Bob Fosse Shea Copy
Possessed of both uninhibited energy and incredible artistic gifts, Fosse
was one of the twentieth centurys great choreographers.
Fosse was an artist whose work was always provocative, entertaining,
and unique for his time. His dances were sexual, humorous, and physically
demanding of even the most highly trained dancers. As well, Fosses
works addressed the full range of human emotions, in contrast to
ordinary artistic fluf- Works that are entertaining, but not necessarily the most
meaningful or truthful to the human experience.
Fosses style was signature. Often seen elements include Snapping fingers, tilted
hats. Both hip and shoulder rolls appear frequently, as do backward exits. singlehanded gestures. Fosse referred to these moves as the "amoeba", for its angular
fluidity.
Fosse was a genius and visionary.
But like many other renowned performers and creators, Fosses creative
genius also had a dark, aggressive side.
Fosse was known for his indulgent personality, you know he applied the
same feverish pace to his personal life as he did to his artistic eforts.
Ever a man of passion and eagerness, Fosse was also a man of impulse
and addiction. In the mid-1970s, Fosse became increasingly dependent
on alcohol and amphetamines. It is also believed that Fosse smoked
more than four packs of cigarettes a day.
Although no one disputed his talent, As a choreographer, Fosse was
described as a control freak and unwilling to compromise his artistic
vision. Fosse refused direction and despised correction. Much of Fosses
attitude as a choreographer is believed to have stemmed from his
training as an adolescent.
In his youth, Bob Fosse began dancing at the Chicago Academy of
Theatre Arts under the direction of Frederic Weaver. Fosse excelled
at dancing and became Weavers protg.
Although Fosse received numerous corrections in regard to his open
palms, rounded shoulders, and turned-in knees and feet, Fosse seemed
to never achieve the traditional lines and positions of a technical
dancer. Instead of letting his shortcomings hold him back, Fosse
featured his awkward angles and incorrect isolations in many of works.
By mashing together his unconventional technique with his acquired
taste for all things modern, sexual, and darkly comedic, Fosse was able
to establish the beginnings of his career.
Ever the rebel, Fosse would often skip class and go to burlesque clubs.
Burlesque was considered to be an underground style of dance at the
time as it incorporated nudity and feminine sexuality. The sensual and
provocative nature of burlesque was also seen as raunchy and in poor
taste due to these aspects. However, Bob Fosse admired these qualities
of burlesque and would later integrate them into his most famous works
of choreography.
Fosse teamed up with Charles Grass to form the Rif Brothers. The
two performed across Chicago and received accolades for their
energetic and masculine style.
After graduating high school in 1945, Fosse had a short-lived run as Bob Riff, a solo
subdivision of the Riff Brothers, and continued performing across Chicago. Response to Bob Riff was
tepid, so Fosse decided to enlist in the navy that same year. America was then in the midst of World War
II and Fosse served as a touring performer for the troops. Fosse performed in a variety of shows including
Hook, Line, and Sinker and Tough Situation. During this time, Fosse learned how to cater to different
crowds and he truly pushed himself as a choreographer and as a dancer, yet Fosses aspirations were still
much greater. Fosse continued performing for the troops up until 1946 when he moved to New York City
to find more work and become a household name (Zaremba, Fosse: An Introduction).
When Fosse first arrived to New York City, he rented a room for a mere thirty-five cents a day.
Though his accommodations were humble to say the least, Fosse had very little trouble finding work. In
fact, Fosse was able to book his first job after only two auditions in New York. Fosse landed a featured
role in a touring production of Call Me Mister, in which he danced opposite Mary Ann Niles (Grubb
108). The twos onstage chemistry soon transitioned to a real life romance and they married in 1949. The
couple was billed as Fosse and Niles and they booked jobs in many clubs and on television, most
notably the television show Dance Me a Song. While they always danced beautifully together, their
romance began to quickly fizzle and they divorced in 1951.
Fosse swiftly rebounded from his divorce by marrying dancer/actress Joan McCracken in 1952.
The two connected on their love of dance, but Joans experience as an actress caused her to push Fosse as
an actor (Zaremba, Fosse: An Introduction). Fosse took his wifes advice and began taking acting lessons.
Fosses increased interest in acting led to several roles in films such as Give a Girl a Break, Kiss Me
Kate, and My Sister Eileen. However, those roles did not make him the celebrity he wished to be. Fosse
thus decided to focus more of his time on establishing himself as a choreographer. Fosse got his big break
when Broadway heavyweight George Abbott asked Fosse to choreograph his new Broadway musical The
Pajama Games in 1954.
Fosse worked ceaselessly to perfect the choreography in The Pajama Games, but Fosses
influence did not end there. Fosse also pushed for control of music and the script, which were very
audacious moves for a relatively unknown choreographer. Fosse also overworked his dancers and spent
endless hours tweaking combinations (Gottfried 174). Nevertheless, Fosses antics were tolerated because
his work was so fresh and captivating. Fosses hard work ultimately won him a Tony Award for Best
Choreography. Fosses newfound success earned him work as choreographer for another Abbott show,
Damn Yankees, in 1955. Like the previous year, Damn Yankees again won Fosse the Tony Award for Best
Choreography, but the production also won Fosse the heart of actress Gwen Verdon. Though Fosse was
still married to Joan McCracken, McCracken became ill and, thus, her romantic relationship with Fosse
ended. Instead, Fosse served as McCrackens caregiver for the remainder of their marriage while Fosse
and Verdon were romantically and professionally committed to each other (Zaremba, Fosse: An
Introduction). Having married in 1960, Fosse and Verdon became a Broadway power couple as they
continued to win Tony Awards for their work in Redhead, Little Me, and 1966s Sweet Charity.
After the success of Sweet Charity, Hollywood tapped Fosse to direct a film adaptation of the
show in 1969. The film seemed bound for success with an all-star cast and a generous budget of
$20,000,000. But Sweet Charity was considered a financial failure as it only made $8,000,000 at the box
office. Despite the fact the film nearly left Universal Pictures bankrupt, Fosse continued working in film.
In 1972, Fosse both directed and choreographed Cabaret starring Liza Minelli. Unlike Sweet Charity,
Cabaret was a huge success as it earned over $42,000,000 and won eight Academy Awards, including
one for Fosse for Best Director. This milestone in Fosses career was only the tip of the iceberg, as Fosse
won a Tony Award that year for his directorial work in the stage musical Pippin as well as an Emmy
Award for his directorial work in the television special Liza with a Z. With his record-setting victories,
Fosse had established himself as not only a celebrity, but a legend.
In 1978, Fosse directed and choreographed the Broadway musical Dancin, which won Fosse yet
another Tony Award for Best Choreography. The following year, Fosse directed a biopic called All That
Jazz which was loosely based on Fosses own life. The film a critical success and earned Fosse an
Academy Award nomination for Best Director. Fosse seemed to be on top of the world, but Fosse soon
showed chinks in his armor. Ever a man of passion and eagerness, Fosse was also a man of impulse and
addiction. In the mid-1970s, Fosse became increasingly dependent on alcohol and amphetamines
(Gottfried 239). It is also believed that Fosse smoked more than four packs of cigarettes a day. In the
following years, Fosse suffered two heart attacks presumably from his unhealthy habits. Fosse worked
sporadically throughout the early to mid-1980s, even winning his last Tony Award in 1986 for Best
Choreography in Big Deal. But none of Fosses work at the time invoked the success and industry-buzz
that his earlier works were able to.
In 1987, began work on his final production, a Broadway revival of
Sweet Charity. The revival was a success, but Fosse was unable to
celebrate as he sufered his third heart attack and died on September
23, 1987 before the show opened.
Fosses influence on modern pop culture is quite expansive
Fosse introduced unique perspective shots and jump cuts in films such as sweet charity.
These film and editing techniques would become standard practice for music video
directors decades later
Artist such as Beyonce as heavily influenced by Fosses style.
Many choreographers continue to use his signature style.
Though much of Bob Fosses legacy lives on in the world of dance, Fosse was not merely a
dancer or a choreographer. Bob Fosse was a pioneer and a visionary. With a keen eye for aesthetic and a
signature style that was ahead of his time, Fosse revolutionized the face of dance. As an artist, Fosse
celebrated human sexuality and inspired the hearts of many. Fosse pushed boundaries and broke rules, yet
through doing so he was able to set a standard for every dancer who came after him.
