"Gotta Dance..."

I'm curious to know how many of you do research on the dance styles that you dance.

I am becoming more involved in theatre dance and musical theatre, so I decided to rent the "That's Entertainment" series for some background information (in addition to watching Broadway Shows).

All I can say is WOW! For those of you who don't know, MGM brought us some of the most critically acclaimed musicals of our time - Singin' In the Rain, An American in Paris, Ziegfield Follies, Brigadoon, Show Boat, On the Town and many more. Their stars included Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Lena Horne, Anne Miller, and Debbie Reynolds.

I'm the first to admit that the technique of many of the dancers in the MGM productions was less than perfect. I'd also agree that the story lines of these musicals were on the predictable side. However, we all know that a dancer with perfect technique is nothing without performance ability. The charisma and personality that the MGM stars gave in their performances was amazing. It's something that can only be understood by watching it. There is a polished and seasoned performance quality that the MGM performers possess. This quality enabled them to mesmerize viewers that had no knowledge of technique.

For dancers who don't have access to amazing professional teachers, research on prior history of a dance style (including but not limited to video and the written word) can be a valuable asset. Learning the choreography from a musical on film can, in and of itself, serve as a class!

So, what are you waiting for? Go Learn!


(I just made a list of MGM musicals in chronological order on my web site, if you're interested: http://www.etchingsdance.com/MGM/mgm.htm)