Jeff Kutash Explained

Jeff Kutash
Birth Date:8 April 1945
Birth Place:Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Field:Dance and choreography
Movement:Street dance

Jeff Kutash (born 1945) is an American dancer and choreographer.

Early life

Jeff was born in Cleveland, Ohio. As a teen, he was a middleweight Golden Gloves boxer.[1]

Career

Jeff Kutash began his entertainment career in Cleveland, Ohio, as a dancer/choreographer of the musical variety show Upbeat, which was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2013.[2] [3] He has choreographed for James Brown, Otis Redding, Jackie Wilson, John Travolta, Muhammad Ali, Michael Jackson, Bette Midler, Cher and Jerry Lewis. He served as a Live Show Attraction Director for Elvis Presley, Dick Clark, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Tom Jones.[4]

Kutash created Las Vegas' first water show, Splash, which was a long-running hit for 20 years and paved the way for O.[5] His unique brand of "Street Dancing" is credited with invigorating Las Vegas' shows for a younger audience, innovating a format that had been held by French-themed revues that filled the nightclubs.[6]

Personal life

Jeff currently resides in Las Vegas, NV. In September 1997, he testified in a trial denying accusations of bribing a judge for a favorable outcome concerning his show Splash in Las Vegas.[7] He is divorced with one daughter, and has a long term girlfriend.

Notes and References

  1. News: Jeff Kutash's Street-Style Showdancing . Lewis . Segal . . Las Vegas . 222 . 1986-08-31 . 2024-06-01 . Newspapers.com.
  2. News: Stepping up . Lee . Branst . . Cleveland, Ohio . 72 . 1979-04-27 . 2024-06-01 . Newspapers.com.
  3. Web site: R&B; Hall of Fame makes Cleveland its home... for now . Kabir . Bhatia . . 2013-08-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130906234913/http://wksu.org/news/story/36558 . 2013-09-06 . dead . 2024-06-01.
  4. Web site: Los Angeles Times: Jeff Kutash Profile.
  5. Web site: "Splash!" Vegas Live Show.
  6. Web site: LA Times Interview: Jeff Kutash's "Street Dancing".
  7. Web site: Las Vegas Sun: Kutash Calls His Accusers "Liars".