Muriel Manings was born in Newark, New Jersey on April 5, 1923 and passed away in New York, NY on October 25, 2018. Her parents Irving Manings and Dora Silver were born in Russia. The family, including a son, Allan, born March 28 1924, moved to Staten Island in 1926 where the parents operated a United Cigar store "Candy Store" for many years.
Muriel took ballet, tap, and acrobatics at the Ruth Vernon School of Dance starting at age 3, continuing into high school. At Brooklyn College she was introduced to modern dance and received a scholarship at the New Dance Group. For years she traveled from Staten Island to Brooklyn College and the to Manhattan to continue her dance training, graduating in 1945.
She went on to teach at New Dance Group for over 25 years and was on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee. She also trained at the Martha Graham School and the Hanya Holm Studio as well as ballet, most notably with Benjamin Harkavy. She danced with Marie Marchowsky, the Dudley-Maslow-Bales, New Dance Group and Sophie Maslow Companies. Manings was the director of the New Dance Group Repertory Dancers, the Muriel Manings Dance Company, and the Repertory Dancers of New Jersey.
She was guest teacher and choreographer for Esequela des Artes and Cojunto Moderna in Cuba, 1971 and 1984. As a master teacher she taught at Connecticut College American Dance Festival and the 92nd Street Y.M & Y.W.H.A. and at Buck's Rock in New Milford, CT, a camp for gifted teenagers.
She retired from Queensboro Community College, CUNY, where she served as associate professor of dance and coordinator of the dance program, 1970-1990.
In her 70s and 80s, she performed in several performances of "From the Horse's Mouth."
Ms. Manings is past president of the American Dance Guild serving two terms and under its aegis produced the historical New Dance Group Retrospective Gala Concert in 1993 and co-produced the accompanying American Dance Guild/New Dance Group Gala Concert video. She served on the advisory committee sponsored by the American Dance Legacy Institute to produce "Dancing Rebels, New Dance Group: 1930's, 40's 50's" currently housed at the National Dance Museum.
She was married to William Korff for 50 years. Bill was an actor, drama director and teacher, and one of the founders of New Drama, one of the first integrated off-Broadway theater groups. He died in 2002. Their son Steven Korff and his wife Marcia Van Wagner have two sons, Graham and James Van Korff.
Ms. Manings' memoirs have been published in "Nine Years of Thursdays: 8 Women's Stories."
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