Stage, film, and television dancer, director, and choreographer, was born Robert Louis Fosse in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Cyril Kingsley Fosse, a vaudeville entertainer turned salesman, and Sarah Alice Stanton (Grubb). At nine years of age, Fosse began classes in jazz, tap, and ballet at Chicago’s Academy of the Arts. Small and asthmatic, with a speech impediment that caused him to slur words, he later remarked that his early dance training stemmed from a need to overcompensate for his perceived “handicaps” (Gottfried). He was still a child when he headlined his own act—Bobby Fosse’s Le Petit Cabaret—tap dancing and telling jokes in local nightclubs. Thus he began a schizophrenic adolescence: an honor roll student at Amundsen High School by day, a tap dancer in seedy nightclubs by night. From thirteen through sixteen, he was half of the Riff Bros. dance act, sharing billings with vaudeville and burlesque acts, including strippers. “The strippers were really something,” Fosse told Penthouse in 1973 (Gottfried). “Tough. Really tough. [W]hen these strippers discovered I was sixteen, they didn’t believe it. They’d walk out into the hallway with nothing on, or grab me and start playing with me.” In his 1979 film All That Jazz, Fosse recreates this scene, which reveals as much about the inherent sexuality of his choreography as it does about his often-complex physical relationships with women (Grubb). At seventeen Fosse enlisted in the navy, where he performed in its special services entertainment division (Grubb). When World War II ended, he moved to New York City and found his first job as a Broadway gypsy in Call Me Mister (1948), where he met his first wife, Mary Ann Niles, another dancer. They married in 1947 in Chicago and pu... ... middle of paper ... ...echnical honors (Gottfried). Fosse returned to Broadway in 1986. Fosse presented his last musical, Big Deal, inspired by the 1956 Italian crime caper comedy Big Deal on Madonna Street with his return. Considering to write the book himself and pick the music from 1930s and 1940s standards, Fosse taking full control resulted in failure of the show after only seventy showings (Gottfried). Fortunately though, Fosse still won a Tony Award for his work, which would be his last, in 1986 (Gottfried). Fosse’s death, foretold in All That Jazz, occurred following a final rehearsal for the opening of Sweet Charity’s Washington, D.C., company when he collapsed of a massive heart attack. A portion of his estate, valued at nearly $4 million, was bequeathed to sixty-six friends, “to have dinner on me. They all have at one time or another been very kind to me. I thank them” (Grubb).
After his discharge from the army he went back to carnival life. In late 1939 and early 1940 he became the manager of Gene Austin and traveled with Gene's "Models & Melodies" show.
Alvin was born during the Great Depression to two working class parents in Rogers, Texas. His father abandoned the family when Alvin was a mere six months old, leaving him and his mother with the struggle of fending for themselves. The inability for Alvin’s mother to find work led to their move to California in 1942, where Alvin was introduced by a classmate to the most influential person that would be the foundation for his future successful career in modern dance, Lester Horton (DeFrantz 1). Alvin was captivated by Lester’s work, which focuses on building a strong body, and made the executive decision to start his dance training in 1949 when he was eighteen years old. Because Lester Horton’s dance company embraced diversity, and accepted dancers of all ethnicities and backgrounds, Alvin was given the opportunity to do something great with his
Harold Clurman was born in New York to Jewish immigrant parents in 1901. At six years old, he attended a production at the Yiddish Theatre. Though he neither spoke nor understood Yiddish, the experience had a transformative effect on him. He immediately had a passion for the theatre. At age twenty, Clurman was living and studying theatre in France. It was there he saw the Moscow Art Theatre and learned of Stanislavski’s teachings on realism. Clurman came back to New York in 1924, and began work as an actor, but he was disappointed in the kind of theatre produced.
Merce Cunningham was known as a “leader of the American avant-garde whose constant innovation and artistic collaborations expanded the frontiers not only of dance, but also of contemporary visual and performing arts”. His passion and drive to succeed and push boundaries of dance and technology helped him throughout his career and in the building of his own dance establishment, the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. He also worked closely with the composer John Cage, where together they created different, new music. He was one of the most daring choreographers of his time regarding the exploration of technology in dance. He had begun to look into dance film in the 70’s, and further started to choreograph new dances using a computer program named ‘Dance Forms’. He also further created a webcast series where the public were able to view his teaching in the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, and could essentially sit in on the rehearsals
Throughout the years, America has pursued the performing arts in a large variety of ways. Theatre plays a dramatic and major role in the arts of our society today, and it takes great effort in all aspects. Musical Theatre, specifically, involves a concentration and strength in dance, acting, and singing. This is the base that Musical Theatre is built upon. For my Senior Project, I helped choreograph multiple scenes in a community musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie”. Choreography is a way of expressing oneself, but it has not always been thought of for that purpose. Agnes de Mille’s expressive talent has drastically affected how people see choreography today. Agnes de Mille’s influence in the world of dance has left a lasting impact in the Performing Arts Department, and her revolutionary works are still known today for their wit, lyricism, emotion, and charm.
The word “jazz” is significant to America, and it has many meanings. Jazz could simply be defined as a genre or style of music that originated in America, but it can also be described as a movement which “bounced into the world somewhere about the year 1911.”. This is important because jazz is constantly changing, evolving, adapting, and improvising. By analyzing the creators, critics, and consumers of jazz in the context of cultural, political, and economic issues, I will illustrate the movement from the 1930’s swing era to the birth of bebop and modern jazz. As the 1930’s began, the effects of the Great Depression still ravaged the United States, which in turn caused a dramatic change in the music industry.
Slide, Anthony. The Encyclopedia of Vaudeville. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1994. Google Books. Web. 1 May 2014.
The majority of published literature in the US derived from the Vietnam War primarily has a base focus on effects the war experience had on Americans, and on the American culture and psyche. However, Robert Olen Butler, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning, "A Good Scent From a Strange Mountain," as well as many other critically acclaimed publications has been recognized for "breaking the mold" of traditional war writers by constructing his narratives in the first person voices of the Vietnamese. In order for an American write to compose stories through the perspective of individuals from a culture considered so foreign from our own he would have to have accumulated a significant amount of experience and knowledge for his works to be considered legitimate. Butler himself is well versed in the Vietnamese language, has voluntarily participated in the Vietnam War as a translator, and has taught in a predominately Vietnamese American area. The question at hand is; do these facts alone allow his stories to be admissible as authentic works?
Ginger Rodgers and Fred Astaire are two of many breakthrough dancers, actors, performers, of their time. They are considered to be a couple of the many pioneers of dance in Hollywood. While Astaire received most of the recognition for dance in this era, both Rodgers and Astaire contributed equally a great amount to dance and the dance world especially when they came together in partnership. The book, Fred & Ginger -The Astaire Rodgers Partnership, written by Hannah Hyam, provides background information on both Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers leading up to their iconic partnership that would forever influence partner dance. This book also describes each film the pare appeared on screen together as well as their individual successes and the mark they left on dance. Author Hannah Hyam is a freelance copy-editor and proofreader focusing on academic and educational views of texts. Her book Fred & Ginger was her
He noted his natural talent during the dance lessons at the Chicago Academy of Theatre Arts. Bob had an intense passion for dance such that he gave his all into the practice. He was of great character and his personality was admirable. At his young age, he had the capability of carrying out emcee duties. Additionally, Weaver gave Bob a scholarship in which he was supposed to act a certain role in a play then earnings got from it would be used to fund fosse’s dancing lessons.
As a young child, Dunagan got into acting almost by accident. Outside of his two-bedroom flat in Memphis, Tenn., a man would dance on the street corner as a means of making money during the Depression. Dunagan was mesmerized by the act and spent much of his time watching dance. His mother took him down one day to see the man, where Dunagan began to perfectly imitiate his moves.
Also known as the Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties, the American people felt that they deserved to have some fun in order to forget the emotional toll and social scars left from the war. The Jazz Age was appropriately named due to the illegal activities and good times, which included music, parties, and flapper girls. Jazz was a new style of music that originated out of the New Orleans area, where one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time – Louis Armstrong – began his career. The energy of jazz was a very new and almost uncomfortable style for the very traditional, rigid family of the 1920s. Young people in particular seemed to enjoy this new music the most, as it made them feel carefree. The energy of jazz was symbolic of the era’s trans...
Throughout the mid-eighteen hundreds, the Metis and First Nations people saw a lot of changes due to the increased numbers of White settlements. Throughout their struggles, one Metis man stood up in defense of his people and land. This is a story of the life of Louis Riel, the man who changed it all. His background, his roots, his history.
In 1916, at age 22, Graham enrolled in Dennishawn School founded by her idol, Ruth St. Denis and her husband Ted Shawn. She was far older, heavier and more inexperienced than most of the students. St. Denis first impression was, “Totally hopeless….What can I do with this?” 3What she lacked in experience she made up for in determination and perseverance. Soon she was showing her flair for performance and ability to show emotions. Two years in, she was teaching students at Dennishawn. Shawn choreographed the dance production “Xochitl” specifically for Graham. She did not disappoint in the role of a raped maiden as she r...
Robert Hooke was born on July 18th, 1635 in Freshwater, Isle of Wight, England. His father, John Hooke, was a clergyman. As a child Hooke became ill of smallpox, of which he survived from, only to be disfigured and scarred. Throughout his childhood, Robert never really received much of any regular schooling due to his sickness and weakness. On the other hand he had an amazing natural curiosity, which led to the development of his mind through self-learning. When Robert was merely thirteen years old his father committed suicide by hanging himself. All that was left behind for Robert was 40 pounds. After his father died, Hooke was sent to London as an orphan, where he studied under Peter Lely, an artist of the time. He soon realized that he should spend his inheritance attending Westminster School, where he lodged with Dr. Richard Rusby. Robert had a large interest in mechanical objects and was encouraged greatly by Dr. Busby. Within the first week of being with Dr. Busby, Hooke was able to work through many books of Euclid's geometry. He was soon allowed unsupervised access to Dr. Busby's library. When Robert was eighteen he moved on and attended Oxford, where he soon after obtained his masters degree. Once he secured the sponsorship and guidance of John Wilkins, the warden of Wadham College, he was well on his way to become one of the greatest inventors, microscopists, physicists, surveyors, astronomers, biologists, artists.