His close-knit community in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan are rallying to help him stay in his home, especially since he relies on 24-hour care particularly after a hip replacement surgery in May. As the cost of his medical bills skyrocket, paying for his rent is a major concern.
“We’re trying to maybe cover Nat for at least the next year if not longer because he seems like he’s going to last forever,” said Stanley Harrison, Horne’s longtime friend and former dance student. “In addition to an excellent physical therapist, his home health care aides are so nurturing and so attentive to him. We were very fortunate to get them. And they like him, which makes it all the more nurturing.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Since 2014 Harrison has been working closely with Horne, making sure his bills are paid and helping with daily chores such as grocery shopping. He has since become his health care proxy and power of attorney. “He pleads with me never to put him in a (nursing) home,” Harrison said. “He’s a veteran as well. He’s one of our heroes and he’s about to be taken out of his home, the only home he’s known since 1969.”
Born in Richmond, Va. during the Great Depression, Horne earned a degree in mathematics from Virginia Union University and served in the 101st U.S. Army division in occupied Germany post-World War II before dancing his way into the Special Services Division.
Following an honorable discharge with special commendations from his superior officers, Horne moved to New York City and became an original member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He performed in a dozen Broadway Golden Age musicals from the 1950s through 1970.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
In particular he danced on stage and screen with luminaries such as Pearl Bailey, Harry Belafonte, Sammy Davis Jr., Judy Garland, Lena Horne and Martin Sheen. In addition to performing in Mel Brooks’ classic film “The Producers,” his notable TV performances include “The Ed Sullivan Show,” “The Sammy Davis Jr. Show” and the Tony Awards.
In 1975, Horne and his late partner, Albert B. Reyes, created the Nat Horne Musical Theatre and School on 42nd Street, and were co-founders of NYC’s Theater Row. As a teacher, his technique was among the first training programs to focus equally on acting, singing and dancing, tools of creating the triple threat.
He also taught jazz dance throughout the U.S. as well as Germany, France, Israel, Japan and the Caribbean. His impressive Muse Machine trajectory, set in motion by late Muse founder Suzy Bassani, began with him choreographing “South Pacific” in 1992. He went on to direct and choreograph numerous productions for the arts education organization, concluding with ”Me and My Girl" in 2009.
Credit: MUSE MACHINE
Credit: MUSE MACHINE
A core team of Horne supporters have been dubbed “Team Nat.” In addition to Harrison, the group includes Erin Lee Kelly, Jill Williams, Benjamin Magnuson, Michael Mitchell and Benjamin Steiner, Esq. They created a GoFundMe campaign to help raise money for his health care costs.
“Nat’s story is universal in its specificity because you don’t have to be a dancer or someone who lives in New York City to understand his situation and (issues) like affordability,” said Magnuson, a Muse Machine alum whose Broadway credits include “Sweeney Todd,” “Guys and Dolls” and “Once.” “Nat has always had a way of bringing people together. And people come into your life for a reason. The community that has come out to support Nat from Dayton to Munich to Barbados to Spain has been amazing. But the amount of contributions from people who don’t know Nat have been incredibly moving. They are inspired by knowing not only who he was but who he is and what he has done to change so many people’s lives.”
Magnuson, Horne’s archivist, is also producing a documentary of the legendary artist’s life titled “Walk Tall,” which includes numerous stories from his storied career as well as footage from a tribute concert, “A Night With Nat,” which took place at the New York Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center in 2023.
“It’s easy to become more cynical about the world as we get older but at 95, Nat still has a twinkle in his eye over the simple things in life,” Magnuson said. “And it reminds me to live in the present more. People are going through such hardships but the fact that Nat’s story rings true has been so heartwarming.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Muse Machine alum Micah Stock, Tony-nominated for “It’s Only a Play” who has returned to Broadway in the acclaimed new dramedy “Little Bear Ridge Road,” also praised Horne’s encouraging imprint.
“Nat would always say, ‘If you can walk, you can dance — if you can talk, you can sing.’ He made me feel like I could do anything,” Stock said. “It breaks my heart that he is now — in the late stages of his life after everything he’s given to everyone — in this position. It’s not that Nat hasn’t been financially responsible. Living in New York City has become untenable.”
A January 2025 report released by the Office of the New York State Comptroller said in New York City, from 2000 to 2023, the 65 and older population grew by 53 percent, 17 times faster than the total population in the nation. Since the pandemic, as the total population declined, the 65 and older population was the only age group that grew.
“Many older adult households also live on a fixed income,” the report said. “Nearly three-quarters of older adults received social security income in 2023, amounting to an average annual payment of under $16,500, with an average total personal income of $48,100. As a result, many older adults are sensitive to affordability issues, with many also relying on government services for basic needs.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Since fiscal year 2010, spending at the Department for the Aging has also increased at a faster rate than the city’s total budget. And some of the funding through COVID-19 pandemic aid will soon be exhausted.
“The City needs to continue to monitor the trends of the aging population to ensure services remain commensurate with need and outreach is robust,” the report said. “This focus will help older adults navigate affordability programs and build and maintain healthy, secure communities as this population continues to grow.”
As Horne faces an uncertain future, his supportive village of friends and former students are firmly committed to doing all they can for a man who has done so much.
“Nat has inspired so many people,” Harrison said. “If the one thing we can give him is allowing him to stay in his home until his dying day, so to speak, if we can do it — then why not?”
For more information, visit GoFundMe.com.
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