Overseas Network, October 23. Marge Champion, the prototype of Disney animation “Snow White”, died in Los Angeles on the 21st local time at the age of 101.
According to the “New York Times” report, Maggie’s son Greg Champion confirmed Maggie’s death. Greg said that because of the new coronavirus pandemic, his mother has been living with him for the past six months. Greg did not disclose the cause of Maggie’s death.
Greg said: “The last time she performed on Broadway was when she was 82 years old. She danced with her partner Donald Saddler and performed 8 times a week for 6 months. She has been dancing. Until the age of 100.”
In 1919, Maggie was born in Hollywood, her original name is Marjorie Celeste Belcher (Marjorie Celeste Belcher). Her father Ernest Belcher was a ballet teacher and a friend of Walt Disney. Maggie learns to dance since childhood. She was hired by Disney in 1937 to act as an action model for the protagonist Snow White in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” In 1940, Maggie provided action prototypes for the blue fairy in “Pinocchio” and the ballet dancing hippo in “Fantasia”. After that, Maggie has successively participated in the choreography of many movies, TV series, Broadway musicals, such as “Mr. Music”, “Being Beautiful”, “Show Boat”, “Beggar’s Holiday” and “Stardust Queen”.
In the 1950s, Maggie was famous for starring in a series of MGM musicals with her husband and dance partner Gower Champion. In 1975, she won an Emmy Award for her role as a director in the movie “Queen of the Stardust Ballroom.”
