influence of Bob Fosse Flashcards
where did fosse grow up and what were his parents jobs
grew up in chicago (coincidentally) and his parents where vaudeville performers
how did fosses parents influence his dance style?
vaudeville became a huge inspiration for his choreography, and the idea of dancing for comedy was particularly influential - it contributed to the idea for Fosse that everything had to be with purpose, wether that purpose was to make someone laugh or to do something else - dance was never just dance.
how did bobs background contribute to the portrayal of women
he performed as part of a tap duo as an opener for strip burlesque shows, and was exposed to the sexual nature of these shows from. young age, with him apparently being assaulted multiple times by these women. bob drew the idea of women having darker more sexual potential from here, an idea not really seen in post-war media from america, where the typical woman was an audrey hepburn like classy lady, not the brash, sexually charged characters of Roxie and Velma. Bob’s work really helped move the portrayal of woman away from passive characters and helped establish the ‘femme fetale’ archetype.
what 3 physica handicaps did bob fosse suffer from
-hunched shoulders
-couldn’t turn out
-balding
how did fosse turn these handicaps into parts of his iconic choreography?
-shoulders became hunched
-feet became turned in
-everyone wore bowler hats
‘i often thank god i wasn’t born perfect’
what is an example of all these things
steam from pyjama game
what else is steam a good example of?
-trio dances
-sound effects
-slow movements and isolation.
why did bob use sound effects?
bob lived life to the fullest, and it was one of his main beliefs. this ideology seeped into his dance, as he wanted to use the body to its fullest potential, and this meant clicks and stomps and everything.
it also was part of his idea of every movement having a purpose.
what are 2 examples of fosses sound effects
-double click in razzle dazzle
-hand stomps in ‘mein herr’
what other thing did bob introduce to musical theatre?
jazz hands
what did all these features of dance contribute to?
the ‘fosse ameoba’ which was a new style for dancer with darker choreography and used all the techniques previously seen. this became the basis for modern musical theatre jazz dance, and the ideas of isolation, sound effects and everything else can be seen in almost every modern broadway production in some way shape or form.
what 4 ways did bob fosse influence musical theatre ensemble
- his use of small isolation
- gave the ensemble all characters
- popularised the idea of ‘no small roles’
- allowed more individualised choreography.
how did bob fosse use small isolations
he introduced the idea that an ensemble didnt have to be doing high kicks and big grand movements to be in sync, moving them away from the chorus line like ensemble and used small isolation to create a realistic and in sync ensemble.
what is an example of fosse using small isolations
how to succeed in business without really trying
coffee break
choreographed everything down to the dancer’s eyes, with each finger moving individually yet in sync.
‘energy doesn’t end with the hand, i want such intensity that it feels like light is streaming out of every finger’
where can small isolations be seen in modern theatre
most prominently in come from away where every actor is always moving at least one part of their body.
how did fosse change the ensemble into actual characters
in how to succeed, he gave each ensemble member a character, with their own relationship to others and backstories. this allowed each ensemble member to be real, and not just in the background. i really resonate with this idea, as when blocking my own ensemble numbers I really like to make it feel like the next number could be about any one of the characters on stage , and it should never be clear who the main characters are within an ensemble. This technique of ensemble building has become a common broadway practice in shows with large ensembles, most notably mean girls, heathers, newsies and more.
how did fosse help promote the idea of no small roles?
on ‘dancin’ he signed all his ensemble onto principal contracts, rather than the usual chorus ones, allowing the dancers to shine as well as the stars. This technique has become pretty widespread, with every actor on shows such as ‘Sunday in the park with george’ being signed onto principal contracts.
how did fosse allow for individualised choreography?
when choreographing his last big musical in 1986, Big, he told every dancer the setting and vibe and let them present their own thoughts and their own choreographies to do. whilst still united, the ensemble had contributed to their own choreography and what they thought their ‘character’ would do, and this allowed them to have ownership over the show and the actors to be doing different things whilst still united. This is used in many shows now where dance is a focus, most notably in Newsies, where each dancer was asked to showcase their own individual talents.
what other things can you talk about for fosse being influential
-CAMP SHIT
-shooting of movie musicals
-introduction of darker themes and sex and stuff (the heart attack)
-working with gwen verdon
-wider influence on popular culture.
