Born in Chicago, Illinois, on June 23rd, 1927, Bob Fosse grew to become the “most influential man in jazz” (Dance Help Inc.). At the height of his career, he was a theater choreographer, screen writer, film director and director. During his career, “he won eight unparalleled Tony awards for choreography” (Zaremba). He received four nominations “for academy award for his direction of Cabaret” (Dance Help Inc.). He was married to Gwen Verdon, a dancer, choreographer and Broadway star.
Bob Fosse early life afforded him chances to attend Cabaret nightclubs, where he was exposed to dance performances. At the age of 13, the young Fosse teamed up with another young dancer to form The Riff brothers. Together they toured theaters all over the city of Chicago. Later Fosse was hired by another group known as Tough Situation, performing in naval and military bases allover pacific. This tour helped Fosse to perfect his technique as a choreographer and performer. His first cabaret featured dancers wearing Ostrich feather costumes. He was age 15 when he reached this milestone. Fosse Died on September 23rd 1987.
After years of dancing classes at a small neighborhood institution, Fosse moved to “Frederick Weaver Ballet School an academy where he was the only male enrolled” (Zaremba).He would later on go to perform in 1948 on Broadway, where he took his first performance in Call me Mister. Later Fosse would play a bigger role in ‘Dance me a song’. His dream for getting a big performance role in Hollywood became a reality when he got a leading dancing role in the film kiss me Kate (Dance Help Inc.)
In 1954, Bob Fosse got his first big break choreographing his first musical The Pajama Game. While working in Damn Yankees by George Abbot in 1955, Fosse met a young dancer, Gwen Verdon whom she married in 1960. In 1957, Fosse was given a role in George Abbot choreography titled New Girl in town. 1960 was a fruitful year for Fosse, because it was the year that he would direct and choreograph a musical that was called Redhead. In the same year he received accolade for the “staging of Steam heat, which became quite a hit” (Dance Help Inc.). He would later return to Broadway where he worked hard building a name for himself. In 1974, Fosse took part in the film The Little Prince, where he performed a superb song and a dance. Fosse also got a small role in the 1977 comedy titled Thieves.
In 1979, Fosse “co-wrote and directed a semi-autobiographical film All That Jazz” (Dance Help Inc.). The film depicted the life of drug addicted choreographer in middle of victory and failure. The film won a total of four awards and at the same time earned Fosse his 3rd Oscar, having being nominated as the best director. All that Jazz also won an award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1980.
In 1961, while rehearsing for the performance of The Conquering Hero, it was found that Fosse was suffering from epilepsy. This condition caused recurring seizure when Fosse was performing. In 1987 Bob Fosse died of heart attack in Washington DC, at the age of 60.