I stumbled across the clip above, from the rather limp fictionalized bio-pic My Gal Sal, somewhat by accident yesterday. Bear through the dance number until the couple’s dance with Rita Hayworth and partner. I had not realized that her partner in this number was the great Hermes Pan in one of his rare film appearances.
Hermes Pan choreographed all of the Astaire-Rogers pictures and in seventeen of Astaire’s pictures. His choreography is practically synonymous with Fred Astaire’s dancing. I hadn’t realized that he was practically a twin of Astaire and, indeed, frequently acted as double for him.
In the clip above I want you to pay particular attention to two aspects of Mr. Pan’s dancing. First, look at his hands. He’s doing the same thing that Fred Astaire did with his hands but executing it more naturally. Second, look at how much fun he’s having. I generally see a sort of grim elegance in Fred Astaire’s dancing. Pan preserves the elegance but adds a bit more athleticism and, well, joy. A great choreographer and a great dancer.
What I notice, am not a dance critic, is that he manages to dance superbly while keeping the focus on Hayworth.
Steve
That’s a good observation, steve. He knew what his job was. Rita Hayworth was the star; he was her partner. His job was to make her look good.