Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
They are legends.
I seriously think that every ballroom dancer should know these two dancers.
Yes, they do Broadway musicals mainly, with ballroom dances, some swings and some taps.
I have always adored and admired their grace, charm, manners, wits and that glamorous aura they have.
Their dances are just smooth and effortless. And of course, timeless.
And that's exactly the charm of ballroom dancing: grace, manners, wits and glamour.
It's true that today's ballroom dancing have more 'tricks' to make it more pleasurable to watch, and of course competitive dancing/ dancesport makes it inevitable for these tricks to get into the syllabus.
Now, very few have the grace Fred and Ginger did.
Throughout his career on musical films, Fred had worked with other dancers.
He first danced with his own sister, Adele Astaire.
It's such a pity that Adele Astaire was not not very well-known. Probably because she left the entertainment business at the peak of her career to be married. Fred danced with Adele since he was 6.
And, Fred & Adele accompanied by George Gershwin himself on the piano is a priceless classic.
Others that Fred had worked with include the famous Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face, Rita Hayworth and many more.
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| Wedding scene in Funny Face, Audrey wearing a Givenchy couture |
But among all dancers he had worked with, he is best remembered with Ginger Rogers.
I have always believed that they are the perfect match.
Not Fred with Audrey, not Fred with Rita.
Just Fred and Ginger.
To put it simply, they looked good together. Just perfect.
Fred in top hat and tails and Ginger in the most gorgeous gowns.
Their light-footed steps, flawless turns, struts and runs.
Watching them dance and sing is a pure pleasure and delight.
Another important thing I looked upon to them is their grace and manners.
How I wish people can talk and act with such etiquette.
No, they're not old-fashioned. (Or maybe it's me who is old-fashioned.)
It's called good manners.
People who love to dance have always been saying, 'Michael Jackson inspires me.'
Upon writing this post, I did a little research and was surprised to find out that Fred Astaire influenced Michael in terms of dancing.
Random fact: Micheal Jackson dedicated his biography to him.
Favourite quotes by Fred Astaire.
"I have no desire to prove anything by dancing. I have never used it as an outlet or a means of expressing myself.I just dance. I just put my feet in the air and move them around."
"The hardest job kids face today is learning good manners without seeing any."
Favourite quote by Ginger Rogers:
" The most important thing in anyone's life is to be giving something. The quality I can give is fun, joy and happiness. This is my gift."
Oh I wish I could be born in their times & live straight through to the best eras of Jazz as well.
Oh I miss dancing.
Love,
N
