Influential Choreographers

George Balanchine (1904-1983)

Foremost contemporary choreographer of ballet in the world
Coppelia (1974)
Stravinskys Variations for Orchestra (1982)
He also worked on musical comedies:
o On Your Toes, Cabin in the Sky, Babes in Arms, The Boys from
Syracuse, The Merry Widow, The Ziegfeld Follies of 1935
o Slaughter on Tenth Avenue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0Ox3ZEqQs4

His style
o Neoclassic. A reaction to romantic anti-classicism
o De-emphasized plot in his ballets
Music must be seen, and dance must be heard George Balanchine
I dont want people who want to dance; I want people who have to dance
Balanchine
Storyless is not abstract. Two dancers on stage are enough material for a
story; for me, they are already a story in themselves.-- Balanchine
Agnes De Mille (1905-1993)
Rodeo (1943): a ballet for Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo
o A ballet honoring patriotism in the US during WWII
o Where her Folk Style became evident
o Used formal dance patterns, and athletic dance phrases that were
lyrical yet precise
Oklahoma! (1943)
o The introduction of the Dream Ballet
o Used to convey the inner turmoil of the main character through
movement rather than dialogue
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D1loAVwiMc
Allegro
o The first time any dancer attempted to both choreograph and direct a
show
Her style: incorporated lyricism and comedy which was not the norm for the
time
o Her work had emotion, charm and wit to it to bring fourth moments of
comedy and happiness but also realism of her time.
o Technically, my work is eclectic, a mixture of classical and modern,
which makes special demands on the performers Agnes de Mille
o The artist never entirely knows. We guess. We may be wrong, but
we take leap after leap in the dark. Agnes de Mille
Other notable shows
o Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
o Carousel
 Dream ballet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYY6DhNGJAk

o Brigadoon
Jack Cole (1911-1974)
Known as the Father of Theatrical Jazz Dance
Something for the Boys (1943)
Alive and Kicking (1950)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962)
Man of La Mancha (1965)
A compilation of his dances:
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVChDKLOSh8
Was inspired by many different dance forms from: East India, Africa, the
Caribbean, Cecchetti ballet and the Lindy hop
Diamonds Are a Girls Best friend
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g__ANxxwKIk&list=PLAr-
pLGt2erUd78tYtXcB-rH1L9v7ssms

His style:
o Isolations
o Quick directional changes
o Deep plies
o Long knee slides
o Typically aggressive and high energy choreography
o Movement stayed low to the ground
o Usually his dances have a energy soloist surrounded by (usually) a
male ensemble
o Used structural set pieces (stairs, ramps, high platforms)
Michael Kidd (1915-2007)
Finians Rainow (1947)
Guys and Dolls(1950)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (film) (1954)
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TygmMPbwfjA

Can-Can (1953)
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zfHoP7Geak
His style
o Was known for bringing vitality to dance
o Integrated plot and characterizations
o Often had satirical routines for nightclub girls
o Typically his choreography is joyful and energetic
Jerome Robbins (1918-1998)
Fancy Free (1944)
 o I thought, why cant we dance about American subjects? Why cant
we talk about the way we dance today, and how we are?Jerome
Robbins about Fancy Free
Fancy free
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Vo4mlROdto

On The Town (1944)

o The series of ballet sequences from Fancy Free were incorporated
into the musical and used to advance the plot.
West Side Story: Cool (1957)
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkdP02HKQGc
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE8Kd74KbqE
Peter Pan (1954)
Bells are Ringing (1956)
Gypsy (1959)
Fiddler On the Roof (1964)
His style: known for its intensity and its ability to portray expression of
various moods
o Always reflected the musical score
o Incorporated modern, jazz, ballet and social idioms
o Used the natural movement of characters as the starting off point for
his choreography which eliminated any distinction between drama
and dance
o He changed the requirements for a Broadway chorus, requiring his
performers to be able to dance, sing and act.
Gower Champion (1919-1980)
Bye Bye Birdie (1960)
o First use of labanotation
Dance notation to preserve the detailed choreography on
paper.
Carnival (1961)
Hello, Dolly! (1964)
o One of Broadways biggest blockbusters
o It ran for seven years
I Do! I Do! (1966)
The Happy Time (1968)
42nd Street (1980)
o He died hours before the opening of 42nd street
o Received a tony award posthumously
o 42nd Street
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEyZxYGwlKI
His style
o Based his background in ballroom
o Staging incorporated props, set pieces and performers into a dynamic
flow of the song, story of the musical.
Bob Fosse (1927-1987)
His style: Rhythmic syncopation, angular positions and the use of props in
dance numbers.
o Exposed the sensuality of the body through movement.
o Inspired by cabaret nightclubs
o Trademark choreographic style:
Low center of gravity
Forward hip thrusts
Vaudeville humor inspired hunched shoulders
Turned in feet
Articulation of hands
Soft boiled egg hand
o Dancers were often dressed to resemble a Charlie Chaplin-esque style
o Incorporated many vaudeville tricks (hat tricks, double takes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcrZIK3gqbU (sweet charity)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0szHqIXQ2R8 steam heat

Trumpet Solo from Fosse Review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSRg47DgZE8
Nowadays from Chicago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_tYWBgxYAQ
He won 8 tony awards for choreography and one for direction.
Won an Oscar, Emmy and Tony all in the same year
Notable works
o Sweet Charity (1969)
o Chicago (1975)
o Damn Yankees(1958)
o Pajama Game (1957)
o Cabaret (1972)
o Pippin (1972)
The time to sing is when your emotional level is just too high to speak
anymore, and the time to dance is when your emotions are just too strong to
only sing about how you feel.Bob Fosse
I think Balanchine and Robbins talk to God and when I call, hes out to
lunch.Fosse
Choreography is writing on your feetFosse
Michael Bennett (1943-1987)
A Joyful Noise (1966)
o His first solo work that earned him a tony nomination.
Promises, Promises (1968)
o Earned him another tony nomination
Follies (1971)
o His first Tony win.
Company (1970)
A Chorus Line (1975)
 o He created a story out of interviews with Broadway gypsies. He
wanted a story that evoked the emotions of real performers.
o He strove to find unity of movement within each show. If movement
in one of his shows was balletic, then all movement in that show
should resemble that.
I hope I get it (A Chorus Line)
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zQIZjCaOB8
His style
o Heavily inspired by Jerome Robbins
o Wasnt known for one particular style but for his ability to vary his
work based on his characters and plot
o Known for his artistry in staging productions and his creative use of
props
How does one choreograph if one cant dance? Ive always done it by
dancing myself Michael Bennett
All I ever really cared about were the shows. Oh, I wanted a reputation,
tremendously, because I have an egoBennett
All I wanted was to be like Jerome Robbins, who is number one for me and
always will beBennett
Andy Blankenbuehler (1970- present)
In the Heights(2008)
9 to 5 (2009)
Bring it on: the Musical (2012)
Hamilton (2015)
Cats (Revival) (2016)
Bandstand (2017)
His style
o Interpretive
o Built on real-life gestures and postures
o Stylizes natural movement to reflect a specific situation
I dont get invested in a dance if I dont know whats going on Andy
Blankenbuehler
I went to Starbucks across the street and watched people push past
each other on the sidewalk. Then I duplicated what I saw.Andy
Blankenbuehler on making 9 to 5
Steven Hoggett (1971 present)
Once (2011)
Peter and the Starcatcher
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night- Time
American Idiot
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
American Idiot (starting at 1:23)
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nNZkebqY8o
Once: Gold
 o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RebiKimpx4
His style:
o Physical theater
Very expressive and stylized movement with text, music and
design

https://vimeo.com/6971656 putting on the ritz- Fred Astair

Gotta dance- singing in the rain https://vimeo.com/29045236

moulin rouge- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn0xXo1gwGY