Ruth Leon recommends… Eleanor Powell, Thousands Cheer, Boogie Woogie
Ruth Leon recommendsEleanor Powell, Thousands Cheer, Boogie Woogie
Last week I introduced many of you to the great movie tap dancer Eleanor Powell in her classic duet with Fred Astaire from Broadway Melody of 1940.
So many of you have asked for more of her, this time solo, without Fred. Here it is. It’s her dazzling solo performance from Thousands Cheer, a film designed to showcase her unique talent, made in 1943 during WW2 as a morale booster to cheer up the troops.
What she is doing with her legs and feet will make you gasp, especially if you’re a dancer or a dance lover who has ever tried tap. What is even more remarkable is that, even in close-up, she looks comfortable, she displays no effort at all, her body appears relaxed, her smile is natural and, at the end, she’s not even breathing hard.
Also notice how rarely the camera changes angles, showing that she did the entire sequence in only two takes.
Eleanor Powell’s dedication to her craft was such that she knocked herself out while practicing for a dance routine from “I Dood It”. What a performer!
Eleanor was great, but don’t forget Vera Ellen. Possibly the best of all the lady hoofers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL0AL_BYlJA
Now if you really want to see a dancer check out Rita Hayworth dancing with Fred Astaire to the Northern Soul classic “Your Love is Lifting me Higher and Higher” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GaKMeX7t3c