Capezio
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Capezio is the trading name of Capezio Ballet Makers Inc, a specialist manufacturer of dance shoes, apparel and accessories.
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[edit] Patents
The company has a number of patents granted relating to the construction of ballet shoes, such as sound deadening (US Patent 5,101,579). They have also started applying for patents relating to apparel, such as leotards (Application 12/580,298, filed 16 Oct 2009)
[edit] History
Ballet Makers, Inc., of Totowa, New Jersey, was founded in 1887 by Salvatore Capezio.
The head of Capezio from the 1950s through the 1980s was Ben Sommers, who "became like a son to [Salvatore] Capezio", though he was not a family member.[1] Sommers branched into high fashion, and the company eventually won the coveted Coty Award in 1952 for its contributions to the industry, including its mainstream ballet flats.[1][2]
However, after that time the company faced financial difficulties. In 1980, Alfred Terlizzi, grandnephew of founder Salvatore Capezio, said in Dance magazine that "in 1966, the company was broke; Capezio, the whole corporate structure."[1] At that time, Sommers made the decision to sell the Capezio name to the U.S. Shoe Corporation. Ballet Makers, Inc., the company created in the wake of the sale of the Capezio name, currently licenses the use of this name on its dance products.[3]
[edit] Salvatore Capezio
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Salvatore Capezio was born on April 13, 1871, in Muro Lucano, Italy. In 1887, he opened his shop near the old Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. The sign above his door read "The Theatrical & Historical Shoemaker".
He began his business by repairing theatrical shoes for the Met. On the day he created an emergency pair of shoes for Jean de Reszke, Salvatore quickly made the transition from cobbler to shoemaker. He discovered dance shoes - pointe shoes in particular - to be a challenging balance between delicate construction and complex engineering.
Soon, the shop became a meeting place for dancers who would stop by to discuss their needs and pick up a pair of his shoes. One dancer in particular, Angelina Passone, a graduate of La Scala, lingered over the discussion of her shoes and later became his wife.
As his popularity grew, dancers from around the world made it a point to visit. In fact, Anna Pavlova purchased Capezio pointe shoes for herself and her entire company during her first tour of the United States in 1910. Her generous praise of his work ensured Salvatore's success.
Eventually, he entrusted his superior shoe-making techniques to his family. They joined him in the business.
Though not a family member, under Mr Capezio's tutelage Louis Bruggi became the chief designer for both Capezio's street and dance shoes. He was with the company until his death in 1978.
[edit] Recent history
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By the 1930s Capezio products were used on Broadway in the Ziegfeld Follies and in dozens of other musicals. In 1941, Claire McCardell showed the Capezio long-sole ballet shoe with her fashion collection.
At this point, Lord & Taylor, Neiman Marcus and other major stores started selling Capezio footwear. And in 1952, Capezio received the Coty Award, fashion's highest accolade.
The Capezio Dance Award was established in 1952. It was created to honor those who make a long standing, significant contribution to dance in America. The Capezio Ballet Makers Dance Foundation was established in 1953 to promote and recognize on-going achievements in dance.
[edit] Capezio today
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Among the performers who have used Capezio dancewears - Anna Pavlova, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Sammy Davis, Jr., Charles "Honi" Coles, Alicia Alonso, Bob Fosse, Mick Jagger, Liza Minnelli, Gregory Hines, Tommy Tone, Ann Reinking, Debbie Allen, Ben Vereen, Charo, Merrill Ashley, Ashley Tuttle, Rob Marshall, Fatima, Savion Glover, Brian Friedman, Madonna, Will Ferrell, Nicole Kidman and Gwen Stefani.
Capezio products have been featured in film and television productions such as MTV Made, Center Stage, The Company, Chicago, The Cotton Club, A Chorus Line, Cabaret and All That Jazz.
Capezio's customer base also includes ice skaters. This growing market led directly to the creation of Capezio Skatewear in 1998 and the selection of Olympic gold medalists Tara Lipinski, Sarah Hughes and Michael Weiss as Capezio's spokespersons.
[edit] Important dates
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2011) |
- Anna Pavlova purchased Capezio pointe shoes for herself and her principal company members during her first concert tour of the United States in 1910.
- In 1949 Capezio was featured on a cover of Vogue.
- Capezio received the Coty Award, fashion's highest accolade, in 1952.
[edit] Capezio Dance Award Honorees
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- 1952 - Zachary Solov
- 1953 - Lincoln Kirstein
- 1954 - Doris Humphrey
- 1955 - Louis Horst
- 1956 - Genevieve Oswald
- 1957 - Ted Shawn
- 1958 - Alexandra Danilova
- 1959 - Sol Hurok
- 1960 - Martha Graham
- 1961 - Ruth St. Denis
- 1962 - Barbara Karinska
- 1963 - Donald McKayle
- 1964 - José Limón
- 1965 - Maria Tallchief
- 1966 - Agnes de Mille
- 1967 - Paul Taylor
- 1968 - Lucia Chase
- 1969 - John Martin
- 1970 - William Kolodney
- 1971 - Arthur Mitchell
- 1972 - La Meri, Reginald and Gladys Laubin
- 1973 - Isadora Bennett
- 1974 - Robert Joffrey
- 1975 - Robert Augustine Irving
- 1976 - Jerome Robbins
- 1977 - Merce Cunningham
- 1978 - Hanya Holm
- 1979 - Alvin Ailey
- 1980 - Walter Terry
- 1981 - Dorothy Alexander
- 1982 - Alwin Nikolais
- 1983 - Harvey Lichtenstein
- 1984 - Willam Christensen, Harold Christensen and Lew Christensen
- 1985 - Doris Hering
- 1986 - Antony Tudor
- 1987 - Fred Astaire, Bob Fosse, Rudolf Nureyev, Jac Venza
- 1988 - Charles "Honi" Coles
- 1989 - Edward Villella
- 1990 - Jacques d'Amboise
- 1991 - John Curry, Katherine Dunham, Darci Kistler, Igor Youskevitch
- 1992 - Frederic Franklin
- 1993 - Dance/USA
- 1994 - Urban Bush Woman
- 1995 - Bruce Marks
- 1996 - Charles L. Reinhart
- 1997 - Mark Morris
- 1998 - Jacob's Pillow Trustees for the Foundation
- 1999 - Bella Lewitsky
- 2000 - David White [disambiguation needed
] - 2001 - Career Transition for Dancers
- 2002 - Michael M. Kaiser
- 2003 - The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
- 2004 - Savion Glover
- 2005 - Suzanne Farrell
- 2006 - Donald Saddler
- 2007 - Carmen de Lavallade
- 2008 - Chuck Davis
- 2009 - Arlene Shuler
- 2010 - Trisha Brown
