman College, has died. She was 77.
The Hudson Heights resident died on March 27, from complications related to diabetes, her publicist said.
The acclaimed dancer and choreographer founded the dance program at Lehman College in 1968 and helped to establish it as a bridge to Broadway.
Her students included Martial Roumain, who starred in Broadway productions including “The Wiz” and “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,” and Abdel Salaam, the co-founder and executive artistic director of the Forces of Nature Dance Theatre Company.
“Joan had a great impact as a teacher and artist,” said Sheila Kaminsky, a former student who replaced Miller as director of the Lehman Dance Department after her retirement in 2000.
Miller, best known for her work with Joan Miller’s Dance Players, drew acclaim for her daring and unique performances, which employed a panoply of styles. Miller was also honored for her contributions to the Bronx arts community by former Mayor David Dinkins and former Borough President Fernando Ferrer.
A lifelong New Yorker of Jamaican and St. Lucian heritage, Miller received a B.A. in dance from Brooklyn College before earning a diploma from Julliard.
She had no immediate family but is survived by scores of devoted students and colleagues.
-Joey Scarborough
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