Look at them go, don't get that now do we? Wish I had a time machine to go back to these times. I grew up in the 60s and remember all these great dances.
I first became aware of one particular player, with the expressive face, as one of the dancers in the "Rip it up" sequence in the1956 movie "Don't knock the Rock". I wanted to know more about all those dancers. Strange... how certain individuals attract your eye and resonate with you. I had no idea of Bobby Banas' log of works was until I did some research and arrived at various sites such as this one. What a talented guy- and such a lucky sod to have received a kiss from Marilyn Monroe ! Bobby- if you read this, you inspired me in my own dancing style so many tears ago, despite my never really knowing anything about you. Live long, man.
In the very early 80's he taught a moderate level Jazz dance class at a mostly ballet studio, he would teach us a small part of some of he's cheographed dance number, he's a great teacher, made it easy to learn by breaking down the number to segments, before we knew it? We where doing part of he's routine, it may sound corny, but I can still hear him he say "Ok! From the top, 5,6,7,8!
Bobby Banas dances in a way that every single muscle in his body is completely involved as though every body part was competing with every other body part for the spotlight. Even his hair seems to be involved in the movement. His talent was obvious enough to the Hollywood machine, that he was cast in so many musicals and usually front row. It’s a shame he never reached the level of gene Kelly, but that was likely due to the retreat of musicals from the big screen. He was a singular talent.
I too just 😮became a fan of Bobby Banas as I happened to stumble upon a nitty gritty dance he performed in and I believe he choreographed and I am in love with his dancing…he just has that “it factor” that I believe is God given. I’ve gone back and viewed old movies I have watched in the past and saw him dancing in quite a few of them. He’s special!
I'm almost positive when I was in 8th grade he choreographed a ragtime dance for a huge gaggle of us kids in 1975. He did it as a favor to someone at our school in Westchester north of nyc. We had a blast! I'm not a talented dancer but boy we would all see this guy had moves!
