This presentation will discuss the legendary Astaire's life and work with illustration and film footage. Marty traces
Astaire's seventy year performing career (which began in 1905, when at the age of six, he debuted in vaudeville
with his older sister Adele). Marty maintains that Astaire is one of the 20th century’s greatest creative artists. Margot Fonteyn, Jerome Robbins, George Balanchine, and Mikhail Baryshnikov were unanimous in selecting him as America’s finest dancer. Astaire was also one of America’s greatest choreographers and most admired singers. The country’s best popular composers–Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Johnny Mercer, and Jerome Kern–all vied to write for Astaire, whom they knew would do justice to their songs. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made nine films together, including Flying Down To Rio, The Gay Divorcee, Roberta, Top Hat and Swing Time.