Fred Astaire

Astaire in 1941

Fred Astaire (10. mei 1899 – 22. juni 1987) was nen amerikaansken danssteare, sanger, aktöör un choreograaf. Hee was bekend üm syne elegante dansstyl un syne vöäle musikalfilms, vöäral dee wårin hee med Ginger Rogers dansden. Astaire wördt seen as eyne van de meyst invloodryke dansers in de geskedenisse van Hollywood un as nen wåren pionier in den kunstform. As aktöör, danssteare, sanger un koreograaf had hee nen leidenden invlood up amerikaanske musikalfilms.

Vroge jåren

Frederick Austerlitz wör geboaren up den 10. mai 1899 in Omaha, Nebraska, as söäne van Frederik Austerlitz, nen ousterryksken immigrant, un Johanna "Ann" Geilus, den as uut de Verenigde Ståten stammeden. Syne olden hadden ouk ne dochter, Adele, den as med Fred upgroiden. Beide kinder warren vro in dans interesseerd.

In 1905 verhüüsden de familie når Stad Nyjork, wår de kinder lessen nammen in dansen, singen un toneel. Öäre moder had groute plannen vöär de kinder un wol at se beroomd worden. Up anråden van nen künnigen veranderdens e den name van de kinder van Austerlitz in Astaire. Et eyrste klünk ja to düütsk, wat in dissen tyd, kört nå den Eyrsten Wearldoorlog, neet good was vöär ne loupbane in showbusiness.

Loupbane med Adele

Fred un Adele begünden öäre loupbane as danspaar. Öär eyrste professionele uutvoring was in Keyport, New Jersey, in 1905. De eerste jåren güngen se vöäral up tournee döär de Vereanigde Ståten med ne akt den as "Astaire Siblings" heyteden. Uutendelik nå meyrere jåren van hard warken kreagen se ne rulle in Broadway in de musikal "Over the Top" (1917). Dårnå spöälden se in verskeidene sukcesvulle musikals, sou as "Lady, Be Good!" (1924), "Funny Face" (1927) un "The Band Wagon" (1931).

In al disse stükke warren Fred un Adele eyn van de meyst populäre dansparen. Se wörden bekend döär öären natuurliken dansstyl, vöäle energie un vlotte timing. Fred had ne verfynde tapdanstechnik un nen uniken styl, wårin as hee vrye styl kombineerden med klassiken dans. Hee wördt vake beskreaven as nen danser den as döär de lucht sweavden.

In 1932 trouwen Adele med Lord Charles Cavendish un tröäk sik torügge uut de showbusiness. Fred stünd der nu alleyne vöär.

Hollywood-loupbane

Nå Adele öär trouwen nöm Fred den trad når Hollywood. Der was eyrder neet vöäle belangstelling vöär em, un et bekendste verhaal is at nen spotter up RKO Pictures in 1933 afslöät med de note: "Kan neet singen. Kan neet akteren. Kan een betke dansen. Kalend."

Dårnå kreag hee toch ne rulle in "Dancing Lady" (1933) med Joan Crawford. Syn eyrsten grouten film was "Flying Down to Rio" (1933), wårin hee med Ginger Rogers dansden. In dissen film satten meyrere dansscenes wåras et publik wild van was. Med mekander dansden se sou good at se gelyk as duo wörden estrikked vöär ne ryge musikalfilms, sou as "The Gay Divorcee" (1934), "Top Hat" (1935), "Swing Time" (1936) un "Shall We Dance" (1937).

De films med Rogers warren sou bekend ümdat se altyd ne romantiske verholding harren den as sik döär dans untwikkelden. Astaire was perfektionist un ovenden dagelang vöär ydere dansscene. Hee was ouk innovatief in wo as kamera's dansscenes upnöämen. Hee wol at et heyle lyf van den danser to seen was, un vünd at de kamera med den dans med must beweagen, wat ny was in Hollywood.

Nådat Astaire un Rogers uut mekander güngen, warken he samen med andere danspartners, sou as Eleanor Powell, Paulette Goddard, Rita Hayworth un Cyd Charisse. In dissen tyd makeden hee films as "You'll Never Get Rich" (1941), "Holiday Inn" (1942) un "Easter Parade" (1948). In "Royal Wedding" (1951) danst hee up de wanden un de dake van nen kamer in ne beroomde scene.

Latere jåren

In de vyvtiger jåren begün Astaire syne filmloupbane af to neamen. Hee spölden in vöäle films, mär dansden voordan minder. Toch künnet syn rullen in "Funny Face" (1957) med Audrey Hepburn un "Silk Stockings" (1957) med Cyd Charisse seen worden as et höygdepunt van syne latere jåren.

In 1958 kondigden hee syn afskeid van et dansen an, mär küm låter toch weader torügge. In de sestiger un söäventiger jåren was hee minder aktiv in films, mär was noch wal up televisy to seen. Hee spöälden rullen in televisiefilms sou as "A Family Upside Down" (1978), wårvöär hee nen Emmy Award wün.

Ouk had hee sukces as aktöör sunder dans. Hee kreag ne Oscar-nominaty vöär beste byrulle in "The Towering Inferno" (1974) un spöälden in "Ghost Story" (1981), syn lätste groute filmrulle.

Dansstyl un arvenisse

Fred Astaire syn dansstyl was unik. Hee was elegant un kün up alles dansen, van jazz un tap töt ballroom un ballet. Hee meynden at dans der simpel un makkelik uut must seen, selvs as et slim lastig in mekander stöäk. Syn koreografien warren innovativ un heyl good upbouwd, den as steydes passen by syne körperbouw un unike bewöägungen.

Syn invlood up dansen un up films was heyl grout. Bekande dansers un koreografen as Gene Kelly, Michael Jackson, Gregory Hines un Mikhail Baryshnikov hebt em all as ne groute invlood nöömd. In 1999 wörd hee döär et American Film Institute up de vyvde plakke eset in de lyste van de "Gröötste Filmstaers aller Tyden".

Michael Jackson hüng un ouk nen fedorhat up döär et roof van nen van syne musiekvideos ter ere van Astaire. Jackson gaff Astaire de kredyt vöär syne eygene dansstyl in den "moonwalk" un makeden selvs ne korte film, "Smooth Criminal", den as baseerd was up Astaire syn dansscene in "The Band Wagon".

Priveleaven

Astaire was twey mål trouwd. In 1933 med Phyllis Potter, med wee as hee twey kinder kreeg, Fred Jr. un Ava. Phyllis störv in 1954 an lungkanker. In 1980 trouwden hee up 81-jöärigen leavtyd med Robyn Smith, ne paerdrydster den as 45 jår jünger was as heeselv. Se bleaven trouwd töt an synen doud.

Astaire was ouk bekend üm syn leevdådigheid. Hee was eyn van de eyrste Hollywood-stearen den as en televisy-uptreaden gavven vöär et gode dool.

Astaire was beskarmend oaver syn persöönlike leaven. Up Hollywood-feyste löät he sik neet gaerne seen. Hee güng lever paerdryden, drummen, leedkesskryven of golven. Hee bleav syn heyle leaven in beweaging. In syn söäventiger jåren begün he noch med skateboarden. Alle lofprysingen bekeak he med de nöydige twyfels. Hee bepålden at der selvs nå synen doud ginne biografiske films oaver em emaked solden worden. Et solde, meynden hee, toch mär verkeyrd uutelegd worden.

Doud un arvenisse

Fred Astaire störv up den 22. juni 1987 in Los Angeles, Kalifornie, nå ne körte seekde. Hee wör 88 jår old. Nå synen doud wör hee dübbel eyrd. Eyn mål in 1989, do as hee upnöämen wör in den Television Hall of Fame, un in 1991, do as hee den Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award kreag.

Syn invlood löt sik oaveral seen un völen, in films, teater un danskunst. Gene Kelly, ouk nen grouten danssteare, skreav oaver em: "Et kan neet oaverdreaven worden wo vöärnaam hee vöär den musikal was. Hee gavven den dansenden aktöör klassiken styl un eleganty. Sunder em sol de danskunst der rechtevoord slim anders uutseen."

Filmografy (uutname)

• "Dancing Lady" (1933)
• "Flying Down to Rio" (1933)
• "The Gay Divorcee" (1934)
• "Top Hat" (1935)
• "Swing Time" (1936)
• "Shall We Dance" (1937)
• "Carefree" (1938)
• "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle" (1939)
• "You'll Never Get Rich" (1941)
• "Holiday Inn" (1942)
• "You Were Never Lovelier" (1942)
• "Ziegfeld Follies" (1945)
• "Blue Skies" (1946)
• "Easter Parade" (1948)
• "The Barkleys of Broadway" (1949)
• "Three Little Words" (1950)
• "Royal Wedding" (1951)
• "The Band Wagon" (1953)
• "Daddy Long Legs" (1955)
• "Funny Face" (1957)
• "Silk Stockings" (1957)
• "Finian's Rainbow" (1968)
• "The Towering Inferno" (1974)
• "Ghost Story" (1981)