Basil Napier Durant (1889-1959) was an American ballroom dancer. Durant danced in vaudeville,[1] and he performed at entertainment venues around the U.S. and Europe[2]
In April 1916, Durant and Hawkesworth debuted in vaudeville at the Palace Theatre in New York City.[7] Their successful performance at a nightclub event at the Plaza Hotel helped make this possible. Durant and Hawkesworth danced before a midnight carnival with an audience of 2,000.[8] Their dances from these two events included the Piping Rock One Step, the Valse Fantasy, the Pre-Catalan Tango, and the Plaza Trot.[1]
During the 1920s, Durant performed at charity events. He danced at a circus event hosted by the Spence School's Alumni Association at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in New York City in 1926.[9]
Durant married Virginia Claire Rigg on March 19, 1923 - page 1456 of new york, new york marriage license index, 1907-1995. After they divorced, he married Marjorie McCall (Shields) Durant in 1928.
References
^ abSlide, Anthony (2012). "Dancers". The Encyclopedia of Vaudeville. p. 119. "Basil Napier Durant and Margaret Hayesworth played the Palace in April after a 1916 after a successful nightclub engagement at the Plaza Hotel."
^ ab"Miss Moore Prefers Vaudeville". The New York Times. June 28, 1914.
^ abDurant, William; Grant Rose, Alexander (1996). The Durant genealogy: a history of the descendants of George and Elizabeth (---------) Durant of Malden, Mass. and Middletown, Conn. pp. 208–209.
^"Dances for Parisians; Washington Girl Helps Make Hesitation Waltz Popular; Has Many Engagements; Miss Margaret Hawkesworth, With Basil Durant as Partner, Makes a Decided Hit at Duchess de Tallyrand's Palace. Also Looking for Entertainment Novelties for Next Newport Season". The Washington Post. May 31, 1914.
^"Two European Dances for Newport". The New York Times. July 3, 1914.
^"Topping The Vaudeville Bills". The New York Times. April 9, 1916. "Basil Durant and Margaret Hawkesworth, making their vaudeville debut in a program of vaudeville dances."
^"Biggest New Year Planned By Hotels". The New York Times. December 31, 1915.
^"Spinsters' "Circus Night"". The New York Times. March 9, 1924.
^Bush, James W.; Binder, Alan K.; Ferris, Deebe (2000). "Dressed Like a Movie Star". General Motors in the 20th century. p. 68.
^"Earl Van Sickle". The New York Times. March 2, 1966.