Zena Rommett, who has been credited with expanding and extending some of this century’s great dancers and athletes, died Wednesday November 10 at 1:26 PM in New York City. The cause was recurring cancer. Ms. Rommett was 90.

Memorial services will be held on Sunday November 14 from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm at the Perazzo Funeral Home at 199 Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village between Sixth Avenue and McDougal Street.

Immigrating to New York from Italy in 1925 at age 5, Ms. Rommett went on to dance on Broadway in Billy Rose’s "Seven Lively Arts" under Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin, for USO in Europe with the Radio City Ballet Corp. She also toured as with the Rutloff Trio worldwide.

After teaching Ballet at Robert Joffrey’s American Ballet Center, Zena Rommett opened her own studio on 3rd Street and originated Floor-Barre®, training dancers lying flat on their backs on the floor, which replaces the wooden bar dancers hold onto at the beginning of each day’s preparation. Her studio from the late ’60’s into mid ’80s became an oasis of dance, attracting actors, athletes, skaters and dancers from ballet to Broadway. Zena Rommett began teaching herself at Steps on Broadway in the mid-80’s until 3 months ago. More than a decade ago Zena Rommett initiated teaching training of her Floor-Barre® every August in NYC, projected to continue after her demise in order that the principles and copyrighted verbal instructions can be passed on with renewal, vitality and growth. A list of qualified and current Floor-Barre® teachers are on FLOOR-BARRE.ORG

Zena Rommett is survived by daughter Camille Rommett, sister Lilias, and grandsons Alex Young and Austin Young.

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