GENE KELLY

AND YOU DANCE DREAMS"

WHO IS GENE KELLY?

• Born on August 23, 1917 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Grew up wanting to be the shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates
• Gene studied journalism at Pennsylvania State College in 1929
• In 1931 Gene got a Bachelor of the Arts for economics at the university of Pennsylvania

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WHAT MADE HIM DANCE?

• At seven Gene's mother sent him to dance classes
• He quit to play sports, because dancing wasn't for guys
• At 15 he realized girls liked a boy who could dance
• Went back to dancing, and started teaching when his dad lost his job
• The family then opened a dance studio "The Gene Kelly Studio of Dance"

"I GOT STARTED DANCING BECAUSE I KNEW THAT

MOVING TO NEW YORK

• He moved to New York in search of choreographing jobs
• Gene could only find work as a dancer
• First job was in Cole Porter's "Leave It To Me."
• He began shaping a new style of dance, after discovering that he
• could create characters through physical movement that he called "dance-acting"

BECOMING DISCOVERED

• After 2 years in New York, Gene was a broadway star
• He soon was offered a contract with MGM
• Gene moved to Hollywood and pursued singing, acting, and became a choreographer
• Created iconic work in movies such as an "American In Paris", and "Singin' In the Rain"
• Is considered one of the best dancers and choreographers of all time

STYLE OF DANCE

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