How Does Bob Fosse Affect Dance

Director and Choreographer Bob Fosse forever changed the way that audiences and people around the world viewed and experienced dance on stage as well as the film industry throughout the twentieth century. Bob Fosse pushed the early boundaries of sexuality in his shows and performances. He brought a new base of showing dance through the camera lenses that would foreshadow the future of dance media, giving a foreground for media outlets such as MTV and VH1. Bob Fosse was born as Robert Luis Fosse on June twenty third, 1927, in Chicago, Illinois. His father, Cyril K. Fosse, a Norwegian American, and Irish-Born mother Sara Alice Fosse. He was the youngest of Six brothers and sisters. He used dancing to gain the attention of his family members

The play was directed by George Abbott, “The Pajama Game” made Fosse an overnight success and showcased his trademark choreography style that can be found in almost all of his other works. His style was; sexually suggestive hip- thrusts, the vaudeville humor of hunched shoulders and turned- in feet, as well as mime like articulation of hands. This became a constant in his other shows, often paired with the way he dressed his dancers in black and wearing white gloves and derbies. A stand out dance number was Steam Heat almost cut from the show because it was just that “too steamy”, luckily it was not because it gave forth to Bob Fosse’s first win of a Tony Award, he would go on to win eight in his career. His work in his next Musical Damn Yankees also directed by George Abbott brought on more awards, but more importantly gave way to meeting Gwen Verdon the beloved Broadway star. He was able to establish a life-long creative collaboration with her, and also make her is third and last wife, with whom he had a daughter Nicole

One of which is his film work. Fosse introduced a unique perspective shots and jump shots that have never been done by directors before him. These film and editing techniques would become the new standard practice for music video director’s decades later, being adapted by MTV and VH1 alike. Bob Fosse also influenced Michael Jackson; from Jackson’ s trademark hat and gloves, to the “hacky sack” kick move that Jacks nitrous for. Bob Fosse was unmistakably a tremendous influence on Michael Jackson. I personally really like the style of dance that Fosse has created, he was quoted saying “ I thank God I wasn’t born perfect”, this resonates with me because though he was not a perfect dancer he was an exquisite dancer that created a new form of dance and expression though film and theater. He was able to convey a story in so many different ways in just one show or performance. Fosse died on September 23rd 1987 from a Heart Attack at George Washington University Hospital, while the revival of one of his most famous shows Sweet Charity was opening at the National Theatre, not far from the