Gene Kelly Dancing with a Friend

[Ben Bolt]

[The Old LefHook]

Not really that bad. Nothing hard though.

[QueensburyRules]

- - After Ray's near death heat prostration disaster vs Joey Maxim, he was so depleted that he retired to pursue a show biz tap dance career with his own show on TV that probably didn't last the season.

Eventually he recovered much wiser for the experience even if not so finely tuned as before where he made his storied legend.

Ray was old though with ol'slo' movements and rigid style not up to modern fast, high tech movements like the Charlene Sistas, Lady Lara, or Androgynous...




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[Willie Pep 229]

Not really that bad. Nothing hard though.

Michael Jackson played the scarecrow in The Wiz which should have been an opportunity for some of the greatest dancing ever in a Hollywood film - but because he wasn't the star he would become, all his dancing was done side by side with star Diana Ross, every move he made she had to be able to make as well. The choreography was so simple it was boring.

[The Old LefHook]

In the final analysis Ray was simply not good enough for a dancing career. People would rather see him jump rope.

[Willie Pep 229]

Never thought Gene Kelly that short.

Notice how Kelly could move his feet without moving his upper body - SRR wasn't able to reach the same level of smoothness.

SRR needed to be able to do more than just tap dance. Kelly could add acting and voice to his presentations. 1950s television wanted more.