Gene Gavin went to New York City dreaming of dancing on Broadway even though he didn’t know how to dance. Determined to learn, he studied modern dance with Martha Graham and learned ballet with the many Ballet Russe exiles living in NYC after World War II. Through sheer determination, he performed with the brightest stars of his generation - Jerome Robbins, George Balanchine, Bob Fosse, Elaine Stritch, Gwen Verdon, Tanaquil LeClerq, Maria Tallchief, Carol Lawrence, and Chita Rivera. He danced in the original West Side Story, Shinbone Alley, Sail Away, Little Me, How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, Walking Happy, Bravo Giovanni, Ballets: USA. He toured Europe and Japan