Chita Rivera
Chita Rivera
Chita Riverais an American actress, dancer, and singer best known for her roles in musical theatre. She is the first Hispanic woman and the first Latino American to receive a Kennedy Center Honors award. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009...
NationalityPuerto Rican
ProfessionStage Actress
Date of Birth23 January 1933
winning winner minutes
After about 15 minutes, you feel that you're winning them over.
kids feel-good focus
It's important that the kids stay busy. It's important that they have something to focus on, and something that they feel good about.
challenges
I have always loved a challenge.
angel america san-francisco
San Francisco has just blown us all away. I also understand Angels in America didn't do well there.
boring comfortable
I'm not comfortable with just me, me, me. That's boring.
easter new-york people
We were taking collections for people with AIDS in New York around Easter.
believe language speak
I'm bugged because I can't believe I can't speak every language there is. But I feel I can when I sit and am with somebody, and I can dance for them. Because dance is dialogue without language.
painful looking-back
Looking back doesn't have to be painful.
believe important culture
I do believe that separation can be a bit damaging at times. To be happy about yourself and your culture and all of that is necessary and fulfilling, but the whole tapestry is what's important.
dance mother president
Mother loved dance so much that she thought (ballerina) Margot Fonteyn should be the president.
memories single-mom film
Many of the shows I danced in don't exist on film, but they do exist in the memories of those who were in the theater for that single moment in time. And nothing can replace that.
believe heart soul
I am young in my energy because I really still believe that we can share who we are, and we can wipe off on each other. I see this huge tapestry when we're born, and this red blob that's your soul or your heart.
light theatre speak
You take a plug and put it in a socket, and that's what the theatre is-it lights up right away. You speak, and they respond immediately.
brave face jokes kinda run texas
I don't know what Texas is all about. We kinda make jokes about it, like being run out of town. But we're brave enough to face it.