CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Dozens of Chicago dancers got a little lesson in "Fosse" Thursday, as performers with the national tour of "Chicago" taught a special workshop dedicated to the legendary director and choreographer.
Bob Fosse directed and choreographed the original Broadway tour of “Chicago,” and his iconic choreography revolutionized the world of dance through the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.
Evy Vaughn, one of instructors from Thursday’s class, said it's important to keep Fosse's legacy and style alive.
“When I got into college, we started studying Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon’s work, and that’s where I was kind of like, ‘Oh my gosh, this makes me so happy, and I want to know more,’” Vaughn said. “So, it truly is a dream come true to be in this show and passing on the legacy.”
Vaughn said the 25th anniversary national tour of “Chicago” is, in parts, an “ode to Bob Fosse.”
“[Choreographer Ann Reinking] took parts of every one of his watershed works [and] put it in this,” she said. “But then we also do things like the boogaloo, which is from the ’70s. We do lots of little ’60s moves, too.”
Following Thursday’s class, Vaughn touched on the importance of making the session accessible to the public.
“This master class was free to the public, so I think that it’s very important to pass on the legacy and the reason why, and the style, so that the younger generation can … understand the history of theater and know these shows, which are so important to our industry — but also so they get excited and they become the next generation of theater patrons,” she said.
Everyone in the class did the choreography “with such joy,” Vaughn added.
Megan Ryder said it was her first experience with this kind of dance.
“It was awesome,” she said. “Great experience. I’m so glad it was offered to the community, and I had a lot of fun.”
Fellow “Chicago” cast member Liz Lester also helped lead the session.
“It was wonderful,” Lester said. “It’s always so great … to share the knowledge that I’ve learned over the years, share a space with them. I always love taking class, but just watching the community aspect of it all unfold.”
Vaughn, who was previously on the regional tour of “The Producers,” and Lester, who previously performed on the national tour of “Finding Neverland,” both agreed that it was exciting enough simply to be back in a dance studio.
“We didn't have studio space from the pandemic for two years, so whenever we can get into a studio as beautiful as those at Ballet Chicago, it's something you cannot take for granted,” Vaughn said.
The national tour of “Chicago” will be performing at The CIBC Theater through Jan. 29.
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