June 23
Born Today:
Bob Fosse
Choreographer and director Bob Fosse (1927-1987) created one of the most idiosyncratic and recognizable dance techniques, and his work dominated Broadway from the 1950s through the 1980s. As a film director, his groundbreaking style elevated the movie musical to a cinematic art form. His masterpiece Cabaret (1972) used the technique called intercutting to weave together two related scenes presenting the world of the stage and the outside world as mirror reflections of each other. His choreography, filled with small details and clockwork-gear dancer interactions, such as the pulsating mass of jutting arms and legs called the Fosse Amoeba, sparkled onscreen and inspired dancers and filmmakers alike. For a biographical view of Fosse and his muse Gwen Verdon (1925-2000), check out the Fosse/Verdon (2019) miniseries.
Also Born Today: Ballerina Fanny Elssler (1810-1884) was considered one of the greatest ballerinas during the Romantic Ballet era. She and her sister Therese Elssler (1808-1878) trained and performed together and Fanny was often compared with Marie Taglioni (1804-1884), as their styles were polar opposites - Elssler excelled in precise, quick steps and Taglioni excelled at lightness and leaping. Ballerina Yulia Makhalina (1968-) began dancing with the Maryinsky Ballet (formerly the Kirov) in 1986. Ballroom dancer Louis van Amstel (1972-) is best known for creating the LaBlast dance fitness system that features ballroom dance movement.