MASTERS OF JAZZBOB FOSSE

GUS GIORDANO

BOB FOSSE Born Robert Louise Fosse on June 23, 1927 in Chicago, Illinois the second youngest of 6 kids. He teamed up with Charles Grass, another young dancer, and began a collaboration under the name The Riff Brothers. Eventually he was hired for Tough Situation, which toured military and naval bases in the Pacific. Later he said he had perfected his technique as a director, choreographer and performer through his tour of duty. He moved to New York in hopes of being the next Fred Astaire. His performance in “Call me Mister” with his wife Mary Ann Niles caught the attention of Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin where they offered them a slot on their Colgate Comedy Hour Show.

CHOREOGRAPHIES

He became an actor and performed in films such as Give A Girl A Break, The Affairs of Dobie Gillis and Kiss Me Kate, all released in 1953. His acting career was cut short because of premature balding. Bob Fosse’s first musical was The Pajama Game in 1953, and continued with Damn Yankees in 1954. In 1975 he choreographed Chicago. Fosse directed five feature films. Sweet Charity, Cabaret, Liza with a Z, and All that Jazz. Fosse developed a jazz dance style that was immediately recognizable, showed a stylized, sarcastic sexuality. Other notable distinctions of his style included the use of turned-in knees, sideways shuffling, and rolled shoulders. With Fred Astaire as an influence, he used props such as bowler hats, canes and chairs. Bob Fosse died of a heart attack at age 60 on September 23, 1987.

GUS GIORDANOGus Giordano was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1923. At the age of five, Giordano traveled to New Orleans, where his cousin taught him "The Shoeshiner's Drag", thus introducing him to jazz music. During World War II, Giordano joined the Marines, where he was assigned to a performing group that put on shows at the Hollywood Canteen and at military bases around the country. After the war, Giordano left the service and moved to New York City where he searched for a Broadway job. He performed in countless Broadway musicals such as Wish You Were Here, Paint Your Wagon, On the Town and television variety shows.

“FATHER OF JAZZ” In 1953, Gus Giordano opened up

a dance studio in Chicago where he could teach and choreograph.

Ten years after his studio opened, a dance critic asked Giordano to perform with his classes for visiting Bolshoi Ballet dancers who wanted to see what jazz dance looked like. Giordano took his senior students and choreographed a number for them to perform. The students did such an amazing job that they were invited to tour Russia the next year. Thus, Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, his company, was born.

His technique is based on modern because of his teacher Katherine Dunham. Strength is a big part of the start of his class.

He died on March of 2008 of pneumonia at the age of 84.

DEBBIE REYNOLDS