Celebrating Two Of Hollywood’s Dance Greats!

Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly will always be remembered as two of the greatest performers of the Golden Age of Hollywood Musicals.

Born 13 years apart, they took on dance lessons at a young age and grew up to become

iconic dancers, actors, singers, musicians, and choreographers. After receiving training at a theatre and dance academy, Fred and his sister, Adele, formed a dance partnership together, performing on Broadway and the London Stage during the

1920s.

They split in 1932 after Adele got married and in 1934, Fred paired with the equally famous

Ginger Rogers. They would go on to make ten films together, helping make dancing an

important part of Hollywood musical films. He briefly retired from the big screen in 1946,

stating the very famous ‘Puttin on the ritz’ as his farewell dance. He returned two years later

to replace an injured Gene Kelly in the movie ‘Easter Parade’ starring opposite Judy

Garland. By 1957 he had starred in 30 musical films.

He went on to make a series of four Emmy Award-winning musical specials for television

over the next 10 years, taking home nine Emmy Awards.

Fred has been referred to as the ‘greatest popular-music dancer of all time’ and is known for

his uncanny sense of rhythm, elegance and grace, creativity, and effortless presentation. His trademark style of tap, ballroom and ballet greatly influenced the American smooth style of ballroom dance.

He was recorded as saying “working out the steps is a very complicated process –

something like writing music. You have to think of some step that flows onto the next one

and the whole dance must have an integrated pattern.”

Gene’s career spanned for 53 years, debuting on Broadway in 1938 and in his first

Hollywood movie in 1942 with Judy Garland. He was known more for his energetic and

athletic dancing style. He basically affected the way movies are made and the way we look

at them, through his eyes from a dancer’s view.

One of his most stand out performances was in the movie ‘Singin in the rain’ in 1952, which

he also choreographed and directed. In 1960, he was invited by the Paris Opera Ballet to

select his own material and create a modern ballet for the Company. The result was ‘Pas de

Dieux,’ a major success and he was honoured by the French Government.

He turned his focus to directing movies and in 1969 he was asked to direct the famous ‘Hello Dolly’ starring Barbara Streisand, which won three Academy Awards.

The only time these two legends performed together was inn 1976 when Gene managed to

persuade his then 77 year old friend, Fred, to perform together with him in a television

special ‘That’s Entertainment Part II’, which he directed.