de Haven, René

Dancer and choreographer René de Haven was born Joseph Wellinton McIntosh in Oklahoma in 1922. He later moved to California to be closer to his sister and worked various jobs to earn money. De Haven and his sister enjoyed dancing at night clubs and de Haven was naturally talented as a dancer. After an encounter with a psychic, he decided to pursue dancing professionally. Camargo Studios gave de Haven a scholarship to train. He was soon hired to dance in Mexico where he stayed over four years before returning to the United States. De Haven came to Las Vegas, Nevada for the first time in 1954, and he worked as a professional dancer in both Las Vegas and Los Angeles, California. He worked on notable films including Singing in the Rain and Jailhouse Rock. De Haven had a heart attack and a stroke in 1961 that prevented him from performing, which prompted him to transition from dancer to professional choreographer. His first job as a choreographer was C`est la Femme and he went on to choreograph several shows in Las Vegas and California, including notable shows at the Thunderbird Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Source:

Betty Bunch, "Rene de Haven went from farm boy to Las Vegas dancer," Las Vegas Review-Journal. February 1, 2012. http://www.reviewjournal.com/betty-bunch/rene-de-haven-went-farm-boy-las-vegas-dancer