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Marge Champion

Marge Champion (September 2, 1919 – October 21, 2020) was an American dancer, actress, and choreographer renowned for her graceful performances in Hollywood musicals, her pioneering role as a live-action model for Walt Disney's animated films, and her influential choreography on stage and television.^[1]^[2] Born Marjorie Celeste Belcher in Los Angeles, California, to renowned ballet master Ernest Belcher, who founded the Belcher Ballet School and taught stars like Shirley Temple and Cyd Charisse, Champion began her dance training under her father's guidance from a young age.^[3]^[2] By age 12, she was teaching ballet classes at her father's studio, and at 14, she auditioned successfully for a modeling role at Disney Studios, where she spent three years (circa 1935–1938) providing live-action reference footage for animators.^[3] Her movements directly inspired the character of Snow White in the 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, as well as the Blue Fairy in Pinocchio (1940) and the Hyacinth Hippo in Fantasia (1940).^[3]^[4] Champion made her film debut in 1939's The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle, but her career gained prominence after meeting dancer Gower Champion in 1946; the pair married in 1947 and formed a celebrated husband-and-wife dance team that epitomized the polished, all-American style of mid-20th-century musicals.^[2]^[4] As the Champions, they starred in numerous MGM musicals, including Show Boat (1951), Lovely to Look At (1952), Give a Girl a Break (1953), and Three for the Show (1955), where their synchronized, athletic choreography—often developed through rigorous month-long rehearsals—captivated audiences with seamless, long-take sequences.^[4] They also headlined their own CBS variety series, The Marge and Gower Champion Show, in 1957, showcasing their versatility in song, dance, and comedy.^[2] The duo divorced in 1973 amid professional and personal strains, after which Champion pursued solo choreography, earning a Primetime Emmy Award in 1975 for her work on the TV movie Queen of the Stardust Ballroom.^[4]^[2] Her later credits included choreographing Broadway productions like the 1980 revival of 42nd Street and the 2001 revival of Follies, where at age 82 she performed alongside veteran dancers.^[4] Champion's marriages included a brief first union to a Disney animator, her high-profile second partnership with Gower, a third marriage to director Boris Sagal from 1977 until his death in 1981, and a fourth to writer Peter F. Pilafian in 1987.^[2] Champion's enduring legacy was recognized with honors such as induction into the National Museum of Dance's Hall of Fame in 2009 and designation as a Disney Legend for her foundational contributions to animation.^[3]^[2] She passed away at her home in Los Angeles on October 21, 2020, at the age of 101, leaving behind a profound influence on American dance, film, and stage performance.^[1]^[4]

Early Life

Family Background

Marjorie Celeste Belcher, known professionally as Marge Champion, was born on September 2, 1919, in Los Angeles, California.^[5]^[1] She was the only child of Ernest Belcher and his wife, Gladys (née Basquette) Belcher.^[5]^[6] Ernest Belcher was a renowned British-born ballet master and choreographer who had immigrated to the United States and established himself as a key figure in Hollywood's dance scene.^[5]^[3] He founded the Ernest Belcher School of Dancing in 1916, later renamed the Celeste School of Dance in honor of his daughter, where he trained numerous stars including Shirley Temple, Betty Grable, and Cyd Charisse.^[7]^[8] Gladys Belcher, previously married to businessman Frank Basquette and mother to silent film actress Lina Basquette from that union, managed the household while Ernest pursued his career.^[6]^[9] Growing up as an only child in her parents' home on Orange Drive in Hollywood, Champion was enveloped in an environment rich with performing arts and the burgeoning film industry.^[1]^[5] Her father's deep ties to Hollywood studios, beginning with his involvement in films as early as 1918 and friendships with figures like Walt Disney, brought a constant flow of industry professionals into their lives.^[8]^[10] The Belcher household served as an extension of the dance school, with lessons, rehearsals, and visits from aspiring actors and dancers creating an immersive atmosphere of creativity and discipline.^[3]^[2] This proximity to Hollywood's golden age exposed her to the glamour and rigor of show business from infancy, shaping her innate affinity for movement and performance. Champion's earliest influences stemmed directly from her family's dynamic, where dance was not just a profession but a way of life. As a toddler, she attended her father's classes at the school, absorbing ballet techniques alongside older students and observing the graceful forms of professional dancers who frequented the studio.^[5]^[11] Ernest's emphasis on classical ballet, combined with the eclectic energy of Hollywood visitors, fostered her natural talent and curiosity, laying the groundwork for her future without formal structure at first.^[3]^[2] This nurturing yet demanding home life, centered on artistic pursuit, distinguished her childhood from typical ones and primed her for the world of entertainment.

Initial Dance Training

Marge Champion, born Marjorie Celeste Belcher, began her formal dance training at age three under the guidance of her father, Ernest Belcher, a prominent Hollywood dance instructor who founded the Belcher Ballet School in Los Angeles in 1916.^[5] At his studio, she immersed herself in ballet, tap, and acrobatics, developing a versatile foundation that blended classical techniques with the energetic styles prevalent in early Hollywood entertainment.^[5]^[12] Belcher's background as a British vaudeville performer exposed her to rhythmic, theatrical movement from an early age, while the school's curriculum emphasized the precision of classical ballet alongside more accessible forms suited to film and stage work.^[13] By age 11, in 1930, Champion made her first public performance debut at the Hollywood Bowl, dancing in the ballet "Carnival in Venice" as part of a production that showcased her emerging poise and technical skill.^[14] This recital marked her initial foray into live audiences, building on the rigorous daily classes at her father's school where she honed her abilities in group formations and solo expressions.^[11] At age 12, she transitioned into assisting as a ballet instructor at the Belcher Ballet School, simultaneously beginning to perform in local stage productions, which allowed her to refine her technique through practical application.^[15]^[2] In the mid-1930s, her training led to chorus roles in professional productions, including work with the Los Angeles Civic Opera, where she performed in large-scale shows at venues like the Hollywood Bowl before audiences of up to 23,000, navigating complex formations blending ballet precision with theatrical flair.^[13]^[16] These 1930s experiences as a chorus dancer in stage shows were instrumental in building her stamina, timing, and adaptability across ballet and popular dance styles.^[17]

Career

Animation Modeling

At the age of 14, Marge Champion (then Marjorie Belcher) was hired by Walt Disney Studios in 1934 to serve as a live-action dance model for the title character in the animated feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). She was selected after auditioning at age 13, performing in a simple dress to demonstrate graceful movements that could inspire the animators' depiction of a young princess. Over the production's three years, Champion visited the studio periodically—typically one or two days per month—for filming sessions at $10 per day, during which she enacted scenes and dances in costume to provide reference footage. Her movements directly inspired the character of Snow White in the 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, as well as the Blue Fairy in Pinocchio (1940) and the Hyacinth Hippo in Fantasia (1940). Champion continued her modeling work for subsequent Disney productions, portraying the ethereal movements of the Blue Fairy in Pinocchio (1940) and the fluid ballet sequences of a ballerina (referenced in the "Dance of the Hours" segment with Hyacinth Hippo) in Fantasia (1940). These roles built on her initial contributions, emphasizing elegant, dance-based actions that required sustained poise and expressiveness to capture on film. Her early ballet training under her father, Ernest Belcher, a renowned dance instructor, equipped her with the technical precision needed for these demanding sessions, allowing her to perform with natural fluidity. A key aspect of Champion's involvement was her close collaboration with animator Art Babbitt, who supervised much of the reference filming for Snow White using his personal 16mm camera to capture her gestures and interactions, such as dancing with bird puppets to simulate the film's woodland scenes. This partnership extended personally, as the two married in 1937 during production, though their union lasted only until 1941; professionally, Babbitt's direction helped translate Champion's live performances into animated form. The process relied heavily on rotoscoping, a technique where animators traced Champion's filmed movements frame by frame onto transparent cels, ensuring anatomical accuracy and realistic weight shifts in the characters' actions—particularly vital for human-like figures under the film's tight deadlines. Disney kept this method confidential to maintain the illusion of pure imagination, but it marked a pioneering use of live-action reference to enhance animation's believability. Champion's ballet-honed technique proved especially valuable in adapting her movements for animation, where animators exaggerated her poses to convey emotion and personality—stretching a simple curtsy into a more whimsical, elongated gesture or amplifying a twirl for dramatic flair—while preserving the underlying grace that grounded the sequences in realism. This approach not only influenced the fluid dance numbers in Snow White, Pinocchio, and Fantasia but also set a standard for integrating live performance into cel animation, contributing to Disney's reputation for lifelike character dynamics.

Performing Partnership

Marge Champion met Gower Champion in 1945 at her father's studio, the Ernest Belcher School of Dancing in Los Angeles, where both were training. They initially formed a professional dance team billed as "Gower and Bell" before marrying on October 7, 1947, after which they adopted the name Marge and Gower Champion for their performances. This partnership blended their personal and professional lives, drawing on Champion's earlier experience in animation modeling to inform their expressive and precise movements. In the years following their marriage, the duo honed their act through nightclub engagements across the United States, beginning in 1946 and continuing into 1947. Their routines incorporated elements of ballet, modern dance, and comedy, creating a versatile and engaging style that captivated audiences in intimate venue settings. These early performances helped establish their reputation as a dynamic couple, emphasizing seamless synchronization and playful interaction. The Champions achieved their breakthrough in film with a featured role in the 1950 Paramount musical Mr. Music, starring Bing Crosby, which showcased their dance talents in a lively production number. This led to a lucrative contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), where they appeared in five musicals between 1951 and 1955, including Show Boat, Lovely to Look At, Everything I Have Is Yours, Give a Girl a Break, and Jupiter's Darling. Under this contract, they delivered highly synchronized dance sequences that highlighted their signature style of elegant, athletic partnering, characterized by innovative lifts, fluid transitions, and acrobatic precision.

Film and Stage Roles

Marge Champion made her Broadway debut in the musical Beggar's Holiday (1946), where she performed as the Lookout, the Girl, and Lead Dancer under her maiden name, Marjorie Belle. Earlier, she appeared in the play Dark of the Moon (1945) as the Fair Witch, also credited as Marjorie Belle. In the 1950s, following her high-profile dance partnership, Champion took on regional theater roles. During her MGM era in the early 1950s, Champion starred in several musical films alongside her then-husband Gower Champion, showcasing their synchronized tap and ballroom routines. In Show Boat (1951), she portrayed Ellie May Shipley in a supporting dance role that highlighted the duo's precise footwork and chemistry. She followed with Lovely to Look At (1952), featuring a standout dance sequence amid the film's lavish production numbers. The autobiographical Everything I Have Is Yours (1952) allowed the couple to demonstrate their tap and adagio specialties in a narrative centered on their real-life performing dynamic. Their final MGM collaboration, Give a Girl a Break (1953), paired them with Debbie Reynolds in energetic ensemble dances that emphasized Champion's versatility in both solo and partnered work. Later in her career, Champion ventured into non-musical films, marking a shift toward dramatic acting. In The Swimmer (1968), she played the supporting role of neighbor Peggy Forsburgh, appearing alongside Burt Lancaster in a scene that showcased her ability to convey subtle emotional depth without dance elements. This transition proved challenging, as Champion had studied acting with Maria Ouspenskaya to break beyond her dancer persona, noting that such training was essential for conveying narrative through movement in her earlier roles. However, typecasting in musicals limited her opportunities for straight dramatic parts, confining much of her on-screen work to dance-centric characters during the studio system's peak.

Television Work and Choreography

Marge Champion and her then-husband Gower Champion starred in The Marge and Gower Champion Show, a 1957 NBC summer sitcom that aired for 12 episodes and blended sketch comedy with musical numbers and dance routines, where Marge portrayed a dancer and Gower a choreographer. The series showcased their signature partnership, incorporating live performances that highlighted their precise, narrative-driven choreography adapted for the small screen. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the Champions made numerous guest appearances on prominent variety programs, including The Bell Telephone Hour, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, and General Electric Theater, where they performed dance segments that often drew from their film experience to create dynamic, camera-friendly routines. These spots emphasized innovative storytelling through movement, such as satirical pantomimes parodying famous dance styles, allowing Champion to explore choreography tailored to television's intimate format. Following her 1973 divorce from Gower, Champion pursued solo television projects, focusing on choreography that adapted stage and film techniques for broadcast. Her most notable contribution was choreographing the 1975 CBS television film Queen of the Stardust Ballroom, a drama centered on social dancing in a New York ballroom, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography. This work featured authentic, character-driven dance sequences filmed with real patrons at Myron's Ballroom in Los Angeles, blending emotional depth with accessible movement to enhance the story's themes of loneliness and connection. Champion also directed movement for various television specials during this period, applying her expertise to guide performers in integrating dance with narrative elements on screen.

Teaching and Later Contributions

In the later stages of her career, following her retirement from active performing in the 1970s, Marge Champion dedicated significant time to education and mentorship within the dance community. She served as a dance instructor and choreographer in New York City, imparting her expertise in ballet and musical theater movement to aspiring artists. Champion also taught master classes at the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, where she shared techniques from her extensive background in film and stage choreography, emphasizing graceful, narrative-driven dance. These sessions focused on preserving classical forms while adapting them for contemporary performers, contributing to the festival's legacy of dance education and archival efforts. Champion extended her influence through mentorship of younger dancers, fostering the next generation via workshops that highlighted the integration of dance in storytelling, a hallmark of her own career. At Jacob's Pillow, she conducted hands-on sessions that preserved historical dance practices, drawing from her experiences in animation modeling and Broadway. Although her son Gregg pursued directing rather than dance, Champion's broader guidance supported emerging talents in maintaining the artistry of mid-20th-century musical performance. In addition to teaching, Champion continued her choreography work on Broadway into the late 20th and early 21st centuries. She choreographed the 1980 Tony Award-winning revival of 42nd Street, which revitalized the classic musical and ran for over 3,500 performances. In 2001, at age 82, she contributed choreography to the revival of Follies and performed in it alongside other veteran dancers, demonstrating her enduring vitality and expertise. In her later years, Champion made select appearances that revisited her foundational contributions to animation. She featured in the 2009 documentary Keep Dancing, which explored her enduring partnership with fellow dancer Donald Saddler and her lifelong commitment to the art form into her 90s. Archival footage of her Snow White modeling appeared in Disney retrospectives, including the 2001 Platinum Edition release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, underscoring her role in the film's movement. A brief cameo in the 2013 HBO film Behind the Candelabra marked one of her final on-screen roles. Throughout the 2010s, she participated in interviews reflecting on her Disney legacy, including a 2013 discussion at the Norman Rockwell Museum about her live-action reference work and a 2010 Huffington Post feature on the golden age of animation. These appearances reinforced her impact on blending live performance with cinematic innovation.

Personal Life

Marriages and Relationships

Marge Champion's first marriage was to Disney animator Art Babbitt, whom she met while serving as a live-action model for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in the mid-1930s.^[18] They wed in August 1937, when she was 17 and he was 29; the union lasted less than three years, ending in divorce around 1940.^[19] This early marriage immersed Champion in the animation world, influencing her foundational work in motion studies and character development at the studio.^[18] Following her divorce from Babbitt, Champion reconnected with dancer Gower Champion, whom she had known since their teenage years at a Los Angeles performing arts school.^[5] They married on October 5, 1947, and their partnership became the cornerstone of her career as a celebrated dance duo, though the professional aspects are detailed separately.^[20] The marriage lasted until their divorce on December 20, 1973, after which Champion transitioned to independent choreography and teaching roles.^[20] Despite the separation, she maintained a close friendship with Gower until his death in 1980.^[21] Champion's third marriage was to television and film director Boris Sagal, beginning on January 1, 1977.^[20] Their relationship, which ended with his accidental death on May 22, 1981, was marked by mutual interests in choreography and the performing arts, aligning with her ongoing work in dance and direction.^[1] No further marriages followed, as Champion focused on her later career contributions until her own passing in 2020.^[1]

Family and Children

Marge Champion and her husband, the dancer and choreographer Gower Champion, welcomed two sons during their marriage: Gregg Champion, born on November 20, 1956, and Blake Champion, born on February 14, 1962. Gregg Champion followed in his parents' footsteps into the entertainment industry as a director and producer, with notable credits including the feature film The Cowboy Way (1994) and television movies such as Amish Grace (2010) and The Gabby Douglas Story (2014).^[22] In her later years, Champion lived with Gregg in Los Angeles, where he provided familial support until her death in 2020.^[15] Blake Champion, the younger son, pursued interests in dance and the arts before his untimely death in a car accident on May 21, 1987, at the age of 25.^[23]^[5] Champion had no other biological children and navigated motherhood amid her high-profile career in Hollywood, often drawing on family as a grounding force while maintaining her professional commitments in performance and choreography.^[15] In the wake of Blake's death, Champion honored his memory by donating a barn on her property—named Blake's Barn—to the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in the early 1990s, transforming it into an archives and exhibition space that reflected her enduring connection to dance and family legacy.^[24] She later reflected on this gesture as a means of keeping Blake's spirit alive through the arts, demonstrating her resilience in channeling personal loss into lasting contributions.^[25]

Death and Legacy

Final Years and Passing

In her later years, Marge Champion continued to reside in Los Angeles, where she remained active in the entertainment world well into her 90s, participating in interviews and receiving recognition for her enduring legacy. She shared reflections on her early modeling work for Disney in a 2016 Entertainment Weekly interview,^[26] and in 2019, as she marked her 100th birthday on September 2, she was honored with tributes from animation historian John Canemaker via a dedicated blog post and from the Dancers Over 40 organization through a public video message celebrating her contributions to dance.^[27]^[28] By early 2020, Champion had moved in with her son Gregg Champion in Los Angeles amid the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, signaling a period of increased reliance on family support in her final months.^[5] Her engagement with teaching and mentoring in prior decades had helped sustain her vitality, as she often credited these pursuits with keeping her connected to the arts. She passed away on October 21, 2020, at the age of 101, at her son's home in Los Angeles; her son confirmed the death but did not specify a cause.^[1]^[15] A private family service was held following her death, after which Champion received widespread tributes from the Disney organization and the broader dance community. Disney Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee issued a statement lauding Champion's "magic and grace" in animating beloved characters like Snow White, while outlets including NPR aired remembrances highlighting her influence on American choreography.^[29]^[4]

Awards and Honors

Marge Champion received the Disney Legend Award in 2007, recognizing her pioneering contributions as a live-action model for animated characters in classic Disney films such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.^[11] In 2009, she was inducted into the National Museum of Dance's Mr. & Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Hall of Fame, honoring her lifelong impact on dance as a performer, choreographer, and educator.^[5]^[2] Champion earned a Primetime Emmy Award in 1975 for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography for the television film Queen of the Stardust Ballroom, a milestone that highlighted her innovative work adapting dance for the small screen.^[30]^[31] In 2013, she was presented with the Douglas Watt Lifetime Achievement Award at the Fred and Adele Astaire Awards by the Theatre Development Fund, celebrating her enduring influence on Broadway and stage choreography.^[32]^[33] No major posthumous awards or honors for Champion have been documented as of 2025.

Cultural Influence

Marge Champion's pioneering work in rotoscoping as a live-action model for Walt Disney Studios significantly shaped the golden age of animation during the 1930s and 1940s. At age 14, she was selected to perform dances and scenes for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), where animators traced her filmed movements frame-by-frame to achieve fluid, realistic gestures that imbued the character with lifelike grace and emotional expressiveness.^[3] This technique, refined through her contributions, extended to other iconic figures, including the Blue Fairy in Pinocchio (1940), whose ethereal poise drew directly from Champion's improvisational acting, and the comedic Hyacinth Hippo in Fantasia (1940), where she choreographed ballet sequences blending human elegance with whimsical exaggeration.^[3] By merging ballet-trained precision with narrative-driven performance, Champion's modeling elevated rotoscoping from a mere technical tool to a cornerstone of Disney's expressive style, influencing the studio's approach to character animation in subsequent classics and establishing benchmarks for realism in hand-drawn features.^[12] In mid-20th-century musicals, Champion, alongside her husband Gower, popularized partnered dance as a narrative device, emphasizing synchronized storytelling and spatial dynamics that advanced the form's integration with plot and emotion. Their routines in MGM films such as Show Boat (1951) and Lovely to Look At (1952) showcased hybrid movements drawing from ballet, jazz, and social dance, creating visually compelling partnerships that highlighted mutual support and fluidity between performers.^[34] This approach contributed to the evolution of musical choreography.^[34] Their emphasis on accessible yet technically sophisticated partnering democratized dance in Hollywood entertainment, fostering a legacy of collaborative performance that resonated in Broadway's postwar innovations. Champion's mentorship through teaching and archival preservation extended her influence to modern dancers and filmmakers, embedding her techniques in contemporary practice. As a longtime pedagogue who began instructing at her father's ballet studio at age 12, she guided generations in blending classical training with performative storytelling, impacting professionals through choreography coaching and workshops that emphasized emotional authenticity in movement.^[2] Her son, director Gregg Champion, carried forward this legacy into film production, while her own transitional role in choreography—such as directing dance sequences for television specials—mentored emerging talents in adapting stage craft to visual media.^[35] Archival footage from recordings spanning decades, featured in documentaries like the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival's Remembering Marge Champion series, preserves her demonstrations of rotoscoping-era gestures and partnered forms, serving as educational resources for filmmakers exploring animation's roots and dancers reviving mid-century styles.^[36] Champion's performances also reflected and subtly critiqued gender roles in Hollywood dance during an era dominated by traditional expectations for female performers. In postwar musicals, her roles often embodied domestic partnership and feminine versatility, as seen in routines that balanced poise with narrative submissiveness, mirroring broader cultural shifts toward idealized domesticity while showcasing women's physical agency through intricate footwork and lifts.^[37] This representation highlighted the constraints and strengths of women in the industry, where dancers like Champion navigated objectification by excelling in technically demanding sequences that demanded both delicacy and strength. Her influence persisted in television choreography, where she earned an Emmy for Queen of the Stardust Ballroom (1975), innovating dance formats for the small screen by incorporating intimate partnering into dramatic narratives.^[35]

Selected Works

Film Appearances

Marge Champion began her film career as a live-action reference model for Walt Disney's animated features, providing the foundation for several iconic characters through her dance and movement expertise. At age 14, she was hired by the Disney Studio to model for Snow White in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), where animators studied her graceful motions to capture the character's innocence and fluidity in scenes like the dance with the dwarfs.^[11] She continued this role in Pinocchio (1940), serving as the model for the Blue Fairy, whose ethereal movements were derived from Champion's performances.^[3] Additionally, in Fantasia (1940), Champion modeled for the Hyacinth Hippo in the "Dance of the Hours" segment, influencing the character's balletic parody through her ballet training.^[38] These uncredited modeling contributions were pivotal in early Disney animation techniques but did not involve on-screen appearances. Champion made her on-screen film debut as an uncredited dancer, billed as Marjorie Belcher, in The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939).^[39] After meeting dancer Gower Champion in 1946, she frequently performed alongside him in Hollywood musicals, showcasing their synchronized dance partnership. Their first film together was Till the Clouds Roll By (1946), an MGM musical biography of composer Jerome Kern, in which they performed dance sequences.^[4] In Mr. Music (1950), she appeared as herself in a Paramount production, executing a lively dance sequence with Gower to "Life Is So Peculiar" alongside Bing Crosby, highlighting their vaudeville-honed chemistry.^[5] The following year, in the MGM remake of Show Boat (1951), Champion played Ellie May Shipley, contributing to energetic dance numbers such as "Life Upon the Wicked Stage" and "I Might Fall Back on You," which emphasized her precise footwork and comedic timing.^[13] Champion's film work extended into dramatic territory later in her career. In Give a Girl a Break (1953), an MGM musical directed by Stanley Donen, she portrayed Madelyn Corlane, performing a standout rooftop dance with Gower that blended athleticism and romance, choreographed by Gower himself.^[1] Her most notable non-musical role came in The Swimmer (1968), where she played Peggy Forsburgh in Frank Perry's adaptation of John Cheever's story, delivering a subdued dramatic performance as one of the suburban figures encountered by Burt Lancaster's protagonist, marking a shift from her dance-centric roles.^[40] Other appearances, such as her uncredited dancer role in Lovely to Look At (1952), further underscored her versatility in supporting musical sequences without leading billing.

Television Credits

Marge Champion began her television career in the late 1940s and 1950s as a performer alongside her then-husband Gower Champion, showcasing their acclaimed dance partnership on numerous variety programs. Their appearances emphasized precise, expressive choreography that blended ballet, tap, and modern styles, influencing early TV musical entertainment.^[5]^[31] A highlight was their starring role in The Marge and Gower Champion Show, a 1957 CBS sitcom that aired for one season, where Champion co-starred as herself—a dancer navigating comedic domestic scenarios with song-and-dance interludes.^[41]^[30] Champion made multiple guest appearances on The Bell Telephone Hour throughout the 1950s and 1960s, performing dances in episodes such as "We Two" (1960), which featured famous couples, and "Encore!" (1961), highlighting classic musical moments.^[42]^[43] She also guested as a dancer on The Ed Sullivan Show in the 1950s, including episode #8.22 (1955), a tribute to Columbia Pictures, and "Invitation to Moscow" (1959), a special international broadcast.^[44]^[45] In the 1960s, Champion continued contributing to variety television through performances on shows like The Garry Moore Show (1958) and Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall (1958), often demonstrating innovative routines that bridged stage and screen techniques. Later in her career, Champion transitioned to choreography, earning acclaim for her work on television specials. She won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography for the 1975 TV movie Queen of the Stardust Ballroom, where her dances captured the emotional depth of ballroom culture among seniors.^[46]^[11] Additionally, archival footage of Champion as the live-action model for Disney's Snow White has been featured in various Disney television documentaries, preserving her foundational role in animation history.^[11]^[30]

References

[1]
Marge Champion, Actress, Dancer and Model for Snow White, Dies ...
Oct 21, 2020 · Marjorie Celeste Belcher was born Sept. 2, 1919, in a home on Orange Drive in Hollywood. Her father founded the Celeste School of Dance (he ...Missing: biography | Show results with:biography
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Marge Champion - The Dance History Project of Southern California
The daughter of ballet master Ernest Belcher, Marge grew up studying ballet under her father's tutelage and began teaching ballet at his studio at age 12. In ...Missing: career | Show results with:career
[3]
Marge Champion, Fairest of Them All: The Towering Talent Behind ...
Jun 28, 2018 · In total, Champion spent three years as a teenager contributing dance work that established her career and the reputation of Disney's artists.
[4]
Remembering Dancer And Choreographer Marge Champion - NPR
Nov 6, 2020 · Champion, who died Oct. 21, danced with her husband Gower in the movie musicals Till the Clouds Roll By, Showboat and Lovely to Look At.Missing: career | Show results with:career<|control11|><|separator|>
[5]
Marge Champion, Dancer, Actor and Choreographer, Dies at 101
Oct 22, 2020 · Marge Champion, the lissome dancer and choreographer who with her husband, Gower, epitomized the clean-cut, all-American dance team of Hollywood musicals.
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### Summary of Marge Champion's Family Background, Birth, Parents, Siblings, Childhood Environment, Early Exposure to Dance and Hollywood
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The next series concerns the life and career of Ernest Belcher, Marge's father and first dance instructor. Belcher founded the Celeste School of Dance in 1916, ...
[8]
Ernest Belcher and his students
Jun 10, 2012 · Ernest Belcher taught many students at his dance school, which first opened in 1916 in Los Angeles; he became involved with Hollywood films in 1918.
[9]
Gladys Lee Baskette (Rosenberg) (deceased) - Genealogy - Geni
May 24, 2018 · Immediate Family: Frank Baskette husband, Lina Basquette daughter, Ernest Belcher husband, Marge Champion daughter.
[10]
10-22-2020 Daily Edition - The Hollywood Reporter
Oct 21, 2020 · Marge's father was famed Hollywood dance and ballet teacher Ernest Belcher. He was friends with Walt Disney, and the all-male animation team ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[11]
Marge Champion - D23
Marjorie Celeste Belcher was born on September 2, 1919, in Los Angeles. She began dancing as a child under the instruction of her father, Ernest Belcher, a ...Missing: parents Gladys Baskett
[12]
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Nov 11, 2020 · Her mother, Gladys Baskette, met Ernest Belcher when she enrolled a daughter from an earlier marriage in his dance school. That daughter grew up ...Missing: parents background
[13]
Marge Champion obituary | Musicals | The Guardian
Oct 22, 2020 · Marge Champion (Marjorie Celeste Belcher), actor, dancer and choreographer, born 2 September 1919; died 21 October 2020.
[14]
Marge Champion Facts for Kids
Oct 17, 2025 · Marjorie's mother was Gladys Lee Baskette. Marjorie also had an older half-sister, Lina Basquette, who started acting in silent films early on.Missing: parents family background
[15]
Marge Champion, famed dancer of Hollywood's Golden Age, dies
Oct 23, 2020 · Marge Champion, a longtime dancer, Emmy-winning choreographer and motion reference for Disney's "Snow White," dies at 101.
[16]
Marge Champion Movies & TV Shows List | Rotten Tomatoes
In 1936, she performed with the Los Angeles Civic Opera in several productions, often before as many as 23,000 people. Soon thereafter, she was a human figure ...
[17]
Marge Champion - Infinite Women
Marge Champion (b. 1919) is an American actress, dancer, director, choreographer, and teacher. The collection, which documents her life and career,
[18]
Marge Champion, Disney and Art Babbitt | babbittblog
Jun 6, 2012 · I took dance lessons, ballet, from Marge's dad, Ernest Belcher in the 1960's. He was a fabulous teacher and a nice nice man. I never met Marge ...Missing: early | Show results with:early
[19]
Marge Champion, Actor And Dancer Who Was Model For 'Snow ...
Oct 23, 2020 · Marge Champion, who secured her place in animation history by modeling for the title role in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, died in LA on Wednesday. She was ...
[20]
Marge Champion, dancer who modelled for Disney's Snow White ...
Oct 23, 2020 · Marge Champion, who has died aged 101, was a popular dancer and choreographer in Hollywood films and on the stage, and modelled for the classic Disney heroine ...
[21]
https://deadline.com/2020/10/marge-champion-dies-golden-age-tv-dancer-model-for-disneys-snow-white-was-101-1234601807/
[22]
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0150707/
[23]
Marge Champion Dead: 'Snow White' Model and Dancer Was 101
Oct 22, 2020 · ” On Broadway, she performed in “Make a Wish,” “Dark of the Moon” and “Beggar's Holiday.” She also taught dance and choreography in New York ...Missing: stage roles
[24]
Dancer and actress Marge Champion - NPR
Aug 23, 2001 · She acted in some notable films, including The Swimmer (1968). Her career spans many decades and she was most recently in a Broadway revival of ...
[25]
Classic Hollywood: Marge Champion still has the dance moves
Sep 16, 2014 · “She had her own reasons for wanting to be an actress,” Champion says, laughing. “I had mine. I would have done anything to become an actress.
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Marge Champion | Television Academy
Champion and her husband, Gower Champion, also had great success as dance partners and choreographers for Broadway musicals, films and television shows.
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Self-Guided Tour - Jacob's Pillow Dance
For nine incredible weeks, Jacob's Pillow comes alive with world-class performances, special events, exhibits, workshops, PillowTalks, and more. Dive In Explore ...
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Remembering Marge Champion | PillowVoices: Dance Through Time
After celebrated careers, legendary dancers Marge Champion and Donald Saddler became friends while performing together in the Broadway show Follies in 2001.Missing: late 1990s 2000s
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Broadway Performer and Emmy-Winning Choreographer Marge ...
Oct 22, 2020 · Following her divorce with Mr. Champion in 1973, she married Boris Sagal in 1977, but was widowed in 1981 following an on-set helicopter ...<|control11|><|separator|>
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"Keep Dancing" Film, About Marge Champion and Donald Saddler ...
"Keep Dancing," which chronicles the relationship between show-business veterans Marge Champion and the late Donald Saddler, is currently available for free ...Missing: appearances 1990s 2000s
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Marge Champion, the original "Snow White" - YouTube
Jun 12, 2013 · Interview with acclaimed dancer/choreographer Marge Champion about her experience serving as the live reference model for Walt Disney's ...Missing: 2010s | Show results with:2010s
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CultureZohn Off the C(H)uff: Marge Belcher Champion, the Secret ...
Apr 7, 2010 · Marge Belcher Champion, famous as half of the dancing Champions of screen and stage, but known to Disney aficionados world wide as the real-live model for Snow ...
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Marge Champion / Marjorie Belcher | babbittblog
May 11, 2012 · They started courting when she was 17 and he was 28. They married in August of '37, when he was 29 but she was still some weeks short of 18 (her ...
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Marge Champion - Turner Classic Movies - TCM
A celebrated dancer, actress, and choreographer of stage, screen and TV, Marge Champion, together with her then-husband and partner Gower Champion, excelled at ...Missing: cameos work
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Marge Champion Dead: Dancer, Model For Disney's Snow White ...
Oct 22, 2020 · A dance teacher until late in life, Champion was the recipient of many honors, including the Disney Legend Award in 2007. She was inducted ...
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Gregg Champion - IMDb
Children. Alana Champion. Parents. Gower Champion. Relatives. Blake Champion(Sibling). Did you know. Edit · Trivia. Son of Gower Champion and Marge Champion.
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Blake Gower Champion, 25, the son of famed dancers... - UPI Archives
May 22, 1987 · Blake Gower Champion, 25, the son of famed dancers Marge and Gower Champion, was killed in an auto accident, police said Friday.
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Transcript of Remembering Marge Champion | PillowVoices: Dance ...
ANNOUNCER: Now in her 80th year, Marge, an Emmy Award-winning choreographer, is dancing again for a salute to the MGM musicals at Carnegie Hall with many of ...
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Remembering Marge Champion: 'Complicated, feisty' woman who ...
Oct 24, 2020 · One year before his death, Blake joined his mother in a tribute to her late first husband and longtime dance partner, Broadway director- ...Missing: resilience | Show results with:resilience
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Happy Birthday, Marge Champion! At 100 Years, You're Still The ...
Aug 28, 2019 · She was born Marjorie Belcher in 1919, the daughter of Hollywood dance instructor Ernest Belcher. Her earliest experience in film was in the mid ...Missing: biography - - | Show results with:biography - -
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Happy 100th Birthday to DO40 Advisory Board Member Marge ...
Sep 2, 2019 · Happy 100th Birthday to DO40 Advisory Board Member Marge Champion! We are celebrating ... Dancers Over 40, Inc. Sep 2, 2019󰞋󱟠. 󰟝. DANCERS ...
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Remembering Marge Champion - D23
Oct 22, 2020 · In 2019, in celebration of Champion's 100th birthday, animator and animation historian John Canemaker paid tribute to the Disney Legend on his ...
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A Lifetime Achievement Award for Dancing Diva Marge Champion
May 28, 2013 · Still Lovely to Look At: A Lifetime Achievement Award for Dancing Diva Marge Champion ... Douglas Watt Lifetime Achievement Award at the 31st ...
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Astaire Awards to Honor Marge Champion and Theodore S. Chapin
She will be honored with the Douglas Watt Lifetime Achievement Award. R&H president Chapin, who is also the author of "Everything Was Possible" - which gives ...
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"My Dance Family Tree": 5 Pros on Their Training Roots
Sep 16, 2020 · ... partnered with Maurice Hines ... Marge and Gower Champion, and Jerome Robbins—to fully understand the history of musical choreography.
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Marge Champion | Television Academy Interviews
In her five-hour interview, Marge Champion (1919-2020) talks about her early years growing up as the daughter of a choreographer in Hollywood.
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"What's Happened to Chorus Girls?": Domesticity and the Postwar ...
As Bonny's experience shows, the postwar backstage musical revealed women's discontentment in marriage. But where Bonny divorces Skid because of adultery and ...
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Snow White: Marge Champion, a Model Princess! - Animated Views
Oct 7, 2009 · She later modeled for the Blue Fairy in Pinocchio, and Hyacinth Hippo in the “Dance of the Hours” segment of Fantasia (1940), a ballet parody ...<|control11|><|separator|>
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Full cast & crew - The Swimmer (1968) - IMDb
Cast ; Burt Lancaster · Ned Merrill ; Janet Landgard · Julie Hooper ; Janice Rule · Shirley Abbott ; Tony Bickley · Donald Westerhazy ; Marge Champion · Peggy Forsburgh.
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The Marge and Gower Champion Show (TV Series 1957– ) - IMDb
Rating 6.4/10 (9) Marge and Gower Champion played themselves in this sitcom, ie, he was a choreographer and she was a dancer. Their good friend, drummer Cozy, was played by ...
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"The Bell Telephone Hour" We Two (TV Episode 1960) - IMDb
Musical variety show with this episode focusing on famous couples: recording artists Les Paul and Mary Ford; dancers Marge and Gower Champion; ...
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"The Bell Telephone Hour" Encore! (TV Episode 1961) - IMDb
Encore!: Directed by Hal Venho. With Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Gower Champion, Marge Champion, Rosemary Clooney. Van Derbur presides over great moments ...
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"The Ed Sullivan Show" Episode #8.22 (TV Episode 1955) - IMDb
Rating 6.5/10 (60) Episode #8.22: Directed by John Moffitt. With Ed Sullivan, Teresa Brewer, Marge Champion, Gower Champion. This was a tribute to Columbia Pictures studio.
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"The Ed Sullivan Show" Invitation to Moscow (TV Episode 1959)
Special 90-minute episode taped in and around Moscow with guest stars Marge and Gower Champion (dancers); Rise Stevens (mezzo-soprano opera singer) sings ...Missing: Bell Telephone Hour
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Queen of the Stardust Ballroom - Television Academy
3 Emmys ; Outstanding Achievement In Choreography - 1975 · Marge Champion ; Outstanding Achievement In Costume Design - 1975 · Bruce Walkup ; Outstanding Achievement ...