This week, Gene Kelly would have turned 99. He enjoyed acclaim during his life, and that acclaim persists after his death. Yet, arguably, his full contribution to dance as an art form has not been recognized.
It is both fortune and misfortune that his career overlapped that of the other greatest dancer of film, Fred Astaire. They were, and continue to be, thought of and referenced in tandem, compared and contrasted and considered endlessly as to which one was the best.
They were both the best, each bringing unique and transformative aspects to the dance as presented on screen. Astaire’s feet never seemed to touch the earth. Kelly, though equally graceful, remained firmly grounded, with a lower center of gravity.
Fred Astaire, for all his white-tie romance, remained subtly aloof from his partners, always dominant. In 1949’s Barkleys of Broadway, his final cinematic pairing with Ginger Rogers, there is a moment during a low key tap sequence when he reaches over and tweaks Roger’s chin affectionately. It is a memorable moment, almost stunning, because it is uncharacteristic of the restrained Astaire we had observed for decades.
Gene Kelly, on the other hand, connected to his dance partners intensely, periodically allowing them to dominate him. He even let them be taller. Look again at the fantasy within a fantasy sequence from the “Broadway Melody “ballet in Singin’ in the Rain (1952). Cyd Charisse veritably towers over him, demonstrating the emotional sway she holds over him. Her endless scarf billows in the air, wraps around him, consumes him. However, while Kelly allows himself to be thus overwhelmed, he is still able to secure his own space: costumed, as always, to showcase his compact muscularity; infusing – as always – a deeply masculine athleticism into his choreography.
He was obviously, at heart, a teacher. Gene Kelly ran dance schools in his native Pennsylvania
Because of the influence afforded him as a movie star, Gene Kelly impacted dance and the popular notion of dance and dancers well beyond his medium and his life. Due to his efforts, ballet became a major musical staple. The strenuous gymnastics of today’s choreography, demonstrated for the masses on “Dancing with the Stars,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” et al, can trace its roots back - ultimately - to Mr. Kelly. (Credit must be given here to the Nicholas Brothers, Harold and Fayard, sadly relegated to specialty numbers. Had they been allowed major motion picture vehicles of their own, who knows what the extent of their influence might have grown to be.)
Next year, Gene Kelly’s centennial will bring tributes, retrospectives, and marathons commemorating his place in film history. Let’s hope that the full breadth and scope of his contributions to the entire world of dance will be acknowledged.
We think it's a wonderful photo and no mercy needed. What year was it taken? Walter U Judy Druker
ReplyDeleteThe picture is of my mother and grandmother and was taken I think in the late 40s. The caption is a play on their names - my mother is Lillian and my grandmother was Merced.
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