Phil Black was an extremely popular NYC-based modern jazz dance
teacher & choreographer from the '50's to the present. He was born in
Brooklyn,NY around 1918. I need his birth date & yr. I can pay $3.00.

---

Request for Question Clarification by luciaphile-ga on 10 Dec 2002 16:42 PST

Hi bluestreak-ga,

How sure are you about the birth year? I found an article in the NY
Times from 2002 that puts Black at 71-years-old which would make him
born around 1931. The article mentions an affiliation with the
Broadway Dance Center. Thanks!

Regards,
luciaphile-ga

---

Clarification of Question by bluestreak-ga on 10 Dec 2002 17:48 PST

luciaphile,                                                           
         It's always a joy to assist you in assisting me. Phil Black
is one of those people who like to tease about their age. In the lind
provided by journalist below, in the interview, Phil talks about being
22, just home from the Navy after WWII, which would place his
birthyear around 1923. So he's a tease. He likes to tell his
interviewers that he'll tell his age when he stops teaching,
presumably so no one will judge him unfairly and not take his classes.
I don't know if this is helpful.  I think one would have to use a
state birth index if we knew where he was born, which I don't. 
Bluestreak

The only extensive reference I found of him at length is "Black Magic
- Phil Black brings a lifetime of experience to his classes" by
Melanie Futorian located at
http://www.dance-teacher.com/backissues/oct00/classactions_black.shtml.
 Age references mentioned but no birthdate.

Journalist,                                                           
         I must thank you for looking at Phil.  This is the kind of
interview Phil gives a lot. He never gives his date of birth. He
always plays cute & coy. One needs to do another level of digging.
I've searched dance reference books. I'm always impressed when someone
uses the Library of Congress, census, or stuff like that.