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 Burmann died peacefully on Monday, five days before his 81st
birthday, in Mount Sinai West hospital in New York City, where
he tested positive for the virus, said his health care proxy and
friend, Jane Haugh.
"If there's no coronavirus in the world, we would have been able
to be at Willy's bedside. The issue would have been simpler or
narrowed to his kidneys," she told Reuters late Tuesday.
"There are many ideas about how to celebrate his life. But
nobody can make any plans right now."
Burmann's classes in New York City attracted a Who's Who list of
not just ballet stars, but also Broadway and modern dancers
seeking to hone their craft under his meticulous eye. He taught
in various studios before joining Steps on Broadway in 1984,
offering five classes a week until they were suspended on March
20 due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Regular students included stars such as Julio Bocca and
Alessandra Ferri of American Ballet Theatre, and Wendy Whelan
and Maria Kowroski of New York City Ballet (NYCB).
Burmann's death marks the end of an era of legendary teachers
such as Stanley Williams, Maggie Black and David Howard in New
York. The marriage of music and movement with a 21st century
sensibility defined his approach.
Wilhelm Burmann, born in Germany in 1939, began his ballet
training at the age of 16 in Essen. Despite a late start, he was
a principal at Frankfurt Ballet, Grand Theatre du Genève and
Stuttgart Ballet before dancing at NYCB for four years in the
early 1970s. He also served as ballet master for Washington
Ballet and Ballet du Nord.
Tall and terse, Burmann intimidated newcomers with his simple
but fast exercises, deadpan expression and withering glare.
Generations of dancers braved his tough love to gain morsels of
insight on how to elevate performance into art.
"'Come clean up this mess you left here on my floor,' he would
say to dancers who carelessly executed a combination of steps,"
Haugh recalled.
"His coaching gave me an incredible freedom on stage, his
presence gave me strength," said Ferri, a regular in Burmann's
classes even after retirement.
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"The thing I'll never get over is that experience of witnessing
miracle after miracle in that room. 'Try this, and see,' it would
work," marveled former New York City Ballet principal Wendy Whelan,
Burmann's student for almost 30 years who was named NYCB's associate
artistic director in February.
"That was the greatest gift in my life."
Burmann's classes made no sense to Christina Johnson until a
colleague insisted she stick with them for two weeks.
"He completely changed my understanding of classical ballet," said
the former Dance Theatre of Harlem principal. "You can't deny when
your technique gets better that you're doing the right thing."
"Taking his class was like getting a PhD in ballet," said former
NYCB soloist Tom Gold, who recruited Burmann as artistic associate
of his own dance company two decades ago.
"It wasn't about the highest legs or the most turns. It's about
music, movement. He never considered himself to be of any style or
format. He wanted people to dance like contemporary dancers but in a
classical way."
Former Paris Opera Ballet star Isabel Guerin would take his classes
during her visits to New York.
"Willy was unique," Guerin said, adding that his classes were like a
"science lab" where dancers from all of the world could experience
Willy's knowledge of ballet technique.
Burmann is survived by his sister Chrystal Weideman in Germany, and
grand nieces of his late partner of 25 years, Alfonso Cata, who had
been artistic director of Ballet du Nord.
(Reporting by Richard Chang; editing by Diane Craft)
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