Fred Astaire: influences, peers and legacy

Every connection with its receipt

Fred Astaire fused vaudeville tap, ballroom elegance and the rhythmic language of jazz into a screen style that reshaped how music and movement were filmed. This mix traces the ballroom teachers and Black tap innovators behind him, the Broadway songwriters who wrote for his voice, and the dancers who still measure themselves against him.

The Kynda mix for Fred Astaire

• Key Influence · Modern Dancing by Vernon and Irene Castle (1914). The Castles' instructional book codified the ballroom style Astaire cited as formative — the upright carriage, gliding turns and social-dance vocabulary he absorbed as a young vaudevillian in the 1910s. Astaire later played Vernon Castle opposite Ginger Rogers in RKO's 1939 biopic, made with Irene Castle as consultant, an unusually direct act of homage to a documented influence.

What influenced Fred Astaire

• Battlestar Galactica by Donald P. Bellisario. Astaire guest starred on the TV series Battlestar Galactica. “He made a well publicized guest appearance on the science-fiction television series Battlestar Galactica in 1979, as Chameleon” (Wikipedia)
• Don Cash. Astaire learned juggling from Don Cash. “His teacher in the art is Don Cash, makeup man for the cast of “Second Chorus,”” (The Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, N.C.))
• Nicholas Brothers. Astaire named the Nicholas Brothers as his own tap dance heroes. “Astaire declared that his own tap heroes were the Nicholas Brothers, Fayard and Harold” (Wikipedia)
• Vernon and Irene Castle. Astaire's dance style drew from the elevated style of Vernon and Irene Castle. (also via Modern Dancing) “As a dancer, he drew influences from many sources, including tap, classical dance, and the elevated style of Vernon and Irene Castle” (Wikipedia)
• Begin the Beguine by Cole Porter. Astaire and Powell performed a celebrated dance routine to Cole Porter's song. “They starred in Broadway Melody of 1940 , in which they performed a celebrated extended dance routine to Cole Porter's " Begin the Beguine "” (Wikipedia)
• They Can't Take That Away from Me by George and Ira Gershwin. Astaire introduced the Gershwins' song in Shall We Dance. “the Gershwins' " They Can't Take That Away from Me " in Shall We Dance (1937)” (Wikipedia)
• Night and Day by Cole Porter. Astaire introduced Cole Porter's song Night and Day. “Astaire introduced some of the most celebrated songs from the Great American Songbook , in particular, Cole Porter's: " Night and Day " in Gay Divorce (1932)” (Wikipedia)
• Dancing Lady by MGM. Astaire made his significant Hollywood debut dancing with Joan Crawford in Dancing Lady. “They lent him for a few days to MGM in 1933 for his significant Hollywood debut in the successful musical film Dancing Lady” (Wikipedia)
• Aurelio Coccia. Astaire and his sister learned dances from vaudeville dancer Aurelio Coccia. “From vaudeville dancer Aurelio Coccia they learned the tango, waltz and other ballroom dances popularized by Vernon and Irene Castle” (Wikipedia)
• The Way You Look Tonight by Jerome Kern. Astaire first presented Jerome Kern's song in Swing Time. “He first presented Jerome Kern 's " The Way You Look Tonight " in Swing Time (1936)” (Wikipedia)
• Modern Dancing by Vernon and Irene Castle (1914). Modern Dancing (Vernon and Irene Castle) — titan for Fred Astaire

Peers and kindred spirits

• Gene Kelly. Astaire danced with Gene Kelly in Ziegfeld Follies. (also via Top Hat) “In Ziegfeld Follies (1946)—which was produced in 1944 but delayed for release—Kelly collaborated with Fred Astaire , for whom he had the greatest admiration, in "The Babbitt and the Bromide" challenge dance routine.” (Wikipedia)
• Ginger Rogers. Astaire and Rogers had a long film dance partnership. “This alludes to the song " Pick Yourself Up " from the 1936 film Swing Time , for which Jerome Kern had written the music, in which Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire sang Fields's words, "Pick yourself up; dust yourself off; start all over …” (Wikipedia)
• George Gershwin. Astaire met and would go on to collaborate with George Gershwin. “He first met George Gershwin , who was working as a song plugger for Jerome H. Remick 's music publishing company, in 1916” (Wikipedia)
• Fred Astaire Studios. Establishes that Fred Astaire Studios teachers operate under Fred Astaire's guidance and method. “trained under the same method that has made Fred Astaire the greatest dance authority in the world today” (The Detroit Tribune (Detroit, Mich.))
• Bing Crosby. Astaire co-starred with Bing Crosby in Holiday Inn. “Astaire played alongside Bing Crosby in the enormously successful Holiday Inn (1942)” (Wikipedia)
• Vincente Minnelli. Astaire's films with Bremer were both directed by Vincente Minnelli. “His next partner, Lucille Bremer , was featured in two lavish vehicles, both directed by Vincente Minnelli” (Wikipedia)
• Francis Ford Coppola. Astaire's final major musical was directed by Francis Ford Coppola. “Astaire's last major musical film was Finian's Rainbow (1968), directed by Francis Ford Coppola” (Wikipedia)
• Petula Clark. Astaire's dance partner in Finian's Rainbow was Petula Clark. “Astaire's dance partner was Petula Clark , who played his character's skeptical daughter” (Wikipedia)
• Rita Hayworth. Astaire was paired with Rita Hayworth to promote her career. “He engaged Fred Astaire for two pictures, in an effort to promote Cohn's own prospective musical star Rita Hayworth” (Wikipedia)
• Joan Crawford. Astaire danced with Joan Crawford in Dancing Lady. “In the movie, he appeared as himself dancing with Joan Crawford” (Wikipedia)
• Leslie Caron. Leslie Caron compared dancing with Astaire versus Gene Kelly, indicating collaboration with both. “Caron said that while Kelly danced close to the ground, she felt like she was floating with Astaire” (Wikipedia)
• Judy Garland. Garland co-starred with Astaire in Easter Parade. “Following her work in The Pirate , she co-starred for the first and only time with Fred Astaire , who replaced Gene Kelly after Kelly broke his ankle, in Easter Parade (1948).” (Wikipedia)
• Lucille Bremer. Astaire's partner Lucille Bremer appeared with him in two films directed by Vincente Minnelli. “His next partner, Lucille Bremer , was featured in two lavish vehicles, both directed by Vincente Minnelli” (Wikipedia)
• Fred Astaire Dance Studios. Astaire founded the Fred Astaire Dance Studios in 1947. “he carefully planned " Puttin' On the Ritz ", an innovative song-and-dance routine indelibly associated with him, as his farewell dance. He then concentrated on his horse-racing interests and in 1947 founded the Fred Astaire Dance Studios” (Wikipedia)
• Hermes Pan (1909). Astaire worked almost exclusively with choreographer Hermes Pan in the 1930s. “Unlike the 1930s when he worked almost exclusively with Hermes Pan, he tapped the talents of other choreographers to innovate continually” (Wikipedia)
• Michael Kidd (1915). Michael Kidd co-choreographed The Band Wagon with Astaire. “Michael Kidd , Astaire's co-choreographer on the 1953 film The Band Wagon , found that his own concern about the emotional motivation behind the dance was not shared by Astaire” (Wikipedia)
• Barrie Chase. Astaire's TV specials featured dance partner Barrie Chase. “Each featured Barrie Chase , with whom Astaire enjoyed a renewed period of dance creativity” (Wikipedia)
• Noël Coward. Astaire and Noël Coward were friends and colleagues who studied together. “While in London, Fred studied piano at the Guildhall School of Music alongside his friend and colleague Noël Coward” (Wikipedia)
• Guildhall School of Music. Astaire studied piano at the Guildhall School of Music. “While in London, Fred studied piano at the Guildhall School of Music alongside his friend and colleague Noël Coward” (Wikipedia)
• Eleanor Powell. Astaire's first dance partner after Rogers was Eleanor Powell. “His first post-Ginger dance partner was the redoubtable Eleanor Powell , considered the most exceptional female tap-dancer of her generation” (Wikipedia)
• Claire Luce. Astaire worked with Claire Luce as a new dance partner. “Free of the brother-sister constraints of the former pairing and working with new partner Claire Luce , Fred created a romantic partnered dance” (Wikipedia)
• Second Chorus. Astaire stars in Second Chorus.

Who Fred Astaire influenced

• Bob Fosse (1927). Fosse's use of props was influenced by Fred Astaire. (also via The Band Wagon) “His number one idol was Fred Astaire. By his early teens The Riff Brothers were playing professional gigs throughout the Midwest, including bars and strip clubs.” (Senses of Cinema)
• Taking Back Sunday (1999). Taking Back Sunday referenced Astaire in a song title. “the songs "I Am Fred Astaire" by Taking Back Sunday” (Wikipedia)
• American Smooth. Astaire's trademark style influenced the American Smooth ballroom dance style. “His trademark style greatly influenced the American Smooth style of ballroom dance” (Wikipedia)
• Jerome Robbins (1918). Choreographer Jerome Robbins praised Astaire's dance construction, indicating his esteem/influence. “As Jerome Robbins stated, "Astaire's dancing looks so simple, so disarming, so easy, yet the understructure, the way he sets the steps on, over or against the music, is so surprising and inventive."” (Wikipedia)
• Steppin' Out by Steve Cole (2003). Describes the album as a tribute to Astaire. “then emphasizing themed albums such as the Sinatra homage Perfectly Frank (1992) and the Fred Astaire tribute Steppin' Out (1993).” (Wikipedia)
• James. The band James referenced Astaire in a song title. “"Just Like Fred Astaire" by James” (Wikipedia)
• Michael Jackson. Swing Time (Fred Astaire) — culture for Michael Jackson (via Swing Time) “=== Influences === Jackson was influenced by musicians including James Brown, Little Richard, Jackie Wilson, Diana Ross, Fred Astaire, Sammy Davis Jr., Gene Kelly, and David Ruffin.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Queen. Queen referenced Astaire in their song Man on the Prowl.
• Frank Sinatra (1915). Night and Day (Fred Astaire) — ghost for Frank Sinatra (via Night and Day)