Throwback Thursday and Gene Kelly
Another dancer who changed the course of dance history: Gene Kelly.
Famous for his roles in movie musicals of the 1940 and 1950s, he is
often compared to Fred Astaire. Both
were innovators who added much to dance, but they were very different
dancers. Gene Kelly’s style was
athletic, and earthy while Fred Astaire was elegant and smooth, and often
performed in a tuxedo.
Gene Kelly brought the common man into dance in the
movies. He often performed in “real”
clothes, and danced in every day settings (like a rainy street in Singin’ in the Rain which he did despite a
103 degree fever).
He worked behind the camera as well, working not only as
choreographer, but also as director, writer and producer. He experimented with new film techniques like
double exposures, having dancers move toward the camera so they would look more
three dimensional, and having camera movements synchronized with the musical
beat.
He also danced with a cartoon character, Jerry the mouse in
the 1945 movie Anchors Aweigh. For each second of the dance, twenty-four
drawings Jerry were required. According
to Gene Kelly’s widow, Patricia Ward Kelly, when Gene was asked who his
favorite dance partner was he said:
“Jerry the mouse. Because he
showed up on time and worked his little tail off.”
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Dance History Factoid #15:
“Gene Kelly was famous for dancing in the movies of the 1940s and
1950s. He also changed the way dance was
done on film.”
Link of the Day:
Quote
of the Day:
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to
try just one more time.
-Thomas Edison
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