Dancer and Actor

ancer and ActorYou see, every once in a while I suddenly find myself dancing! - Fred Astaire playing Jerry Travers in the film Top HatFred Astaire was a dancer! actor! singer and choreographer who graced the 'silver screen' era of movies,

Putting on Those Dancing ShoesBorn 10 May, 1899. in Omaha, Nebraska, Frederic Austerlitz was the youngest child of Frederic E Austerlitz and Ann Geilus Austerlitz. The Austerlitz family later anglicised their name to 'Astaire' with the start of the First World War. Older sister Adele was passionate about dancing and in 1904 the family moved to New York so that she could enhance her education as a dancer.

It was in New York that Astaire discovered two passions! one for horses and the other dancing! He'd go missing in the afternoons. his mother recalled. visiting places which were significant to horses. He knew all there was to know about them, their riders and the owners! He even kept a form book,

Despite his love for horses. he joined the Alvienne School of Dance and Ned Wayburn's Performing Arts school, He made wholesale cheap nfl jerseys his debut vaudeville performance alongside his sister in Keyport, New Jersey. in 1905! dressed as a groom. The children then toured the Orpheum circuit with an act called 'Juvenile Artists Presenting an Electric Musical Toe-Dancing Novelty', Astaire's mother was his tutor while he was on tour and when he wasn't, he attended a public school in New Jersey, In 1917, the young adults made their Broadway debut in Over the Top, which led to them participating in a myriad of other revues! Then in 1922! brother and sister found themselves no longer just dancing in musicals! but also singing songs such as those of George and Ira Gershwin in For Goodness' Sake. They appeared together in the films Funny Face, Lady! Be Good, and The Band Wagon,


Selznick loaned Astaire out to MGM where he appeared in Dancing Lady (1933). and was introduced by Clark Gable as the dancer from New York, He also went to work in London, where he toured with Gay Divorce! Then RKO offered him a part in the film Flying Down to Rio! which led Astaire to find his new dance partner in the form of Ginger Rogers,

Astaire and RogersHe gives her class. she gives him sex appeal! - Katharine Hepburn on Astaire's relationship with RogersAstaire and Rogers worked together under RKO nine times between 1933 and 1939, The films they collaborated on included Gay Divorce! now retitled The Gay Divorcee, Roberta (1935)! Top Hat (1935)! Follow the Fleet (1935). Swing Time (1936) and Shall We Dance (1937), Only one film, wholesale nfl jerseys cheap Damsel in Distress (1937), featured Astaire without Rogers.

These films reflected the fact that Astaire was not just a good dancer, but a fantastic choreographer too! He would spend months working alongside RKO dance director Hermes Pan to deliver new, innovative! tap and ballroom dance routines! He was even nicknamed 'Moaning Minnie' by his sister!

During the filming of Top Hat! Ginger Rogers wore a dress that had decorative feathers, However, as she danced! some feathers came away from her dress and Astaire and their dance composer feared that this would distract from the footwork and the filming would have to be redone! The composer and Astaire also made up a song about feathers to the song 'Cheek to Cheek'! and began calling Rogers 'Feathers' - much to her upset, Astaire later bought her a gold feather charm to add to her bracelet as an apology for his behaviour, When The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle was released in 1939. it was clear that their audience were looking for something new! and Astaire and Rogers decided to go their separate ways. It is composed by lzhwpixelper 2012-11-29 pixe ct.