Nanci Hammond: Artistic Director, Living Archive, and Guardian of Dance Culture

From the June Taylor Dancers to Michael Peters — a career built on passion, longevity, and the belief that dancers are the most awesome people on the planet

By Dance Mogul Magazine

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Introduction

In a culture that often prizes the new over the proven, Nanci Hammond is a reminder that longevity in dance is not about age — it is about fire. A career spanning film, television, theater, Broadway touring companies, and magic shows, Hammond has danced alongside some of the most influential figures in American entertainment. Today, as the Artistic Director of the Performing Arts Center in Van Nuys, California, she is focused on something even more important: making sure the next generation knows where the culture came from and what it means to live as an artist.

In this exclusive Dance Mogul Magazine interview, Hammond shares her journey from a small dance studio in Fresno, California, to the Broadway stage, to working with legends like Michael Peters, Lester Wilson, Gower Champion, Michael Kidd, and Debbie Reynolds — and why she believes dance is the single most important thing a human being can do for their mental and emotional health.

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The Beginning: Fresno, France, and the Dream of Being a June Taylor Dancer

Nanci Hammond grew up in Fresno, California, where her first and most formative teacher was Denise Baines, a dance instructor who had originally come from France. Baines did something that shaped the rest of Hammond's life: she instilled in her not just technique, but a love for the arts themselves. That distinction — between learning steps and falling in love with the art form — is at the heart of everything Hammond teaches today.

As a young dancer watching television, Hammond was captivated by the great variety shows of the era. The Carol Burnett Show (choreographed by Ernie Flatt), The Red Skelton Show, and above all, the June Taylor Dancers — the legendary precision dance troupe featured on The Jackie Gleason Show. Hammond dreamed of becoming a June Taylor Dancer, and eventually she did, appearing as "Dancer Number 16" (Taylor famously numbered all her dancers) on a television special.

She also cites Gower Champion — the Tony Award-winning choreographer and director who shaped Broadway musicals like Hello, Dolly! and 42nd Street — as a major early influence. Champion choreographed Hammond's first Equity touring company production: Annie Get Your Gun with Debbie Reynolds. She also worked with Michael Kidd, another legendary Broadway and film choreographer known for Guys and Dolls, The Band Wagon, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

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Beyond Dance: The Magic Years

Hammond's career took an unexpected turn when she became a magician's assistant — first for Doug Henning, and then for Harry Blackstone Jr. Both men were among the most celebrated stage magicians of the 20th century.

Doug Henning (1947–2000) was the Canadian illusionist who revitalized magic as mainstream entertainment in the 1970s with his Broadway hit The Magic Show and a series of NBC television specials that drew audiences of over 50 million. He created illusions for Earth, Wind & Fire and Michael Jackson's 1984 Victory Tour. Henning died of liver cancer in 2000 at age 52.

Harry Blackstone Jr. (1934–1997) was the son of the legendary Harry Blackstone Sr. and one of the most famous magicians in American history. He performed his father's classic illusions alongside original work for decades on stage and television. Blackstone Jr. died in 1997 at age 62.

Hammond loved the world of magic, but dance always remained her first and deepest calling.

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Working with Michael Peters and Lester Wilson

Of all the choreographers Hammond worked with, two stand above the rest: Lester Wilson and Michael Peters. She describes them as her favorites — the artists who most profoundly changed how she danced and how she understood her own artistry.

She worked with Michael Peters multiple times, including a television production in Italy and industrial shows in the United States. Her description of Peters' rehearsal process is vivid and revealing: "When you rehearsed a piece for Michael, you rehearsed it. You had to be eating your Wheaties and taking your vitamins for the first day of rehearsal, because you might do one step for an hour and a half until you got it the way he liked it."

Hammond keeps a picture of Michael Peters in her studio to this day — because she believes that if the next generation doesn't learn about the people who built the foundation, those pioneers will be forgotten. Peters died on August 29, 1994, at age 46. His work lives on in every music video that tells a story through dance. For a deeper exploration of his legacy, read our MJ Pillar Series: The Choreographers Behind Michael Jackson.

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The Studio: 1992 to Today

Hammond and her husband Joe Malone founded their performing arts center in 1992. The decision was rooted in a deeply held belief: the arts are critical for the mental health and emotional wellbeing of human beings. Not just dancers. All human beings.

They built the program deliberately, starting with ballet and adding disciplines over time as the business grew. Street dance was the last department added — not because it was less important, but because building a sustainable arts business requires patience. Hammond understands street dance's unique power: "It speaks to so many kids' hearts that may not think they have any particular talent or they may not have a dancer's body, but for people who can just move with a groove and feel that inside — that's something really important."

Dance as Mental Health

Hammond's view on the relationship between dance and mental health is among the most important statements in this interview. During upper division evaluations, she speaks directly to young students about what dance offers beyond technique:

On Forgotten Pioneers

One of Hammond's greatest concerns is that pivotal figures in dance history are being forgotten. She describes a horrifying reality: students in her upper division classes sometimes don't know who Fred Astaire is. That's why she incorporates dance history into her curriculum — sharing the stories of the people who made the art form possible. Without intentional effort, the culture loses its roots.

"There are so many young people with tremendous talent that, if it doesn't get nurtured, goes unnoticed. If they don't get fortunate enough to end up on So You Think You Can Dance or America's Got Talent, or have a family or community that supports them — there's a lot of people we don't even know about."

Longevity Through Movement

At an age when many performers have long since left the stage, Hammond still takes class, still performs, and still dances in concerts. She credits dance itself as the reason. She points to a woman in her 80s who takes ballet class twice a week and looks decades younger: "Her life force and her zest for life — dance is the way to go as far as I'm concerned as a human being."

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The Bonds of the Dance World

Hammond speaks with genuine warmth about the relationships formed through dance — bonds created in a week, a month, or a year that never fade. "The next time you see each other, it's like no time has passed," she says. These connections, forged through shared physical and emotional experience, are unlike anything else in life.

This understanding shapes how she runs her studio. The upper division program (ages 8–18) is built around more than technique. Students learn about the history of the people who came before them. They learn about competition — not as warfare, but as friendly striving where you root for everyone to do well. They learn to see themselves as athletes who must also be compassionate human beings.

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The Legends Nanci Worked With

Nanci Hammond's career connected her to some of the most important figures in American entertainment. Several are no longer with us, but their contributions remain foundational to the art form.

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Why This Interview Matters

Nanci Hammond represents something the dance world cannot afford to lose: institutional memory. She has lived through the transition from variety television to music videos, from stage shows to competition culture, from segregated dance traditions to the fusion that defines modern performance. Her studio is not just a school — it is a bridge between the past and the future.

Her insistence on teaching history alongside technique is an act of cultural preservation. Her commitment to developing human beings — not just dancers — is a model for arts education everywhere. And her refusal to stop dancing, performing, and growing is proof that the art form rewards those who stay committed to it.

At Dance Mogul Magazine, we believe these stories are the foundation. Without them, the culture has no roots. This interview — along with the companion piece featuring her husband, Joe Malone — is part of our mission to build a living archive of dance history, told by the people who made it.

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Read the companion interview: Joe Malone: A Dancer's Oral History of American Entertainment

Explore more dance history in our MJ Pillar Series | Visit the Dance Styles Hub

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