MFA Monday

MFA Mondays

MFA right

 

 

 

Hello Framers! I hope you all had a great weekend!

Only ten more days ’til Christmas!!!

 

This week’s MFA Monday article comes from previous Frame blog contributor and long-time framer, Rosie Trump! This week Rosie is offering advice for the before, during, and after stages of pursuing a M.F.A.

 

 

Rosie Trump holds a M.F.A. in Experimental Dance Choreography from UC Riverside.  She is a choreographer, dance filmmaker and educator.  Her teaching credits include Seton Hill University, Mt. San Jacinto College and Rice University. Trump is the founder and curator of the annual Third Coast Dance Film Festival. rosietrump.org

 

 

 

So You Think You Want a M.F.A.?

By Rosie Trump

Let me begin by saying graduate school is not and should not be for every artist.  It requires a huge personal undertaking and a significant financial investment.  You will be a different person and a different artist when you finish.  With that being said, I want to share some advice I have gathered from my own graduate school experiences and post-graduate career.

 

Know Before You Go

There are many good reasons to pursue an M.F.A.  There are also some very bad reasons. A combination of good timing and clear postgraduate goals can make all the difference. When deciding on pursuing an M.F.A., it is very important to be honest with yourself and realistic about what this degree will add to your life and career.

If you are 5 or less years out of college ask yourself: Do I have significant professional experience?  Do I have ample teaching practice and a developed pedagogical approach?  Have I developed a distinctive, individual artistic point of view? If you answered no to any of these questions, spend the next two years filling in the gaps before you apply.  Additionally ask yourself, will I resent spending the next three+ years of my life being separated from friends and family, extremely poor, lonely, overwhelmed and overworked?  If you answer yes, wait and reconsider an M.F.A. in a few years.

If you are a mid or post-professional ask yourself: Will I resent spending the next three+ years of my life being separated from my established dance community, deferring earning potential and having my established methods and approaches upended and dismantled? Do I have an extra 40-60 hours per week in addition to my non-negotiable responsibilities to dedicate to intense study?

I believe a good M.F.A. experience is akin to boot camp—a very long boot camp.  For me, graduate school was the hardest thing I had done to date. On the flip side, it was also the absolutely most rewarding thing I had ever done.  I came out on the other side armed with an entirely altered perspective on dance and choreography, and a cohort of brilliant, inspiring friends for colleagues.

 

Still want to go? Tips on how to pick a good program:

Not all M.F.A. programs are created equal.  Finding a good fit for your interests will require a lot of research.  While institutional prestige and geographical desirability are very seductive factors when considering a M.F.A. program, I think the most important factors should be curriculum and faculty.

Curriculum: What excites you about the courses?  Does the curriculum have enough structure and/or flexibility?  Do the classes support your artistic and professional development?  Will you be technically and theoretically challenged? Two important factors that may not seem obvious when you first enter, but will mean everything by the end are:

1. What shape does the thesis project can take? For example, do students produce solo concerts, share an evening or write research document?  Who covers the production costs?  Where can the thesis take place–off campus, in another city, etc?

2. Is the curriculum going to be a rehash or reboot of your undergrad studies?  What I mean by this is, will you take seminars that provide you with information that you could not obtain or have not obtained in any other way?

Faculty: These are the people that will make or break your grad school experience.  Will you be excited and eager to work with these people?  Will they be interested and active in assisting your vision and growth?  Do you have compatible artistic points of view?  Do they have connections and (much more importantly) time and energy to mentor you?  Will they champion you in the post-graduate professional realm?  The best faculty most certainly do not have to be superstars or ‘nice’ people.  The best faculty will push you in directions you didn’t know you needed to go.

 

Money, It’s What I Want! Or How to Negotiate the Offer…

You buffed up your resume, did the research, applied, interviewed and now you have an acceptance offer! So let’s talk about money. Trust me, no matter how good at living on a minuscule budget you have been thus far, you will need more money than you think for graduate school.  Moving costs, books, costumes, production supplies and countless bottles of wine (as Mary describes) will all quickly add up.

I encourage you to negotiate the best possible situation BEFORE you accept the offer. Now and only now, do you hold a little bit of power.  Once you accept, that offer is your contract with the institution. Negotiating a better situation after this point will be nearly impossible.  This is also why it is important to ascertain more than one acceptance offer.  Even if you prefer one school over another, you can use the other offer to get a better deal (an extended fellowship, an additional semester of TA-ship) at your ‘dream school.’

 

Here is what you will need:

  1. Full tuition remission—you should not pay any tuition fees to attend grad school.
  2. A fellowship stipend —this is ‘free’ money that the school pays you to do your creative research.  Often times this is offered in your first semester or year.  This is the money you use to pay for rent and living costs.
  3. Teaching assistantships—these are teaching positions where you will either assist a professor with lecturing, grading, etc. or be the primary instructor for a course.  TA-ships usually require around 20 hours of work per week.  This money pays for your rent and living costs.

 

I will share with you what a mentor told me when I was considering applying to graduate school: They pay you to attend.  You do not pay them. This includes living costs.  If you are like most people, you have already racked up considerable debt from undergraduate student loans.  Do not take out student loans to pay for a M.F.A.!  I cannot emphasis this enough.  It’s bleak, but true, that once you graduate your earning potential will probably not be that much better than before you earned your M.F.A.  Do not shackle yourself to more debt!

If you receive an offer that requests you pay part of the costs and you cannot negotiate a better deal, DON’T GO!  Wait, gain the experience to make yourself a more desirable candidate, and then reapply in a few years.

Last but not least, beware of the “once you get here you can apply for XX fellowship or XX grant to supplement our offer.”  This is dangerous because these opportunities are often contingent on external funding sources that can waiver with the economy, etc. and/or are competitive.  You could find yourself competing with a hundred other graduate students in ‘sexier/more traditional/more practical’ fields for one or two awards.

 

*Helpful links:

Don’t Go to Graduate School (aimed at PhD students, but much applies to the M.F.A, too)

100 Reason’s Not to Go to Graduate School

M.F.A. Fever – an article about perusing a creative writing M.F.A.

A listing of over 100 graduate dance programs

* While some of these links may seemed aimed at keeping you out of graduate school, their real goal is to reveal the honest truth of what lies ahead.  Many artists are all too aware of the hardships in their field, but can still romanticize the academic life.

 

Links We Like!

Links We Like

Don’t forget: Frame Dance will be on Channel 11 on December 14th at 6 PM!

 

Christmas is only a week and a half away! Here are some fun ideas to celebrate!

 

 

Perfect for a party!

 

 

 

Take an ordinary cheese plate and make it into a Christmas tree!

christmas food ideas for kids pinterest

 

 

Decor!

 

 

 

 

Decorate a wine bottle!

 

wine bottle accessories

 

 

 

Now you know what to do with the left over corks! Made a reindeer! 

 

 

 

 

 

Free Events Thursday!

Free Events Thursday

Merry Christmas Framers!   

It’s that time again…Free Events Thursday!!! 

 

A Christmas Carol

Tuesday- Sunday until December 26

Alley Theatre

Price: $26-$80

Tomball German Christmas Market

Friday through Sunday

Hours are 6 pm – 10 pm Friday.

Explore the German culture! Featuring 4 stages, 175 vendors, street performers, ethnic food, arts and crafts and more. Located in Old Town Tomball near the train depot.

Free admission and free parking! 

Catch a movie under the moon

Friday, December 13: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is showing at Discovery Green, 6:30 pm

Friday, December 13: Edward Scissorhands at Whole Foods Market Montrose, at twilight.

Free!

Old-Fashioned Christmas Festival 

The fun is Saturday, December 14, 10 am – 5 pm

Located in Old Town Katy between 2nd and Avenue B.

With snow play kicking off at 11 am. Families will enjoy arts and crafts, carolers, entertainment, food, produce and snow!

Free!

Lights in the Heights 

Saturday, December 14 in the Woodland Heights neighborhood

Hours are 6 pm – 9 pm.

Streets are blocked off to best view the lighted homes and musical performances right from the porch!  vent planners are scaling back this year with a shorter route (beginning at Watson and end at Florence). Plus no activities or vendors on Norhill Esplanade.

Free!

Caroling on the Square

December 14 features Girl Friday from 6 pm – 8 pm.

Waterway Square in The Woodlands Saturdays in December. Each week features a variety of entertainers. Appropriate for all ages, and picnics, chairs, blankets and coolers welcome!

Free!

Bizzare Holiday Market 

Sunday, December 15, noon – 5 pm.

The event features local craftsmen, food, live music, and more. Located in the 3400-3700 block of Main Street.

…Free!!!

A.D. Players Presents: Gold, Frankincense and…Myrrh!

November 20 – December 31, 2013

Witty retelling of the nativity story and the boyhood of Christ follows a fourth wiseman who completely misses the point. When a star as bright as the sun appears in the sky, the wiseman and his servant boy set out to find the king whose birth has been foretold. Planning along the way how best to capitalize on the momentous occasion, they arrive in Bethlehem, but will the wiseman find what he is looking for?

The Mainstage Theater is located at 2710 W. Alabama, near the intersection with Kirby. Parking is available free of charge in the lot just west of the building. Parking is also available on side streets. (YAY!)

Tickets: Visit www.tickets.adplayers.org or Call 713-526-2721.

Not Free!

Eat Well Wednesday

Eat Well Wednesday Uncategorized

EWSA Logo

 

 

Do you have a hard time trying to get out the door on time and have a healthy breakfast?

Most of us head out the door without breakfast, leaving us only to raid the snack machine at work or sneak a doughnut from the break room.

Good news!

You can prep this breakfast before you go to bed and

it is waiting for you in the morning.

How awesome is that?!

Let me introduce you to endless delicious possibilities with…

 

OVERNIGHT OATS!

IMG_1666

 

 

Overnight Oats are quick and easy to prepare, bursting with nutrition, and so yummy!

You can  give this breakfast a whole new taste just by adding your favorite fruit, add nuts, seeds, and dried fruit, such as raisins.  Say ADIOS to boring breakfasts!!

 

The base always stays the same:

  • 1/2 Cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 Cup greek yogurt
  • 1/2 Cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)
  • 1 Tablespoon of Chia seeds (helps with the creaminess)

 

From there you can add your favorite fruit, nuts, seeds, raisins etc.  I also like to top mine off with a spoon of Almond Butter for a nice dose of healthy fats.

So, there you have it.  A well-balanced breakfast that you can grab and go.  No excuses now 😉

 

Be Well!

 

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0-1Jill Tarpey is leading us Wednesday by Wednesday into making better food choices and being more healthful. Tune in every Wednesday to get some great recipes and advice from someone who really knows health. In an effort to fuel her passion to serve as well has enhance the lives of others through their nutritional choices, she started Eat Well SA(San Antonio). Her vision is to educate you on how to incorporate a healthy array of foods into your life. Eat Well is not a diet, nor does it embrace any one specific dietary agenda. She also offers customized programs that are educational and teach you the tools you need to maintain healthy, well-balanced eating for your busy lives.

 

Tuesday Tunes!

Tuesday Tunes

Happy Tuesday Framers! Today our dancing star is …..The King of Pop!

      Michael Jackson

 

 

“Music has been my outlet, my gift to all of the lovers in this world. Through it, my music, I know I will live forever.”

 

Michael Jackson was born Michael Joseph Jackson in Gary, Indiana on August 29, 1958, and entertained audiences nearly his entire life. His father Joe Jackson had been a guitarist, but was forced to give up his musical ambitions, following his marriage to Katherine (Scruse). Together, they prodded their growing family’s musical interests at home. By the early 1960s, the older boys Jackie, Tito and Jermaine had begun performing around the city; by 1964, Michael and Marlon had joined in.

A musical prodigy, Michael’s singing and dancing talents were amazingly mature, and he soon became the dominant voice and focus of the Jackson 5. An opening act for such soul groups as the O-Jays and James Brown, it was Gladys Knight (not Diana Ross) who officially brought the group to Berry Gordy‘s attention, and by 1969, the boys were producing back-to-back chart-busting hits as Motown artists (“I Want You Back,” “ABC,” “Never Can Say Goodbye,” “Got to Be There,” etc.). As a product of the 1970s, the boys emerged as one of the most accomplished black pop / soul vocal groups in music history, successfully evolving from a group like The Temptations to a disco phenomenon.

Solo success for Michael was inevitable, and by the 1980s, he had become infinitely more popular than his brotherly group. Record sales consistently orbited, culminating in the biggest-selling album of all time, “Thriller” in 1982. A TV natural, he ventured rather uneasily into films, such as playing the Scarecrow in The Wiz (1978), but had much better luck with elaborate music videos.

In the 1990s, the downside as an 1980s pop phenomenon began to rear itself. Michael grew terribly child-like and introverted by his peerless celebrity. A rather timorous, androgynous figure to begin with, his physical appearance began to change drastically, and his behavior grew alarmingly bizarre, making him a consistent target for scandal-making, despite his numerous charitable acts. Two brief marriages — one to Elvis Presley‘s daughter Lisa Marie Presley — were forged and two children produced by his second wife during that time, but the purposes behind them appeared image-oriented. Despite it all, Jackson’s passion and artistry as a singer, dancer, writer and businessman are unparalleled, and it is these prodigious talents that will ultimately prevail over the extremely negative aspects of his seriously troubled adult life.

 

 

The First Moonwalk

 

 

 

Thriller!

 

 

 

He’s….well…Bad.

 

 

 

Fact about Mr. Michael Jackson

 

Shares with Carlos Santana the record for most Grammys won in one year, with eight.

First solo artist to generate four top ten hits on the Billboard charts on one album with “Off the Wall.”

First artist to generate seven top ten hits (USA) on one album with “Thriller.”

Until August 2011, he was the only artist in history to generate five #1 hits (USA) from one album with “Bad”. Katy Perry has since tied this record with her album “Teenage Dream”.

With Lionel Richie, co-wrote the song “We Are the World,” and was one of its performers.

His 1982 album “Thriller” is the biggest selling album of all time, with confirmed sales of over 51 million, and claimed sales of over 100 million copies worldwide.

His 1991 album “Dangerous” is one of the biggest selling album of all time, with over 20 million copies sold worldwide.

His 1987 album “BAD” is one of the biggest selling albums of all time, with over 20 million copies sold worldwide.

Jackson hired film director Martin Scorsese to direct the video for the “Bad” album’s title track.

His hit song “Bad” from 1987 was initially supposed to be a duet with fellow 80’s superstar Prince. Prince said in an interview that he did not wish to sing the line “Your butt is mine”.

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 (as a solo artist).

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 (as a member of the Jackson 5).

Had a skin disease called vitiligo.

Diagnosed with lupus in 1984.

Copied his moon walk after mime Marcel Marceau in “walk-against-the- wind” pantomime techniques.

At his peak, Jackson was reportedly worth around $1 Billion.

Holds 10 different Guinness World Records.

1st May 2001: His video for “Thriller” was voted at #1 by VH1 on their countdown of the Top 100 Greatest Videos Of All Time. At #2 was “Like A Prayer” by Madonna.

 

MFA Monday!

MFA Mondays

MFA right

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy chilly Houston Monday! Cozy up with some tea and read the newest installment of MFA Mondays from the incredible  Diane Cahill Bedford!

 

 

Diane Cahill Bedford holds her M.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography from Florida State University. She is a dancer, choreographer, educator, and photographer; she currently serves as Professor of Dance at San Jacinto College South in Houston, TX. Diane has previously taught dance and presented her choreography in New York, Florida, Indiana, South Carolina, New Mexico, and Texas. www.dianecahillbedford.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

M.F. A. Life vs. Real Life

Tools of the Trade then and now…

I remember entering grad school after a four-year hiatus from academia thinking about how much I had missed that environment. Looking back, I’m not sure that I fully realized (even with four years of professional, real-life experience under my belt) what exactly I was so overjoyed about. There was of course the feeling of an immense weight being lifted off my shoulders (ironically); there was the possibility of creating dance and performing without spending so much of my time doing that other pesky thing called earning money at odd-end jobs like waiting tables. But now, two and half years into my first full-time Professorship, I know exactly what I was so elated about.

I had the fortunate experience of attending grad school where a plethora of tools and experiences were available to me: endless talented dancers to choose from, ample studio space to rehearse in, state-of-the-art technology, and a conditioning studio full of equipment to whip myself into shape when the endless technique classes were just not enough to keep me in peak form. Oh, and lest I forget to mention, I also had that one “little” thing so many people have comment on as being a lifeline to their creative work – mentors and colleagues to help me grow. And even though I truly feel I utilized as much of those available resources as I could, I look back now and think about how I could have done more and appreciated it more. If only I knew then what I know now (that those tools of the trade might be the very best I’d have in a long time) maybe I would have done things a little differently.

The illusions of an M.F.A. program is that the endless tools we have at our disposal will somehow always be available to us now that we have that illustrious degree. Of course, I should have known better. I wasn’t naïve to the fact that in my own professional life before returning to grad school, I struggled to have those very tools at my disposal. But somehow, the M.F.A. program became like Disney World. It was a safe haven. A place to escape the “real-world” and delve into the art I loved full-time again. It was a place where I would earn the degree that would keep me from ever having to return to that land of struggle, that land of not so top-of-the-line tools. I was confidant that I would get a full-time job and leave that life behind me forever. I guess in the end, I really was naïve. Even though I succeeded in getting the job, that life of struggle returned waiting to greet me when I stepped into my new office.

Let me be clear when I say I am tremendously grateful and appreciative that I did succeed in finding a full-time job. My musings are more a wake-up call to myself and to those pursuing their M.F.A. degree now. A full-time teaching job does not necessarily guarantee the same level of artistic freedom constantly at one’s disposal as in grad school. I am speaking to the common graduate of course. Unless you are one of the few that land the job of your dreams right off the bat, you will be faced will a tremendous learning curve. For instance, I remember when three hours of rehearsal a week for one piece of choreography often times felt rushed. Well in the real world, even the world of academia (that gleaming, glittery place where everything is supposed to be available to you) that may be a luxury you look back upon longingly. I also remember when I could focus more on the complexities of my choreography; I took for granted that the dancers I was using could do just about anything I asked of them. For now, that luxury is also long-gone. In its place is the role of teacher where I use rehearsal time to teach the skills I want to work with in my dancers. As dance artists, our work is in part only as good as the tools we have to use; sometimes I have to let my ego go knowing that my work is not necessarily top-of-the-line. Instead, I must focus on the experiences I give my dancers as my most important accomplishment.

Do I sometimes wish I could return to grad school and be free to create work in a bubble without obstacles? Of course! Sometimes I wonder if grad school trains us to become spoiled artists who, upon re-entering the real world, have to learn how to function again. For three years, I lived in close-knit, family kind of atmosphere where the thought of scrapping for artistic tools was as foreign to me as hunting for food in today’s microwave era. Perhaps grad school needs a “survivor” course in which students are forced to create work with as few tools readily accessible to them as possible. Or, perhaps the beauty of grad school lies in the fundamental ability to take the reins of your work and run wild with as much creativity and top-of-the-line tools as possible. It is true that without experimenting with all of the possibilities in creative work, one’s art will never grow beyond their own known boundaries. Two things are for certain: looking back at the tools I had at my disposal then compared to what I have now makes me even more grateful for my grad school experience. And, finding that full-time job in academia does not necessarily solve all the struggles of the post M.F.A. dancer life.

Steve Reich’s 2×5 and Liminal Space

Performances/Screenings

Hi Framers!

Well we had fun dancing at City Hall last night in the Mayor’s Holiday Celebration.  Did you see us?  If not, you can see us on Channel 11 (Houston) on December 14 at 6pm right before Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.  (Now that’s some fab placement!)

The dancers were absolutely darling in this fun dance, and Alex was one fantastic Santa Clause.  The kids went WILD for him.

I can’t believe our next show is this week!  This is the one you’ve been hearing me talk about regarding its complexity.  We are performing live with Liminal Space Contemporary Ensemble.  They have graciously invited us onto their concert and we are having so much fun.  Steve Reich is a heavyweight living composer, and I am really honored to be choreographing to his music.

I truly, truly think this will be a fabulous show.  Rob McClure is another composer on the program.  How could you forget this guy:

robWe miss him in China (off being a super important professor…) but we do get to enjoy his music!

And guess who else is in the show?  Mr. Mark Hirsch, composer for Quiver and partner-in-crime for FM (premiered at DiverseWorks and also in collaboration with Courtney D. Jones) is dominating the guitar on the Reich piece.

Courtney D. Jones and Deon Robinson
Courtney D. Jones and Deon Robinson
Mark Hirsch and Lydia Hance
Mark Hirsch and Lydia Hance

Love how it looks like he’s trying to push me away in this picture.  Ha!

Dancers include: Jacquelyne Jay Boe, Laura Gutierrez, Ashley Horn, and Alex Soares.  It’s basically a frametastic show.  Ashley Horn, as usual, has some tricks up her sleeve as costume designer.

The deets:

Wednesday.  The Barn. 7:30 pm.

Info and tickets here.  Get your tickets soon because they are significantly cheaper online than at the door.  Do it now!

Hope we see you there, we love our Framer Fans.

 

xoxo and to art,

Lydia

Links We Like

Links We Like

 

Happy Friday Framers! It’s finally the weekend!

First off, I would like to say  a belated Happy  Hanukkah! ….Happy Hanukkah!

 

hk-1010_stained_gass_menorah_low

 

Hanukkah card karen jacks

 

 

 

 

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For those of you who haven’t seen this (all three of you). Money well spent!

 

 

 

 

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A salute to the men and women who died during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th 1941. 72 years ago.  2,386 Americans died and 1,139 were wounded. Eighteen ships were sunk or run aground, including five battleships. The attack lasted 90 minutes.

 

FDR’s famous Pearl Harbor Speech

 

 

 

Pearl Harbor survivor’s dying wish granted.

 

 

Free Events Thursday!

Free Events Thursday

Feast: Radical Hospitality in Contemporary Art

10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. every Tue., Wed., Fri., Sat. until December 7
10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. every Thu. until December 7

Blaffer Art Museum

Pegged an ”artist-orchestrated meal” originally cooked up by University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art, ”Feast: Radical Hospitality in Contemporary Art” at the University of Houston’s Blaffer Art Museum features contributions from more than 25 artists.

Fee: Free

 

Touring Taste of Dance Salad Festival – Film Premiere of Dance Salad Festival 2013

7:00 p.m. December 5

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston – Brown Auditorium Theater

Price: Free

 

Zoo Lights

6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. daily until January 4

Houston Zoo

Price: $9 to $12

 

A Christmas Carol

Every Tue., Wed., Thu., Fri., Sat., Sun. until December 26

Alley Theatre

615 Texas Ave.
Houston,TX 77002

Price: $26 to $80

 

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

1:00 p.m. every Sat. until December 21 

4:00 p.m. every Sat. until December 21

Main Street Theatre

4617 Montrose Blvd.
Houston,TX 77006

Price: $13 to $17

 

Music Doing Good Presents “Miracle on 19th Street”

Saturday, December 7, 2013, 7 to 10 pm

Gallery M Squared, 339 West 19th Street, 77008

Price: Free

Tree-trimming and Celebration of Musical Outreach Programs. The tree will be donated to Houston Heights Tower, a retirement community on 19th Street. Guests will enjoy libations, light bites and holiday cheer while learning about how Music Doing Good outreach programs transform the lives of the underserved in the Houston area. Seating is limited to first 200 RSVPs (standing room will be available). To RSVP please call 713.900.3468 or email at info at musicdoinggood.org.

 

Tuesday Tunes!

Tuesday Tunes

Screen Shot 2013-07-09 at 12.05.42 PM

Today we are featuring….Fred Astaire!

“People think I was born in top hat and tails.”

The son of an Austrian immigrant, Fred Astaire entered show business at age 5. He was successful both in vaudeville and on broadway in partnership with his sister, Adele Astaire. After Adele retired to marry in 1932, Astaire headed to Hollywood. Signed to RKO, he was loaned to MGM to appear in Dancing Lady (1933) before starting work on RKO’s Flying Down to Rio (1933). In the latter film, he began his highly successful partnership with Ginger Rogers, with whom he danced in 10 RKO pictures. During these years, he was also active in recording and radio. On film, Astaire later appeared opposite a number of partners through various studios. After a temporary retirement in 1945-7, during which he opened Fred Astaire Dance Studios, Astaire returned to film to star in more musicals through 1957. He subsequently performed a number of straight dramatic roles in film and TV.

 

A Scene from Swing Time

 

 

The Famous Dance on the Ceiling….yes, you heard me correctly. Dancing on a ceiling.

 

 

A coat rack, weights, parallel bars and Fred Astaire…

 

Facts about Mr. Fred Astaire…

Wore his trademark top hat and tails in his very first movie appearance, Dancing Lady(1933).

He was voted the 19th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

Named the #5 greatest actor on The 50 Greatest Screen Legends by the American Film Institute.

He was voted the 23rd Greatest Movie Star of all time by Premiere Magazine.

One of the first Kennedy Center Honorees in 1978.

Ranked #73 in Empire (UK) magazine’s “The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time” list.

Astaire disguised his very large hands by curling his middle two fingers while dancing.

His legs were insured for one million dollars.

While all music and songs were known to be dubbed (recorded before filming), his tap dancing was dubbed also. He “over-dubbed” his taps – recording them live as he danced to the previously recorded taps.

Inducted into the International Tap Dance Hall of Fame in 2002 (inaugural class).

In December 2013, he was honored as Turner Classic Movies Star of the Month.

Interred at Oakwood Memorial Park, Chatsworth, California, USA, the same cemetery where long-time dancing partner, Ginger Rogers, is located.