Dancer, film exec Rob Remley dies

RemleyRob Remley, a dancer with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company who went on to hold several executive positions in the film industry, died of cancer on Sept. 27 in Los Angeles. Remley was most recently senior VP of international marketing and distribution at Warner Bros. Entertainment. Before that post he held a similar one at New Line Cinema, where he worked on "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, among many other projects.Born in Georgia, Remley later moved to Germany because his father was in the military. After receiving his B.A. in English literature from UC Berkeley and his M.A. in dance from Ohio State U., Remley was invited to join the prestigious Merce Cunningham Dance Company, for which he performed until 1988. The highlight of his dance career came in 1984, when he performed a piece called "Quartet," which Cunningham choreographed specifically for him. That performance landed Remley on the cover of the NY Times Magazine. The revival of "Quartet" will be the very last piece to be performed before the Cunningham Company disbands at the end of this year.After leaving Cunningham, Remley received an MBA from Columbia U. In his graduation address, the dean of the business school proudly announced that the grads that year "even include a former dancer," a fact that always delighted Remley.In 1991, he relocated with his partner, Emanuel Levy, to the West Coast, where he worked in the international marketing department of RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment.Memorial services will be held Saturday, Nov. 5 at 1 p.m., 8155 Willow Glenn Road, Los Angeles.Donations may be made to the RemleyLevy Arts foundation, a nonprofit association devoted to dance and film appreciation among ethnic minorities and young students, c/o Levy, 11 Riverside Drive, Apt. 17PW, NY, NY 10023.Remley is survived by his longtime companion, Levy, a former film critic for Variety. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com