Danny Boy 1943-2023

Both a lapsed subscription and so-so web connections to the dance world outside the United States, I stumbled upon news of Danny Grossman’s death when I told Carolyn Carvajal that her younger daughter, Lena Hall, should connect with Danny when appearing in Toronto this coming October. Both individuals native San Franciscans, both achieved their dancing and theatrical prominence a continent away from our foggy shores. Yet both enjoyed encouragement and support here in their formative years, Danny’s was more startling in pre high school of the arts, formally named to honor Ruth Asawa’s effective advocacy.

Handsome eulogies for Danny can be found on the web, Canadian writers paying tribute to the San Franciscan turned Canadian citizen, among them Michael Crabbe in Dance International and Brad Heller for The Toronto Globe and Mail, among others. I found both touching, just and gratifying, especially because in our brief encounters, I felt I had found a friend.

I knew Danny studied with Gloria Unti and was a classmate of Margaret Jenkins.  Their connection was further strengthened because Margie shared longshoreman ties with Danny’s father, Aubrey, who was an attorney deeply involved in, Native American struggles [Alcatraz’ occupation being the most prominent].  Earlier, labor unions and civil rights was an emphasis. Aubrey was the lawyer for Harry Bridges, the Australian-born, West Coast Longshoremans organizer. Aubrey kept the U.S. Government from deporting Bridges for his labor activities.

There are some lovely references for Aubrey to be found on the Web. Native to San Bernardino, and unusual for someone at the time, as a young man of Eastern European Jewish parentage, he played football. That fact Hazel, Irish and Catholic and his future wife, to consider him, like all football players, stupid.

 Audrey with Hazel, his wife, were ardent progressives In a conversation with Danny when he was here when his father was moved to the Jewish Home for the Elderly, Danny mentioned that at he family went underground in New York for a period, clearly at the height of the McCarthy Senate investigations. 

Among Aubrey’s other remarkable achievements was securing licensing procedures for Chinese herbalists.  A book of Chinese printing reproductions was an additional result, evidence of appreciation which Hazel proudly produced.

Danny remarked when he was at Connecticut College he knew he had to impress Paul Taylor , resulting in the decade-long association with Taylor’s company.  Performing as Danny Williams, he was one of the original dancers in the iconic work, “Three Epitaphs,” its loping, floppy style well suited to Danny’s energetic movements. Danny also expressed some misgivings at using his mother’s name rather than his father’s, which he corrected when moving to Toronto where he was to spend the bulk of his career as dancer and choreography.

It must have been when Danny returned after his mother’s death hat he brought with him two or three tapes he shared with me in the family home that hung over the Glen Park Canyon in one of the S.F. Redevelopment that transformed that inner section of other city in the late 50’s.  One was Bella, charming and improbable.  The other was of Danny appearing in drag at a Gala fund-raiser for the National Ballet of Canada. He chuckled as he played it for me, and, given the times, it was quite a sensation, dressed in sa street length, raspberry hued dress with long sleeves and plunging neckline with glittering dripping earrings and medium-heeled pumps.  Grinning with his moon-shaped smile, one could hear the audience both gasping and approving.

Danny and his partner had purchased property in St. Kitts and planned to retire there.  I don’t know if anything developed of this, for he also was aware that the subsidy he had enjoyed from the Canadian Arts Council was due to stop, and he concentrated on recording his works and making arrangements for licensing and staging.

In one discussion about the father-son relationship, Danny mentioned how difficult it was for Aubrey to express emotion, but, Danny also knew his father was proud of him. “When my company came to San Francisco and we danced at ODC’s Performance Gallery, Aubrey called in all the cards of his Longshoreman’s connections to make sure that Danny and his Company performed to a full house.”.