Editing Fred Astaire (section)

== Style and influence ==
{{Further|Fred Astaire's solo and partnered dances}}

[[File: Astaire - You're All the World to Me.jpg|left|thumb|Astaire dancing on the walls and ceiling for "[[You're All the World to Me]]"<ref>"You're All the World to Me" originated (with different lyrics) as "I Want to Be a Minstrel Man" in the [[Eddie Cantor]] musical ''[[Kid Millions]]'' (1934).</ref> from ''[[Royal Wedding]]'' (1951)]] Astaire was a virtuoso dancer, able when called for to convey light-hearted venturesomeness or deep emotion. His technical control and sense of rhythm were astonishing. Long after the photography for the solo dance number "I Wanna Be a Dancin' Man" was completed for the 1952 feature ''[[The Belle of New York (1952 film)|The Belle of New York]]'', it was decided that Astaire's humble costume and the threadbare stage set were inadequate and the entire sequence was reshot. The 1994 documentary ''[[That's Entertainment! III]]'' shows the two performances side by side in split-screen. Frame for frame, the two performances are identical, down to the subtlest gesture.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mueller |first=John E. |title=Astaire dancing: the musical films |date=1986 |publisher=Hamish Hamilton |isbn=978-0-241-11749-1 |location=London}}</ref>

Astaire's execution of a dance routine was prized for its elegance, grace, originality, and precision. He drew from a variety of influences, including tap, classical dance, and the elevated style of [[Vernon and Irene Castle]]. His was a uniquely recognizable dance style that greatly influenced the [[American Smooth]] style of [[ballroom dance]] and set standards against which subsequent film dance musicals would be judged. He termed his eclectic approach "outlaw style", an unpredictable and instinctive blending of personal artistry. His dances are economical yet endlessly nuanced. As [[Jerome Robbins]] stated, "Astaire's dancing looks so simple, so disarming, so easy, yet the understructure, the way he sets the steps on, over or against the music, is so surprising and inventive."<ref name="Mueller"/>{{rp|18}} Astaire further observed:

{{blockquote|Working out the steps is a very complicated process—something like writing music. You have to think of some step that flows into the next one, and the whole dance must have an integrated pattern. If the dance is right, there shouldn't be a single superfluous movement. It should build to a climax and stop!<ref name="Mueller"/>{{rp|15}}}}

Although Astaire was the primary choreographer of all his dance routines, he welcomed the input of collaborators and notably his principal collaborator [[Hermes Pan]]. But dance historian John Mueller believes that Astaire acted as the lead choreographer in his solos and partnered dances throughout his career. He notes Astaire's dance style was consistent in subsequent films made with or without the assistance of Pan. Furthermore, Astaire choreographed all the routines during his Broadway career with his sister Adele.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}

Frequently, a dance sequence was built around two or three key ideas, sometimes inspired by his steps or by the music itself, suggesting a particular mood or action.<ref name="Mueller" />{{rp|20}} Caron said that while Kelly danced close to the ground, she felt like she was floating with Astaire.<ref name="hattenstone20210621">{{Cite news |last=Hattenstone |first=Simon |date=June 21, 2021 |title='I am very shy. It's amazing I became a movie star': Leslie Caron at 90 on love, art and addiction |language=en |work=The Guardian |url=http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/jun/21/i-am-very-shy-its-amazing-i-became-a-movie-star-leslie-caron-at-90-on-love-art-and-addiction |access-date=June 22, 2021}}</ref> Many dance routines were built around a "gimmick", like dancing on the walls in ''Royal Wedding'' or dancing with his shadows in ''Swing Time''. He or his collaborator would think of these routines earlier and save them for the right situation. They would spend weeks creating all the dance sequences in a secluded rehearsal space before filming would begin. They would work with a rehearsal pianist (often the composer Hal Borne) who in turn would communicate modifications to the musical orchestrators.

His perfectionism was legendary, but his relentless insistence on rehearsals and retakes was a burden to some. When time approached for the shooting of a number, Astaire would rehearse for another two weeks and record the singing and music. With all the preparation completed, the actual shooting would go quickly, conserving costs. Astaire agonized during the process, frequently asking colleagues for acceptance for his work. As [[Vincente Minnelli]] stated, "He lacks confidence to the most enormous degree of all the people in the world. He will not even go to see his rushes&nbsp;... He always thinks he is no good."<ref name="Mueller"/>{{rp|16}} As Astaire himself observed, "I've never yet got anything 100% right. Still, it's never as bad as I think it is."<ref name="Mueller"/>{{rp|16}}

[[Michael Kidd]], Astaire's co-choreographer on the 1953 film ''[[The Band Wagon]]'', found that his own concern about the emotional motivation behind the dance was not shared by Astaire. Kidd later recounted: "Technique was important to him. He'd say, 'Let's do the steps. Let's add the looks later.{{'"}}<ref name="Kisselgoff">{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/13/movies/dance-view-for-michael-kidd-real-life-is-where-the-dance-begins.html| title=For Michael Kidd, Real Life Is Where The Dance Begins | work=[[The New York Times]] | date=March 13, 1994 | access-date=February 21, 2014 | author=Kisselgoff, Anna | pages=H10}}</ref> Astaire declared that his own tap heroes were the Nicholas Brothers, [[Fayard Nicholas|Fayard]] and [[Harold Nicholas|Harold]].<ref>[http://www.afi.com/laa/laa81.aspx "1981 Fred Astaire Tribute"] afi.com</ref><ref>[http://www.afi.com/100Years/stars.aspx "AFI'S 100 Years...100 Stars"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025072655/http://www.afi.com/100Years/stars.aspx |date=October 25, 2014 }} afi.com. Retrieved October 11, 2017</ref>