Fred Astaire and Barrie Chase - 1966

Here's a little dress shop fantasy with Fred and Barrie - choreography by Hermes Pan and music by Cy Coleman.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Fred
• Astaire
• Barrie
• Chase
• musical
• dance
• choreography
• Hermes
• Pan
• Cy
• Coleman
• TV
• variety
• fabulous

[peaceintheworld2007]

This is so inspiring for those who think it may be too late or they may be too old to dance. Sad reflection of our ageist society. I've only just started learning how to tap dance and learn street dance at 39, and I thought I may be too old. But seeing this and knowing that Fred was 67 in this clip has really changed my mind and made me realise that it's never too late! Thank you so much for posting this!

[ohbutyes]

@peaceintheworld2007 - what a wonderful comment! Just remember that ageism is not necessarily coming from society, but from media and the people who create and market it. Take media out of the equation, the picture looks different. Thanks for commenting!

[followthefleet1]

Among many amazing things with this dance, is that Fred is age 67, and still moves around with such grace an elegance. The choreography is simple and doesn't require a lot of athleticism, but then Fred's best dancing was never solely about athleticism. It's rare, even for men to look this good. For women in dance, it's all but impossible. Ginger was doing "Hello Dolly", a good star vehicle for her, but she can not be imagined dancing with Fred here. Dance was Fred's fort and time didn't matter.

[prnk1729]

just looking at those feet move you are proved that AGE IS JUST A NUMBER..! Hats off to the legend..

[MegaGum1]

Have you ever tried to do a dance routine in a suit? The man did it for 40 years.

[talkinghead2004]

@jimaroo100 Well, you are definitely correct. And you can add the ballet scene at the end of American in Paris to your list of narcissitic scenes. it had nothing to do with anything but was just an opportunity to show off. Kelly was a great dancer, no doubt, but he was an unhappy performer. Very difficult. Astaire was an entertainer with no "artiste" pretensions.

[ametrus]

Fred Astaire a 67 ans: trés impressionnant!!

[MADDD0GGG]

Boy, you can tell Barrie had to keep up with Fred... She was out of breath but you would never know it by looking at Fred!

[ottoelperro]

Sublime performance. Don't know much about "narrative" or the feud between the two men. Al I know is that when they (either) danced in movies, as a child, my mouth would just drop! Thanks for posting. I had never seen this before and it's... sublime.

[followthefleet1]

There's good reason why George Balanchine called Fred the "greatest dancer of the 20th century"....and one of the greatest who ever lived. He was 67 when he made this. So am I, but just a bit creekier! :-)

[Jitterbugsalsa]

This clip is just so amazing.. great photography, colour, style, and choreography!. Fab Tv indeed!

[JohnnyContagious]

was a mercurial performer, but he had no interest in the Musical as an artform. And if Astaire was as generous as you claim, then ask yourself how many solos Ginger Rogers got the opportunity to perform, compared to him, in their RKO films?

[JohnnyContagious]

to be his finest, because he felt it slowed down the narrative? It's not by chance that people who danced opposite Kelly produced their best - Judy Garland, Vera-Ellen, Cyd Charisse, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor et al - it's because it is actually Kelly who was the more generous of the two men. He was driven by the desire to redefine the film musical, which he did, and understood implicitly the importance of choreography, narrative, and allowing his partners to shine. Astaire