Friday Feature

Hi Dancers, it's been a little while! But no better time than the present to get back into gear with a brand new Friday Feature. This week we are glad to have Gene Kelly as our star in the spotlight.

Gene Kelly was an American actor, dancer, and director extraordinaire whose "athletic style and classical ballet technique transformed the film musical" as Biography.com editors explain. His energetic spirit made him the King of the 1940s/50's musical era, and beloved star who brought back the interest for male dancers. He was an avid storyteller who molded his exciting dance style and unconventional use of camera angles to convey visually stimulating stories. Kelly truly was cut from all cloths and incredibly versatile in the musical scene. From starring in many famous films to working behind the scenes as director and choreographer of his own productions, Kelly is remembered as one of the greatest musical influences and is best known for his premiere debut as the male lead in Singing in the Rain. Through his own unique style, Kelly changed the dance scene by performing in common everyday clothes and common settings, creating a "real life" connection to his work. As Kelly once explained, "all of my dancing came out of the idea of the common man" (Biography.com). He recreated dance for film by making it more relatable and digestible by looking through the lens of the everyday man. Kelly took his work into unchartered territory with astounding credits including Anchors Aweigh (1945), On the Town (1949), and An American in Paris (1951). Many mourned after his death in 1996 for he brought a bright, new energy to the screen and one thought left by his co-star Debbie Reynolds perfectly sums up his effect on the world of film and theatre "there'll never be another Gene [...]the hardest thing was keeping up with his energy" (Biography). Many have come after Gene, but no one is quite as exhilarating as him, and he was a talent that can never be imitated.

Cite: Biography.com, https://www.biography.com/performer/gene-kelly, updated version Jan 29, 2020