Carmela Dante DeFrancesco
(Millie Donay)
February 23, 1934 – July 16, 2007
Millie Donay, an Italian American was one of the great Mambo Dancers of the Palladium era. Millie was a fantastic Mambo Dancer, and creator of what we know today as “the body roll.” Millie was dancing at the Palladium at the young age of fifteen. It was her love for the dance that made people over look her age and view her more as the great dancer that she was.Millie met Cuban Pete at the Palladium Ballroom around 1950, and there was instant chemistry, so much so that she asked him to dance. She was originally a Lindy Hopper, and within due time he taught her the Mambo, as she added her jazzy moves, and began her role as being a part of Latin Dance History.
* The Lindy Hop originated from an African American style of dance. The dance was mainly based on jazz, breakaway and tap dancing. It evolved in New York City in the year 1927. Throughout time the dance became a part of the swing. It was also known as being a street dance. The elements of the dance contained partner and social dancing, along with African improvisations. The dance was also still based on a European dance eight count. During the dance the dancers would do a move called the “swing out” which is similar to what we do in salsa. It’s when the dancers are generally connected hand to hand, in another move the women are connected as if they were embracing each other.
As mentioned in the article about Cuban Pete, he and Millie Donay was the first biracial couple to ever perform on stage. They not only excited the world with their dancing, they made Mambo into an international trend, and represented a start of change on the dance floor. Crowds of people from all over would go to the Palladium*, not only to dance but also to see their favorite couple. They performed at Carnegie Hall, The Apollo Theater, Waldorf Astoria, Copacabana, Astor Hotel, the Latin Quarter in Boston with Xavier Cugat, and Madison Square Garden for Israeli President Ben Gurion. They appeared in the film, "Mambo Madness," and were even featured in LIFE magazine. They danced in nightclubs from coast-to-coast, gaining international stardom, standing ovations and all.
*(The Palladium was the first and the only non-segregated club at the time)
.
When Cuban Pete and Millie parted in 1956, they always remained good friends but through the years, and still united through their Daughter Denise Donay. Millie went solo, for a short period of time and in 1957–1960, she paired with her former rival or “competitor” Marilyn Winters, creating the first and only two-woman, Latin dance team. She then returned to dancing solo before meeting and marrying Michael Dante
DeFrancesco and had three sons. Millie Donay always encouraged dancers to watch others dance. Through that you’ll be able to not only learn other styles, but also build your own personality on the dance floor.