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Christopher Gillis
(February 26, 1951 - August 7, 1993) Canada - USA

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Dancer, choreographer

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Christopher Gillis was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He was the son of the late Gene Gillis, a USA Olympic skier, and Rhona Wurtele, a Canadian Olympic skier who competed in the 1948 Winter Olympics along with her twin sister Rhoda.

Christopher GillisHis sister, Margie Gillis, is also a dancer and choreographer; they were dance partners from childhood and collaborated on numerous shows. Christopher was an important gay male dancer and choreographer and member of the Paul Taylor Dance Company. He began his dance training in 1972 with two American modern-dance choreographers, May O'Donnell and Norman Walker. He also studied with Mr. Taylor, Finis Jhung and Cindi Green.

Christopher Gillis was a prototypical Taylor dancer, with a compact body and a boyishly serious manner through which a glint of humor often showed.

His brother, Jere Gillis, played professional hockey from 1977 to 1987 for the Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers, Quebec Nordiques, Buffalo Sabres, and the Philadelphia Flyers.

He joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in 1976 in New York City. He lived and worked in New York for the next seventeen years.

An experienced dancer and budding choreographer Christopher had been designated Taylor's heir apparent. However, he died at his home in Manhattan, from Aids-related complications. He was 42.

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Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - http://www.nytimes.com/

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