BALL STATE UNIVERSITY

HISTORICAL PERFORMANCE

VIEWING PAPER

ELIZABETH OLAH
MT DANCE
PROFESSOR MICHAEL WORCEL
SHALL WE DANCE
APRIL 22, 2016

Elizabeth Olah

Historical Performance Viewing Paper

Shall We Dance
Shall We Dance is an iconic movie musical that premiered in 1937 featuring Fred
Astaire and Ginger Rodgers two of the biggest names on the silver screen at the time. This was
also the last movie that Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers worked together in, and also the least
successful financially. The formula used precedent by Rodgers & Hart in the blockbuster On
Your Toes was what inspired to create this movie musical. Throughout the film are comedy
specialists, opulent art direction by Carroll Clark under Van Nest Polglase's supervision, and a
timeless score that introduces Gershwin standards including: They All Laughed (At Christopher
Columbus), Slap That Bass, Lets Call the Whole Thing Off, and They Cant Take That
Away From Me. Fred Astaire had a prior friendship with the composer George Gershwin, and
both were thrilled to be collaborating along side Georges brother, Ira. It is said that one of
Georges favorite films to work on was actually Shall We Dance, because he was able to finally
reunite with dear friend Fred Astaire and be able to work together. Although George himself was
dissatisfied with the project, Shall We Dance has left a legacy both musically and in film history
(Starr 150-151).
The plot of Shall We Dance is a simple one, following the trend of movie musicals of that
time. Peter P. Peters (Fred Astaire) is an American ballet dancer working in Paris. After seeing a
photo of tap-dance sensation Linda Keene (Ginger Rogers), Peter falls in love at first sight. He
uses his connections, and eventually arranges for a meeting with Keene. Unfortunately, Peter's
overbearing personality leaves Keene unimpressed, but leads to a rumor that the two are secretly

Elizabeth Olah

Historical Performance Viewing Paper

Shall We Dance
married. In order to diminish the rumor, Peters and Keene decide to really get married and then
seek a quick divorce.
Originally, producer Pandro S. Berman wanted the acclaimed George Balanchine to be
the choreographer; especially after Balanchines success with his work in On You Toes. However,
he was unavailable and Hermes Pan took the job. Astaire assisted Hermes Pan on the
shows dancing. The complicated roller-skating routine that accompanies
"Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" required thirty-two hours of preparation and
took four days to shoot. Astaire and Rogers skated for an at least eighty
miles! This routine was particularly difficult; therefore Astaire declined to
shoot it according to his "single-shot" rule. The skating sound effects were
dubbed and inserted after the shooting of the film. According to Hermes Pan,
Astaire got the idea for the choreography for the "Slap That Bass" number
from a cement mixer he and Hermes Pan passed on the RKO lot.
One of the most compelling dance numbers was mentioned earlier,
and is to "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off." Astaire and Rodgers dance the whole number on
roller skates in New York's Central Park. It is the only skating sequence in this film, and it lasts a
total of 6 minutes. It was actually Ginger's idea to try the number on skates, dancing in them as if
they were tap shoes, with the metal wheels acting as taps. Fred and Ginger conclude the roller
dance by doing a belly flop into the grass. The skate dancing occurs toward the later half of the
film. First Fred and Ginger skate arm in arm (a bit shaky on their wheels) into Central Park with

Elizabeth Olah

Historical Performance Viewing Paper

Shall We Dance
lots of other skaters around. Then they sit on a bench, and he talks, she talks, he sings, she sings.
Finally they get up off the bench and start skating around a small outdoor rink. First they skate
arm in arm, and then they do some simple waltz-type skate dancing, frontwards and backwards.
They don't do any sky-high jumps or throw each other around in this number, and the only spins
are some simple circle stops. However, they both do some really terrific jazz tap skate dancing.
Another thing that compelled me in this film were the actual roller-skates. They wore oldfashioned "skate key" skates - the kind that clip onto your shoes in the front, and are secured
around the ankle by a strap. I definitely would not trust those skates to stay on my feet through
all of that choreography!
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers truly
inspired me to continue my training and work hard. And although their skills were advanced,
they were performers first. Their relationship to partner was just incredible and it is as if they
invented chemistry. After watching Shall We Dance, I would love to continue watching movie
musicals from the past to further my education! As the saying goes, I stand on the shoulders of
those who came before me.

Elizabeth Olah

Historical Performance Viewing Paper

Shall We Dance
Works Cited
Editors, Biography.com. "Fred Astaire Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks
Television. Web.

27 Apr. 2016.

"Shall We Dance (1937) - Overview - TCM.com." Turner Classic Movies.

Penguin Group

(USA) Inc, 2005. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.

Starr, Larry. George Gershwin. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2011. Print.