This short clip beautifully captures the legendary 1955 performance by dancer Ann Miller, captivating the audience with her exquisite tap-dance technique and a spinning velocity that seemingly defied gravity.
Excerpted from a classic cinematic masterpiece, this video brings audiences a highly skillful and high-energy performance by the legendary Eleanor Powell in 1939, seamlessly combining tap dancing with jump rope.
Josephine Baker #BOTD 6/3/1906 was born desperately poor in St Louis, rejected as an entertainer in her own country, and fled to France - where she was joyously received with love and became a legend....
Liza Minnelli has officially outlived Scott Pelley's career at '60 Minutes.' CBS News has fired him as Bari Weiss continues her shakeup of the network.
The Met is for everyone.
Together with the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (@nyculture) and the Department of Social Services, we're proud to announce a free Membership program for New Yorkers on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Over 1.7 million New York City residents rely on SNAP, and this initiative ensures that individuals and families navigating economic strain have access to free, high-quality cultural experiences and opportunities for learning, reflection, and connection.
Learn more: https://t.co/o3h7jHCdI2
🔊 A federal judge ordered the removal of Donald Trump's name from the Kennedy Center, ruling that only Congress can rename the venue. Hear the latest on today's episode of Reuters World News https://t.co/9wqS63MSq4
Ann Miller’s “I’ve Gotta Hear That Beat” from the 1953 MGM musical Small Town Girl remains one of the greatest tap numbers ever filmed.
Directed by Busby Berkeley, the dazzling routine is often credited to his imagination - but, as Rusty E. Frank notes in the book, The Greatest Tap Dancers and Their Stories, many famous dance directors had the scheme of the routine in their heads, while the actual choreography was crafted by master dance coaches.
In this case, the concept of the musicians hands and instruments coming through the floor was Busby Berkeley's, but the tap steps were choreographed by Willie Covan.
The inventive staging, rhythmic sophistication, speed, precision and musicality make Ann Miller's performance unforgettable.
#SmallTownGirl #AnnMiller #HollywoodMusical
Marge & Gower Champion’s “It Happens Every Time” from Give a Girl a Break (1953).
Acrobatic movements fused with artistic beauty, strength, precision, and incredible stamina. The way they glide, swing, and balance on and around the poles still feels breathtaking today.
Did you know? Pole dance has ancient roots in India’s mallakhamb tradition and in Chinese pole arts, long before becoming a staple of 1920s entertainment and stage performance.
#MargeChampion #GowerChampion #HollywoodMusical
In 1933, Fred Astaire took his first Hollywood screen test.
The verdict:
"Can't act. Slightly bald. Can dance a little." He was 34, already a Broadway star, but Hollywood dismissed him as washed-up. For two decades he had dominated the stage with his sister Adele, only to be told his life's work didn't matter.
Soon after, he broke his ankle in rehearsal-another blow that could have ended everything. But Astaire refused to stop. He fought through rehab, clawed his way into film, and soon partnered with Ginger Rogers.
His perfectionism became legend-endless retakes, rehearsals until his feet bled. That obsession turned rejection into triumph. Over the next twenty-five years, Astaire redefined cinematic dance and became its undisputed master.