Watching this Part III, I noticed something that never occurred to me before. When Ann Miller dances, she always wears feminine outfits, whether they're skirts, or gowns, or short little things. However, Eleanor Powell, who dances in the same way, usually wears a mannish outfit, with long or short pants, and 9 out of 10 times some version of a tux.
Now before you all jump to the conclusion that I'm thinking 'funny girls', forget it!!! I also noticed Ann wears high heels all the time, whereas Eleanor wears low heels - could that be the reason? As tap dancers, would one find it easier to dance in high heels as opposed to low ones? THAT is all I'm asking.
Someone explained the difference between tap and (is it) buck dancing? Where one is a kind of pounding with the feet, rather than the tap making the noise. I'm pretty sure both ladies danced tap.
Anne
That's Entertainment III
That's Entertainment III
Anne
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Tap dancing
Hi Anne - I am a tap dancer, and there is definitly a difference in tapping wearing high heels as opposed to low heels or flats. It mostly has to do with what style of tapping you prefer or are better at. You can dance mostly just on the balls of your feet, using your heels very little - this is the style Bill Robinson used and is generally termed buck dancing. The shoes don't even have taps - they are just heavy soled or sometimes even wooden soled. I saw a pair of Robinsons shoes in a museum somewhere and they were wooden soled IIRC. Ruby Keeler is more of a buck dancer because she uses very little of her heels, and if you look at her shoes when she is dancing on top of the taxi in 42nd St., you see they have no taps. On the other hand, if you start adding more heel taps for a more rapid and complicated rythym, it is much easier to produce those sounds in high heels, as you have a shorter distance to move your heel to hit the floor. This is more the style of Ann Miller and Eleanor Powell, who did have taps on their shoes. Also, in Flamenco dancing, you are using your heels heavily to produce rapid sounds, and both men and women wear higher heels.
As to the trousers, I can't say for sure, but I think Ellie wore them more because of figure flaws, and also because it draws more attention to your feet.
As to the trousers, I can't say for sure, but I think Ellie wore them more because of figure flaws, and also because it draws more attention to your feet.
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Moraldo Rubini
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JohnM:
Ha-ha. I'm sure you would have looked adorable either way. I have to say, I prefer the look of tap over buck, especially in women. The look is what I was describing when I said long ago, that Joan Crawford looked like an unattached marionette in her Dancing Lady numbers with her arms flailing all about.
Mr. Rubini:
Poor Annie, still having to 'win' her heels even after getting into A-line films, I realize she would have been taller than little Fred, but she could wear high heels with Howard Keel with no problem in Kiss Me Kate.
Anne
Ha-ha. I'm sure you would have looked adorable either way. I have to say, I prefer the look of tap over buck, especially in women. The look is what I was describing when I said long ago, that Joan Crawford looked like an unattached marionette in her Dancing Lady numbers with her arms flailing all about.
Mr. Rubini:
Poor Annie, still having to 'win' her heels even after getting into A-line films, I realize she would have been taller than little Fred, but she could wear high heels with Howard Keel with no problem in Kiss Me Kate.
Anne
Anne
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jdb1
This discussion reminded me that I heard Ann Miller say in an interview that in her very early movie days they made her wear trousers when she danced because they thought her legs were too skinny. (She wears them in Stage Door when she and Ginger Rogers are auditioning at a night club.) I think she overcame that problem very nicely.
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EleanorPowellFan
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Re: That's Entertainment III
Ann Miller certainly has worn very uniquely designed clothes that bring out her beautiful body. Eleanor Powell did not always wear mannish outfits and I wouldn't say 9 out of ten times some version of a tux either,mrsl wrote:Watching this Part III, I noticed something that never occurred to me before. When Ann Miller dances, she always wears feminine outfits, whether they're skirts, or gowns, or short little things. However, Eleanor Powell, who dances in the same way, usually wears a mannish outfit, with long or short pants, and 9 out of 10 times some version of a tux.
Now before you all jump to the conclusion that I'm thinking 'funny girls', forget it!!! I also noticed Ann wears high heels all the time, whereas Eleanor wears low heels - could that be the reason? As tap dancers, would one find it easier to dance in high heels as opposed to low ones? THAT is all I'm asking.
Anne
Eleanor Powell wore a very different variety of clothing for her routine, and indie style if you'd like. Her favourite clothing for her routines I would say have to be her sequined Bolero style outfit with the shorts coming up just to her high thigh and a ruffle under her neck.
Yes in BM of 1936 and 1938 along with Lady be Good and Ship Ahoy she certainly does have routines that are with her in man clothes. Maybe this was because many people thought that she danced like a man so she would look better wearing a suit.
I think Eleanor wore low heels most of the time so that he could have more balance and stability and remember Ann Miller is a hoofer and Eleanor Powell had a greater variation of movements with the body so I think Ann Miller would have found it easy to tap out her rhythms in heels as with Eleanor spinning and gliding on low heels.