U.S. #5610
2021 55¢ Tap Dance – Michela Marino Lerman
Issue Date: July 10, 2021
First Day City: New York, NY
Type of Stamp: Commemorative
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Pane of 20
Self-Adhesive
Quantity Printed: 18,000,000
When most people think of dancers from the Golden Age of Hollywood, Fred Astaire is one of the first to come to mind. Astaire's career lasted over 75 years and included the stage, television, and the big screen. He was an accomplished actor, but was, first and foremost, a dancer.
Astaire and his older sister, Adele, were taught dancing and singing at an early age. They went on to become a successful brother-and-sister act. They performed on Broadway, for US and Allied troops during World War I, and more. However, eventually Adele got married and decided to retire from show business. This left Astaire to make his own way.
Astaire worked with several partners over the years, expanding his dance knowledge and becoming more well-known throughout the industry. Eventually, he made his way to Hollywood. His first film was the musical Dancing Lady in which he partnered with Joan Crawford. Not long after, he filmed nine movies with his most famous partner, Ginger Rogers. The partnership made Rogers and Astaire household names.
Astaire choreographed nearly all his dance routines himself. He was also responsible for several innovations that made filming dance more effective. Who knows what tap dancing would look like today without the influence of Fred Astaire?