Donald Himes

Not to be confused with Donald Heins.

Donald Himes (1930[1] in Galt, Ontario[2] — January 3, 2011)[3] was a Canadian dancer, choreographer, educator, and composer best known for his work on the children's program Mr. Dressup, whose theme song he wrote.

Education

In 1952, Himes studied Dalcroze eurhythmics at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, during which time he also taught piano. In 1954, he received a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts to attend the Institut Jaques-Dalcroze in Geneva.[4] He also attended the Martha Graham School "in the mid-1960s".[1]

Career

Himes taught at a variety of institutions throughout Ontario, including the National Ballet School; he also taught at New York State University.[4] His students included David Earle.[1] He worked with Patricia Beatty as an accompanist, and when Beatty, Earle, and Peter Randazzo co-founded Toronto Dance Theatre in 1968, he participated both as a performer and choreographer;[3][2] as well, he co-composed the music for Toronto Dance Theatre's premiere (a joint venture with Ann Southam),[1] and when the Theatre established a school in 1970, served as its first principal.[3] In 1972, he adapted Jean de Brunhoff's Babar the Elephant stories into a ballet,[2] Babar the Little Elephant,[5] which he choreographed and narrated;[6] the ballet went on tour and was performed in France.[3]

In 1964, Himes joined the cast of Butternut Square on CBC Television, where he portrayed "the Music Man".[7] In this role, he worked with Ernie Coombs and Fred Rogers;[4] when Butternut Square ended in 1967, he followed Coombs to Mr. Dressup,[2] where he not only composed the theme song, but performed it live on air.[3][4]

Himes retired from Mr. Dressup in 1996,[2] but remained active as a performer, appearing in Holly Small's ballet Souls in 2001, and in David Earle's ballet Court in 2003.[3]

He was a practitioner of the Feldenkrais method of movement therapy.[1]

Personal life

Himes was gay.[8]

In December 2010, he underwent hip replacement surgery, but subsequently died of heart failure.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Donald Himes (1930–2011), by Amy Bowring, at The Dance Current; published January 7, 2011; retrieved July 21, 2025
  2. ^ a b c d e Mr. Dressup composer Donald Himes dies at 80, at CBC Arts; published January 6, 2011; retrieved July 21, 2025
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Dance man worked with Mr. Dressup: Popular Toronto teacher, dancer and choreographer Donald Himes has died at age 80., by Michael Crabb; in the Toronto Star; published January 10, 2011; retrieved July 21, 2025
  4. ^ a b c d Donald Himes Memorial Scholarship, at Dalcroze Canada; retrieved July 21, 2025
  5. ^ Noticeboard, in Dance in Canada / Danse au Canada, no. 15 (Spring 1978); p. 38; also p. 19
  6. ^ Babar the dleightfully sophisticated Pooh, by Stephen Godfrey, in The Globe and Mail; March 21, 1978; p. 21
  7. ^ Statement by the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, on the Passing of Donald Himes, by James Moore; at Canada.ca; published January 6, 2011; retrieved July 21, 2025
  8. ^ The sweet radicalism of Mr. Dressup, the Canadian Mister Rogers, by S. Bear Bergman, in Xtra Magazine; published October 10, 2023; retrieved July 21, 2025
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