Chita Rivera in Broadway’s “West Side Story”.Photo:John Springer Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty
John Springer Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty
Chita Riveracontinued herWest Side Storyperformances well into her pregnancy — much to her doctor’s worries.
TheBroadway legend died Tuesday, Jan. 30, at age 91, her daughter Lisa Mordente announced in a statement.
While promoting her memoir last year, Rivera recalledon CBS’sSunday Morninghow her gynecologist reacted to seeing her dance onstage while six months pregnant.
“Yes. My gynecologist had a heart attack when he finally saw the show. But I had kept in shape,” she said with a laugh.
Rivera, who in 1957 originated the role of Anita in the Broadway classicWest Side Story,welcomed daughter Lisa with ex-husband Tony Mordente, a fellow dancer.
When asked if her time as a dancer “helped [her] to survive stardom,” Rivera said on CBS’sSunday Morningslast year, “I do believe that being a dancer gave me the ability to fight, and to withstand, and to cope. If I come back, I want to come back a dancer. That would be my second life.”
Chita Rivera on Nov. 1, 2022.Dia Dipasupil/Getty
Dia Dipasupil/Getty
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
She earned 10 Tony Award nominations over the course of her groundbreaking career, and she won two: forThe RinkandKiss of the Spider Woman.She was also awarded with a Lifetime Achievement honor in 2018. She’s also remembered for the iconicBye, Bye BirdieandChicagomusicals.
In an interview withThe Guardianin May, Rivera said her childhood and family shaped her future: “You learn how to defend yourself when you’re one of five, you know? You want to survive — and survive joyfully. There’s nothing better than a good laugh."
Chita Rivera on May 22, 2023.Jason Mendez/Getty
Jason Mendez/Getty
“I was brought up in a very Catholic household. I was quite comfortable looking forward to being a nun,” she toldThe Guardian. “Most young Catholic girls have that feeling. But then I went and fell through the coffee table and my mother put me in ballet school.”
In a 2023AARP Magazineprofile, Rivera said she’s proudest of her dance skills, despite also being a decorated singer and actress.
“I still prefer being called a dancer. I come from the chorus and the family that comes with being a part of the show. In rehearsal, you laid out your heart and soul from 10 to 6 daily,” she said at the time. “Dancers are very open people. What you see is what we are. We’re told what to do and we do it. And that’s the way it was with singing and acting too, but I wouldn’t change being a dancer for anything in the world.”
Rivera’s family asks donations in her memory be made toBroadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
source: people.com
