A talk about how the movies changed dancing will be broadcast online Wednesday evening, Feb. 26, by Fordham University professor Brian Rose.
The movies and dancing are a partnership born in heaven. From its very beginnings, the new medium of motion pictures turned toward dance as one of best ways to showcase its unique ability to make movement come alive.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Fred Astaire kicking up his heels in a publicity photo for “Daddy Long Legs,” a 1955 musical film.
— an announcement from Darien Library
Through the decades, it’s been dancing on the big screen that has provided some of the most ecstatic moments in film history — whether it’s Fred Astaire gliding on the ceiling in Royal Wedding, the Nicholas Brothers leaping down a staircase in Stormy Weather, Moira Shearer pirouetting through the dreamscape of The Red Shoes, or John Travolta burning up the dance floor in Saturday Night Fever.
Employing more than 75 video clips, this talk will survey 130 years of thrilling movie dance performances and discuss how the cinema helped change the nature of dance.
If You’re Attending …
The hourlong webinar, “Dancing in the Dark: A History of Dance in the Movies with Brian Rose,” will be presented online, from 7 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 26.
You can register here.
About the Presenter
Brian Rose, Ph.D. was a professor of communication and media studies for 38 years at Fordham University’s College at Lincoln Center until his recent retirement. He has written several books on television history and cultural programming.
He has conducted more than one hundred Q & As with leading directors, actors, and writers for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, The Screen Actors Guild, The British Academy of Film & Television Arts, and The Directors Guild of America.