Editing June Taylor (section)

==Early life and career==
Taylor was born in [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]], the daughter of Percival Guy Taylor and Angela Taylor.<ref name=June/><ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://www.streetswing.com/histmai2/d2juntay.htm|title=June Taylor|publisher=StreetSwing.com|access-date=1 January 2011}}</ref> She started taking dance lessons at age eight; by age 14, she lied about her age and became one of the dancers at the Chicago nightclub, [[Chez Paree]]. At age 19, she was touring the US and Europe as a dancer in various nightclubs. She returned from London and began performing again in Chicago. In 1938, at age 21, Taylor collapsed on stage, ill with [[tuberculosis]]; she spent the next two years in a sanitarium,<ref name=bio/>  after which she turned to [[choreography]], founding her own dance troupe in 1942, which made its first professional appearance at Chicago's [[Blackhawk (restaurant)|Blackhawk restaurant]].<ref name=bio/><ref name=NYT>{{cite web | url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10913FC3E5B0C7B8DDDAC0894DC404482 | title=June Taylor, 86, Dies: Created Gleason Dances | date=18 May 2004 | work=The New York Times | access-date=1 January 2011}}</ref>

In 1946, Taylor met [[Jackie Gleason]] at a [[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]] [[nightclub]]. The two became friends when Taylor helped Gleason overcome a case of stage fright.<ref name=Sun>{{cite news | url=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-otaylor18may18,0,6636142.story | title=June Taylor, diva of dance for Jackie Gleason, dies at 86 | author=Zink, Jack | date=18 May 2004 | work=Sun-Sentinel | location=[[Deerfield Beach, Florida]] | access-date=20 January 2011}}</ref> In 1948, Taylor made her television debut on ''The Toast of the Town'' starring [[Ed Sullivan]], where six of her original dancers appeared as The Toastettes, bringing the [[chorus line]] to [[television]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MWQzAAAAIBAJ&pg=1198,3486819&dq=june+taylor&hl=en|title=I'm a Slave Driver Says June Taylor|date=10 November 1959|author=O'Day, Billie|work=The Miami News|access-date=1 January 2011}}</ref> Two years later, Taylor joined Gleason's Cavalcade of Stars, and followed him, along with 16 dancers, to ''[[The Jackie Gleason Show]]'',<ref name=June>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QqAyAAAAIBAJ&pg=2859,2452478&dq=ted+weems&hl=en|title=June, As In Platoon; She's the Topkick|author=Schnier, Sanford|date=9 August 1964|work=The Miami News|access-date=31 December 2010}}</ref> where her signature was the overhead camera shot of the dancers making [[kaleidoscope|kaleidoscopic]] geometric patterns.
[[File:June Taylor dancers gleason special.JPG|thumb|left|June Taylor Dancers with [[Jackie Gleason]] on one of his television specials.]]
Taylor was initially dubious about joining Gleason on his [[DuMont Network]] show because it meant signing a long-term contract; her husband, Sol Lerner, suggested she take the offer.<ref name=Sun/> The high-kicking, smiling routines that formed the first three minutes of each broadcast were [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]]-based and reminiscent of [[The Rockettes]]. In addition to Gleason's show, the June Taylor Dancers also made appearances at the [[General Motors Motorama]] auto shows in [[New York City|New York]] and [[Boston]] and on ''[[Stage Show]]''. Gleason and Taylor also worked together to produce a television ballet, ''Tawny'', in 1953; the music was done by Gleason and the choreography by Taylor.<ref name=bio/><ref name=NYT/><ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19530603&id=EsgtAAAAIBAJ&pg=5483,817946 | title=Jackie Gleason Gets Ovation as Composer-Conductor | date=3 June 1953 | author=Butterfield, C. E. | work=Reading Eagle | location=[[Reading, Pennsylvania]] | access-date=1 January 2011}}</ref>

Taylor won an [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography|Emmy Award]] for [[choreography]] in 1955.<ref name=June/><ref name=NYT/>  [[Mercedes Ellington]], granddaughter of [[Duke Ellington]] and daughter of [[Mercer Ellington]], became the group's first and only African-American dancer in 1963.<ref>{{cite magazine | title=Show Business' Newest Ellington | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tf7QCEexk4wC&pg=PA67 | date=December 1963 | magazine=Ebony |publisher = Johnson Publishing Company| access-date=20 January 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d8EDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA61 | title=Pick Duke's Granddaughter As June Taylor Dancer | date=26 September 1963 | magazine=Jet | publisher=Johnson Publishing Company | access-date=20 January 2011}}</ref> In a [[Dance Magazine]] article after Taylor's death, Mercedes Ellington emphasized Taylor's role as a mentor in her career, saying that “she looked after me.”<ref>{{Cite news|last=Ellington|first=Mercedes|date=October 2004|title=Choreographer-director Mercedes Ellington talks about June Taylor (1918-2004)|work=Dance Magazine}}</ref> In 1965, the June Taylor Dancers added male performers to the troupe.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IrgyAAAAIBAJ&pg=579,1421244&dq=june+taylor&hl=en | title=June Taylor Dancers Going to Add Men | author=Ash, Agnes | date=5 August 1965 | work=The Miami News | access-date=1 January 2011}}</ref>

In 1978, Taylor, who lived in [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida]], after Gleason moved production of his show from New York to [[Miami Beach]], began choreographing the [[Miami Dolphins]] [[cheerleader|cheerleading squad]], the Dolphin Starbrites, and served in this capacity until 1990.<ref name=NYT/> The Starbrites, famous for their one-piece [[bathing suit]]s and [[go-go boot]]s, performed Broadway-style [[halftime show]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dance-legend-june-taylor-dies/|title=Dance Legend June Taylor Dies|author=Esterbrook, John|date=18 May 2004|publisher=CBS News|access-date=20 January 2011}}</ref>
{{clear|left}}