Dance Teacher Blog: Teaching Fosse

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Dance Teacher Blog
Teaching Fosse 
By Brandy Curry

A recent FB status prompted me to write this post.  My fellow dance teacher friend was teaching her normal weekday teenage jazz class and mentioned a move as being "Fosse" and the students had no clue to whom she was talking about.  WHAT!  All of comments to her FB status were from dance teachers all over the nation trying to come to understand how this Pipin-Chicago-Sweet Charity-Cabaret loving society can have dancers that do not know Bob Fosse.  When my fellow dance teacher friend began to name his famous Broadway productions they now connected and understood her very passionate demeanor.  She recommended they go do a little research and come back and show her a Fosse move...and not just from Chicago!

Coincidentally a Director friend of mine has decided to pay tribute to Mr. Bob Fosse by creating a live production of his work.  Making this a "teachable moment," he auditioned students from all over the southern California valley.  These young dancers, actors, and singers will have the opportunity to dance on Cal State Northridges' new multi-million dollar stage at the Valley Performing Arts Center.  I have been asked to be the Director of Choreography for this one night show in January-2014. We are putting together an amazing line up of Fosse-fied numbers from Pipin, Chicago, Sweet Charity, Cabaret, Damn Yankees, and more!

One of my favorite Fosse numbers that I'm setting on my students is the Manson Trio!  Remember this?  I love, love, love it.  It is sooo...totally... Fosse!  And, just so fun to teach.  I mean what was Bob thinking?  I don't know and it makes me love it every time I see it.  One of the great things about You Tube is that you can expose your students to any choreographer with a click of a mouse.  In five minutes you can select a clip and show your dancers the derivative and the origin of jazz, hip hop, ballet, or any type of movement or the intimate creative process of choreography from Twyla Tharp, to Alivin Ailey, to Martha Graham.  Change their world by showing them how, where, when all of this great work was in existence.  Connect it to today.  Did Manson Trio influence moves for Michael Jackson's Thriller?  What  inspired the choreography for Beyonce's Single Ladies...um...Mexican Breakfast...BOB FOSSE!

Gwen Verdon..Mexican Breakfast choreographed by Bob Fosse

More information on the Valley Performing Arts Center performance in January to come!