Biography

Merrill Brockway was born on February 28, 1923 in New Carlisle, Indiana, USA. Merrill was a director and producer, known for Great Performances: Dance in America (1976), Great Performances (1971) and Dance and Dancers (1981). Merrill died on May 2, 2013 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.

He served in the Army in Europe in World War II as a chaplain's driver, and played piano for the chaplain's services.

He earned a master of arts degree in musicology from Columbia University. After graduating, he worked as an accompanist for singers.

He realized he would never be a professional classical pianist. He saw the potential of television, and in 1953 took a job at WCAU, the CBS affiliate in Philadelphia. His first job was moving scenery for "Action in the Afternoon," a daily half-hour western. Within a year he was promoted to director, and worked on educational and children's programs.

He became interested in dance when he attended a performance by Martha Graham. He went on to present many of the 20th century's greatest dancers and choreographers on the PBS series Great Performances: Dance in America (1976).