Bob Fosse (1927
– 1987)
One of America’s greatest choreographers also a performer,
director, screen writer and actor, winner of eight tony awards famous for his productions
Chicago, Cabaret and Sweet Charity. He was responsible for creating the traditional
Jazz and musical theatre we know and love, performed with signature props such
as Bowler hats, white gloves, canes and chairs. His distinctive style
influenced generations to come, the hugely popular music video for ‘Single
Ladies’ by Beyoncé in fact features Fosse inspired choreography.
In his early career he performed tap dance in seedy
backstreet strip clubs, it was this experience that influenced his unique,
burlesque style of choreography. At 19 he made his debut on Broadway and later
moved to Hollywood with dreams of becoming the next Gene Kelly. He became a
huge success and was responsible for producing many hit films and musicals.
This is a sophisticated, sassy style performed in heels and
fishnets, only the more experienced, confident and mature dancer can do it
justice. When I was working as a performer, Fosse numbers were always my
favourite as I felt empowered, glamorous and strong dancing in this style. I
feel that my classical training enabled me to achieve the elegant yet dynamic
movements it required as well as the confidence to execute the strong
performance element.
‘I see my style based on my own physical limitations and
I’ve developed from them, a style because I’ve been dancing since I’m nine. So
my style is kind of – I’ve stolen things from people, I’ve been influenced by
people. I’ve been forced to dance in a certain way because I tend to turn in
more when I’m dancing. I’ve never been a bravado person so a lot of things I do
are very tiny and small. So it’s a maze of various influences.’ (Gottfried 1998
p81)
Fosse was a jack of many trades, he was a charismatic
character and did not allow his technical limitations get in the way of his
performing career, in fact he utilised his faults in order to create his unique
style. He built this on his own quirks and idiosyncrasies - rolled in
shoulders, turned in legs, small gestures of the hands and shuffling steps are
signature moves, it takes a certain type of dancer to perform it with dynamic
conviction.
Anna Pavlova (1881
– 1931)
Most famous for ‘The Dying Swan’ a solo created especially
for her, set to the music ‘Carnival of The Animals’ Pavlova won over audiences
with her sincere and delicate nature. When watching this solo you can see how
much Ballet has evolved over the past hundred years. Despite her lack of
refined technique she has gone down in history as a result of her emotional and
heartfelt expression. If you can get past the turned in legs and rapid arm
movements you can see something very pure and honest.
In class when attempting Legnani’s famous 32 fouette turns she
was instructed by her Ballet master at the time:
"Leave acrobatics to others. It is positively more than
I can bear to see the pressure such steps put on your delicate muscles and the
severe arch of your foot. I beg you to never again try to imitate those who are
physically stronger than you. You must realize that your daintiness and
fragility are your greatest assets. You should always do the kind of dancing
which brings out your own rare qualities instead of trying to win praise by
mere acrobatic tricks." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Pavlova
27.11.15
I feel that Pavlova is a rare artist who has gone down in
history purely on the basis of her performance skills. This is not something
one would get away with today as standards and expectations are much higher.
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