Georges Reich (December 15, 1926 â May 4, 2013) was an American-born dancer, choreographer, actor, composer, and director who played a pivotal role in the French cabaret and modern dance scenes of the 1950s and 1960s. He is also widely recognized for his high-profile romantic partnership with the iconic French actor Jean Marais.
Reich was born in Patchogue, Long Island, New York. He began his professional dance training in the United States, performing with the Ballet Markova Dolin Company. He launched his career on Broadway, appearing in the musicals Inside U.S.A. (1948) and Touch and Go (1949).
In the early 1950s, Reich signed a six-month contract to dance at the Lido de Paris, a stay that eventually extended to 18 years in France. In 1955, he founded The Ballet HO de George Reich, the first company to introduce American-style modern dance to the French public.
He was a star at the Moulin Rouge, the Olympia Music Hall, and the Ballet de Paris. Notably, he was the first male principal at the Lido to wear a mirrored G-string, a costume designed for a routine choreographed by Gwen Verdon.
He was offered a seven year contract to stay with MGM Studios. Despite receiving an MGM contract offer following The Glass Slipper (1955), he returned to France. Other film roles included School for Love (1955) and Black Tights (1961).
He directed and choreographed shows for legendary performers including Josephine Baker (Paris Mes Amours, 1957), Marlene Dietrich, Edith Piaf, Brigitte Bardot, and Line Renaud.
After his tenure in France, Reich moved back to the United States. He became a major influence in the cruise industry, where his choreography and direction became the standard for Carnival Cruise Line production shows for several decades.
Reich was the romantic companion of actor Jean Marais from approximately 1948 to 1959. The pair were known for their striking physical resemblanceâÂÂboth were athletic and blondeâÂÂand lived together on a péniche (houseboat) named L'Apprenti fakir on the Seine. Marais, an accomplished artist, used Reich as a frequent subject for his paintings and sculptures.
He died in Dallas, Texas, in 2013.
As a prominent gay American living in Paris during the mid-20th century, his open relationship with Jean Marais and his presence in artistic circles like Cherry Grove on Fire Island made him a significant figure in early LGBTQ+ history. His physical "unworldly handsome" appearance remains immortalized in the paintings and sculptures of Jean Marais, securing his place in 20th-century French art history.
Reich's most enduring commercial legacy is in the cruise industry. His choreography and direction became the foundational mainstay for Carnival Cruise Line. Through his company, Le Ballet HO, Reich was the first to introduce American-style modern dance to the French public in the 1950s.