DANCER

is the one who told Fred to stop with the Ballet (which he was now taking at Wayburn's studio) and start taking Tap Dance. While with Wayburn he learned to Tap, Clog and Ballroom dance for the Stage. Mrs Astaire, Fred's mother purchased a dance act (a routine) for the kids for a thousand dollars from Wayburn. They learned the act and hit the road and played every rat trap and back woods Inn they could find until they got the act down. Fred only danced with Adele at this point with no solos for him during his Vaudeville days, so Fred still had no personality in his performances and the critics reported on the fact he had "a blasé air about him and was a Lackadaisical dancer." Altho the strain was starting to show, this didn't stop Fred, he just kept working. This lackadaisical air would eventually turn into a carefree, easy going, cool and collected dancer, while others who started young were beginning to burn out, Fred was finally starting to have fun and enjoy the dancing. His roles after this point were never a chore.

   In 1913 the Astaire's started working with the Top Ballroom, Acrobatics and Flash coaches of the day called "the Coccias. Aurelio Coccia threw out the corny Wayburn routine and gave them a streamlined, show stopping routine. Fred is reported to say he (Coccias) was the most influential man in his career with the Castles being second. Later, Irene Castle personally requested Fred to play her husband in the film "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle."

    In 1916 Fred and Adele made their first somewhat successful Broadway musical debut in "Over The Top" and would go on to become Broadway stars. They continued to Broadway shows with Fred only dancing with Adele, but this was about to change. In 1925 Fred had worked out a solo Tap routine in Lady Be Good by George Gershwin, but promptly dropped it from the act but his reputation as a tap dancer was growing. He entered a Buck dancing contest "In Old Kentucky."

   When he got into his teens and the size issue balanced out their acts, Fred would start to work harder, especially in ballroom dances and continued working with Tap, however Adele was still the star during their Stage show which he earned third against some of the best.

   Fred and Adele tried the Nightclub circuit but said he and Adele hated it. The constant changing routines every night to be fresh and new was a pain, let alone two or three times a night with half the noisy audience changing as the night wore on. They lasted 6 weeks and quit at the Trocadero in New York.

   As Adele became older and gentleman suitors started coming around, she became difficult to work with as she was always to busy (dating) to put the time in Fred wanted her too, but really was mainly due to Fred starting to get more attention than her. Fred and his sister started working with Buddy Bradley during this time. Adele finally married one of her suitors "Lord Cavendish," and retired from the Stage in 1932. In 1935 Fred got a part in Radio show called the Packard Hourwhere he had to make better use of his singing voice and the sounds his feet were making. Through Fred's performing on Stage with many great dancers such as the De Marcos, The Cansino's, Eddie Rector, Bojangles etc. He was sure to pick up a thing here and there.Fred went to Hollywood around 1933 to be in Films with his first being Dancing Lady with Joan Crawford and continued to make many movies over time with many different partners, his most famous teaming was with Ginger Rogers. Fred and Gingers last film together was in 1939 but got together again to film the Barkleys of Broadway in 1949.

   Fred and Ginger were probably the most famous of all the ballroom dance teams as well as the greatest money making dance team the studio's ever had. Fred's unique style was his ability to mix Tap, Ballet and Ballroom with grace and ease. Astaire had an air of "Style, Sophistication, Gay spontaneity and Class" which no doubt would help make him a star. Fred giving tribute also danced a Bojangles routine in the movie "Swingtime" and portrayed Vernon Castle in the movie "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle" with Ginger Rogers.

    During W.W.II, Fred entertained the troops in France, Belgium and Holland. Fred opened his dance studio in 1947 with plans to make it an international chain, which he did. Astaire actually had very little to do with the chain studio's that bore his name. Ballet was the main foundation of Fred Astaire, with Ballroom and Tap dance being his claim to fame but he was never truly a "Hoofer," he was a dancer.

   Ned Wayburnwas quoted as saying when speaking of Tap; "Fred Astaire was the first American tap dancer to consciously employ the full resources of his arms, hands and torso for visual ornamentation." Altho Fred's dancing was good but never the best, he had something most others didn't posses ... a sense of CLASS!"

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