As you know I’m inbound alot. So I watch a lot of television. As it’s William Powell month on TCM I’ve watched a bunch of his movies.
Ziegfeld Follies was one on tonight. They showed lots of dance production scenes. The guy who played the scarecrow in Wizard of Oz was one. I see where a lot of his moves came from. He was tap dancing in this movie. He was very good.
But the Circus follies showed toe dancers as horses(I think that’s what they were doing). Live animals were in the scenes. The toe dancers were very wrong in their foot placement and leg movements. The lead dancer looked like she had had proper ballet training. At the end she went kinda psycho. More acrobatic style.
But the weirdest thing I saw tonight was between movies. It was one of those mini shows from old theatre between movie trailer thingys.
It was on a set that looked like a boat deck. A singing act or two and then this woman ‘dancing’
Peppy music and a tall, skinny(really thin) lady in low heels and sailor type dress on.
She danced about and started kicking up her legs. Really really close to her head. Slinging them around in giant circles. It was possibly the weirdest body movement I’ve ever seen.
I was transfixed. I believe she must’ve been double jointed or loose jointed or something. I can’t imagine a normal joint could do that. Ray Bolgers tap dancing has weird movements (think scarecrow), but I believe those to be dancer tricks to make you think his legs are rubber. This woman obviously had a gift or a ailment that made her able to move and bend like that.
I have a double jointed thumb but it’s from an accident. None of my other joints are like that.
Just thought I’d share.