February 16 - Vera-Ellen (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 16th are here: Alec Wilder (2020), Sonny Bono (2021), Johann Strauss III (2022), Johann Strauss III (2023), Patty Andrews (2024), and Johann Strauss III (2025)

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Vera-Ellen (16 February 1921 – 30 August 1981) was an American dancer, actress, and singer. She is best known for her starring roles in On the Town (1949) and White Christmas (1954). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brief Bio

Dancing actress Vera-Ellen

Found some roles she could excel in;

She danced a lot, and sang a bit,

White Christmas was her biggest hit.

 

 

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May 10 - Fred Astaire; Milton Babbitt (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for May 10th may be found here: Milton Babbitt (2019), Fred Astaire; Milton Babbitt; Max Steiner (2020), Milton Babbitt (2021), Jean-Marie Leclair (2022), Milton Babbitt (2023), and Milton Babbitt (2024)

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Milton Babbitt (10 May 1916 – 29 January 2011) was an American composer and theorist known for his uncompromising advocacy of advanced serial and electronic techniques.

Fred Astaire (10 May 1899 – 22 June 1987) danced, acted, and sang in some of the most enduring film musicals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Suggested Prompt for A.I.

Imagine the young Fred Astaire

With his limbs flying every which where

As he twitches and bounds like a rabbit,

And dances to music by Babbitt.

 

 

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March 17 - Thoinot Arbeau (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous postings for March 17th may be found here: Josef Rheinberger (2019), Michael Finnissy (2020), Élisabeth-Claude Jacquet de La Guerre (2021), Nat King Cole (2022), Rudolf Nureyev (2023), and Alfred Newman (2024)

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Thoinot Arbeau (pen name for Jehan Tabourot) (17 March 1520 – 23 July 1595) is most famous for his Orchésographie, a study of late sixteenth-century French Renaissance social dance. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shall We Dance?

Orchésographie (1589) provides information on social ballroom behaviour and on the interaction of musicians and dancers. It contains numerous woodcuts of dancers and musicians and includes many dance tabulations in which extensive instructions for the steps are lined up next to the musical notes. – adapted from Wikipedia.

This is all you need to know

About the oeuvre of Arbeau:

His Orchésographie enhances

Our knowledge of the social dances

Engaged in by the lads and lasses 

Of sixteenth century leisured classes;

It offers up a choice assortment

Of dance steps with approved deportment,

From which we safely can infer he

Acted much like Arthur Murray.

 

 

 

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April 4 - Arthur Murray (The Musical Birthday Seires, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for April 4th may be found here: Elmer Bernstein (2019), Stephen Storace (2020), Sheku Kanneh-Mason (2021), and Pierre Monteux; Eugène Bozza (2022)

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Arthur Murray (4 April 1895 – 3 March 1991) was an American ballroom dancer and businessman, whose name is most often associated with the dance studio chain that bears his name.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fading Glory

By 1970, there were more than 3,560 dance studios bearing his name. In 2020, about 275 Arthur Murray Studios remained in operation. -- adapted from Wikipedia

Today I make a birthday flurry

Congratulating Arthur Murray,

Who taught the skills of ballroom dancing.

Contending it was life enhancing.

Of course,  he could not guarantee

Success to every franchisee,

But many had success until

The intricately rhythmic drill

Of dancing as a social skill

No longer had a place to fill.

 

 

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September 10 - Adele Astaire; Henry Purcell (The Musical Birthday Series, 5th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for September 10th are here:  Henry Purcell (2019), 2020, Henry Purcell; Niccoló Jommelli (2021), and José Feliciano (2022)

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Adele Astaire (later known as Lady Charles Cavendish) (10 September 1896 – 25 January 1981) was an American dancer, stage actress, and singer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Astaire Way to Paradise

The Astaire siblings took several of their more popular shows to Britain during the 1920s, where they were soon international celebrities, meeting members of the British royal family and prominent figures from contemporary arts and literature circles. In 1932, after a 27-year partnership with her brother, Adele retired from the stage to marry Lord Charles Arthur Francis Cavendish. -- WIkipedia

Upon this day it’s only fair

To celebrate Adele Astaire,

Who may have been, if truth be said,

A bigger star than brother Fred.

Success led to a social set

About as posh as it can get,

And, never lost in social snarls,

She ended up as Lady Charles.

This meant, perforce, she had a castle

But married life became a hassle,

For though she had her furs and mink

Her husband died of too much drink.

She found new love, and wed again,

But was she wistful  now and then,

While living to her ripe old age,

For life upon the wicked stage?

 

 

♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ 

Henry Purcell (c. 10 September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was one of the greatest British composers.  We do not actually know the date or even the year of his birth, but today has been suggested based on slight evidence, and since we have to celebrate his birth sometime, it might as well be today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glass Half Full

Since Purcell composed so terrifically,

There’s nothing I’ll mention specifically,

But since life was so short, (he

Was dead before forty),

It’s lucky he wrote so prolifically.

 

 

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