Posted on 12/07/2007 5:45:15 AM PST by Kaslin
Tame.
Powell matches steps, but her focus on steps keeps her from being a total dancer.
This is Vera Ellen, joyously a total dancer, using the dance as part of communicating a character, not to mention a body to die for. :-)
Bah! The sexiest footage ever committed to the silver screen was Powell’s hula/tap number in “Honolulu” (1939). I can’t find it on the net. :(
How it ever got past the Hays Office (censors) I can’t imagine, it was that smoking.
IIRC, it was also used in “That’s Dancing” (1985).
Buy it, view it AT YOUR OWN RISK and then tell me Vera Ellen could have done that! :)
The article is about symbiosis. My original comment re Ellen was directed to the standard hooey about Rogers being a great asset to Astaire as a dancer. Ellen is miles ahead as a dance partner to Astaire. "Sexy" isn't my standard for being a dancer (or I would have gone for Charisse, who danced like a slut), nor was I even addressing the "greatest dancer ever."
Powell was no match for Astaire, and the clip you cited as an example was simply uninspired. Go ahead, type in "Greatest female dancer ever" into Google and see who you get.
Ginger or Mary Ann?
Mary Ann ... no contest.
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