Gene Kelly Research Paper

Think of dancing males of Old Hollywood, and two men in particular come to mind: Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. Though both men were exceptional dancers with impeccable technique, they both had unique characteristics that made them stars in their own right. While Astaire brought timelessness and elegance, Gene Kelly brought excitement and energy. Both achieved these respective qualities while emulating the American Dream and the concept of the “everyday man,” a feat that was difficult to accomplish in upscale Hollywood. Gene Kelly is an easily recognizable name to most movie lovers, and this could possibly be due to his effortless charisma and his positive, ecstatic demeanor that shines through his performances. I personally found watching …show more content…
Two of the clips feature Kelly with two different partners: Frank Sinatra and Leslie Caron. These two pairs, respectively, have completely different dynamics. Sinatra, who was clearly much more of a singer than a dancer, relied on Kelly to take the lead on their number. However, Kelly’s dancing in the scenes with Caron was much more sensual, with more intimacy than some of Astaire and Rogers’ high-energy numbers. Kelly and Caron had a give-and-take relationship that made them balance harmoniously. At times, it even seemed as though Kelly let Caron take the lead. This is where Kelly’s acting, in my opinion, seemed more convincing than Astaire’s. Whether it was with the actress or with the dance itself, Kelly was definitely in love with something when he moved. Dancing Scene 4 from “American in Paris” shows a tap dance routine between Kelly and Caron that reminded me a bit of Astaire and Rogers’ tap dancing scene from “Top Hat”; in both scenes, the men take the lead and then the women follow with just as impressive technique, creating a “my turn, your turn” sequence that eventually leads to a dancing pair. However, even in this sense, Kelly and Caron seem to create a more lighthearted, fun, and comedic atmosphere that lent itself to this particular style of dance very

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