Dee Dee Wood

Audrey Donella, known professionally as Dee Dee Wood, was an American former dancer, choreographer, and actress, who, along with her then husband, Marc Breaux, staged musical numbers to Mary Poppins, The Happiest Millionaire, and Bedknobs and Broomsticks. She also choreographed "The Mouseketeer Reunion" in 1980 and Disneyland's All-Star Comedy Circus in 1988.
Born in Massachusetts, Wood began an interest in dance while taking ballet lessons in high school in Westport, Connecticut. Wood also trained at the School of American Ballet and became a member of Katherine Dunham’s Experimental Dance Group. She soon went to New York, where she met Marc Breaux, along with fellow dancers John Castello, Nick Vanoff and his wife, Felisa Caputo; all had known and worked with each other on the opera, television and Broadway theatrical circuit. Wood started as a dancer in shows, like Guys and Dolls, Can, Can, Destry Rides again, and Lil’ Abner, where she also worked as an assistant to choreographer Michael Kidd, along with Breaux. Later, she and Breaux began choreographing there on numbers for shows, like Do-Re-Mi, and specialty numbers on shows, like The Hollywood Palace, Music from Shubert Alley, ABC Stage 67, The King Family Show, The Bing Crosby Show, and The Judy Garland Show.
Following their success in Mary Poppins, Wood and Breaux worked films, like The Sound of Music, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Of Thee I Sing before divorcing and working on separate projects while still remaining friends. Wood went on to choreographed three Superbowl halftime shows, and in 1984, the opening and closing ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, an episode of The Love Boat, the film Beaches with Bette Midler, and ABC Television's critically-acclaimed Liberty Weekend celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Statue of Liberty where she and Michael Peters won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography.
In 1998 she and Breaux received a life time achievement award at the American Choreographers award ceremonies. Though she semi-retired, she still found the time to help her local community with her expertise by directing musical productions for the Desert Foothills Theater and she was the official spokesperson for the "Celebration of Dance", Arizona's contribution to the National Dance Week.
==Gallery==
Dee dee wood and mark breaux on set of Mary Poppins.jpg
Dee dee wood and mark breaux.jpeg
Dee dee wood rehearsing with Dick and Julie.jpg|Dee Dee rehearsing with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke
Dee Dee Wood Headshot.jpg
Dee dee wood chita rivera dick van dyke.jpg|Wood with her best friend, Chita Rivera and Dick Van Dyke
Marc and dee dee in later years.jpg|Wood and Breaux in later years
Dee dee wood in later years.jpg
==External links==
*Steve Taft interview
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Category:Females
Category:1920s births
Category:Deceased
Category:2020s deaths
Category:People from Massachusetts
Category:American people
Category:Dancers
Category:Choreographers
Category:Actresses
Category:Mary Poppins
Category:The Happiest Millionaire
Category:Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Category:Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color
Category:ABC