Gene Kelly Vs. Fred Astaire
Starting out only with dreams of becoming a big star one day, two of the most phenomenal dancers of the twentieth century prove that great things happen to people who practice hard at what they wish to achieve. Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire not only kept audiences glued to their seats during a performance, they also made a huge impact on the way that we perceive male performers today. Although both of these gentlemen had outstanding talent, charm, and whit, and were almost the same performer on stage; they both were so similar that they had many differences. These two men were not only great dancers with singing ability; they were hailed by many as the two greatest performers in the world. Kelly and Astaire are two gentlemen who will remain classics forever, and as of now; there is no one who can compare or replace them. Being so great at what they have accomplished, and the name they have made for themselves, we arrive at a simple question. How do these two gentlemen with the same talent compare to one another? Looking into both of their family backgrounds, dance background, and what made these two men famous; we will find a resolution to our question. When you hear the name Gene Kelly, people most often think of his maj
Before Gene Kelly there was Fred Astaire. Fred Astaire was not born with the name he used in his career. Fred Astaire’s real last name was Austerlitz; but because of the name sounding too much like a battle, he changed it. With only one older sister, Adele Marie, and his parents, Frederic and Johanna, Astaire grew up in a small but loving family in Nebraska. After the closing of the Storz Brewery, leaving Fred’s father out of work; Johanna decided to move to New York where Adele could get better dance training (FredAstaire.net: Youth 1). As a child, Fred recalls never having any ambition to dance. His dancing started when he was waiting for his sister to be relieved of her practice, he found a pair of ballet shoes, danced around feverously, and realized that it was as simple as that. The two Astaire children then started pairing up and performing together. Their debut came in November of 1905, while dancing on a pier at their summer resort (1). Due to Adele’s overwhelming talent and Fred’s not so overwhelming talent, the two’s performing days were dwindling. Improving Fred’s skills is all that it would take to get the two back and running. “Before long, however, it became obvious that not only were the Astaire tots outgrowing the act, but Adele had far outstripped her brother both in size and professional expertise” stated by Harvey on Adele’s talent compared to Fred’s (24). It did not take long until the two siblings were back to performing. Many years following the Astaire’s performed religiously together, leaving a trail of accomplishment everywhere they went. Years later it was time to resort to a new dance coach. Introduced to the tango and the waltz by their new coaches, Aurelia Coccia and wife Minnie Amato, dramatic results were produced out of the children in only six months (FredAstaire.net: Youth 4). Many years the two toured together creating a brilliant name for each of them. Due to a sudden romance between Adele and an old fling; she announced that she would be retiring and moving to Ireland (Harvey 32). Ha
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Approximate Word count = 1399
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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