Welcome to the Routine Rewind series on the Diamond Dolls blog!

We will be taking a look back at some of our past routines and giving them a historical and cultural context covering things from song inspirations, artist highlights, discussing the origins of the dance styles, and more. Join us on the first of every month right here to follow this new series.

This month we visit our Black Coffee routine from 2018 choreographed by Skye Festog. This sexy number was heavily inspired by the incomparable Bob Fosse.

The Movement:

Renowned choreographer and director, Bob Fosse, forever changed the way audiences viewed dancers on the stage and in film. Fosse’s first full choreographed show was in 1954’s The Pajama Game. The show made Fosse an overnight success and highlighted his inimitable choreographic style: sexually suggestive hip thrusts, humorously hunched shoulders, turned-in feet, and mime-like articulation of the hands. This choreographic style can be seen in the image below of Fosse’s “Rich Man’s Frug,” from the 1969 film Sweet Charity. Skye used a variation of this postured walk that can be seen in the Dolls’ routine, “Black Coffee.”

Fosse’s “Rich Man’s Frug,” from the 1969 film Sweet Charity. — Fosse’s “Rich Man’s Frug,” from the 1969 film *Sweet Charity*.

Born Robert Louis Fosse on June 23, 1927, Fosse was the youngest of six children. As a child he learned to win attention from his family by dancing and it wasn’t long before he was recognized as a prodigy. By the time he reached high school, he was dancing professionally at nightclubs as part of their “sleazy vaudeville and burlesque shows.” This sexually free environment combined with vaudeville’s dark humor and teasing sexual tones made a lasting impression on Fosse, and would later influence his creative and innovative adult work.

After completing two years of duty in the United States Navy, Fosse moved to New York City and made a name for himself performing in variety shows on stage and television. His big break came after his brief performance in the 1953 movie musical, “Kiss Me Kate.”

Fosse suffered a massive heart attack after a rehearsal in 1987 and passed away on the way to the hospital. His contributions to American entertainment have continued long after his death through show revivals and dance classes.

Bob Fosse leads dancers for the musical Pleasures and Palaces, which he directed in 1965. Getty Images — Bob Fosse leads dancers for the musical *Pleasures and Palaces*, which he directed in 1965. *Getty Images*

Fosse’s signature style continues to influence and inspire the dance world and can be seen on both the stage and screen. His choreographic influence can be found in pop music culture and has influenced the likes of Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Britney Spears. In Beyoncé’s music video for “Get Me Bodied,” classic moves from Fosse’s “Rich Man’s Frug” can be spotted such as first pumps and ponytail flips. Another Beyoncé music video that channeled Fosse’s essence is “Single Ladies.” The choreography shows a significant resemblance to Fosse’s “Mexican Breakfast.” In Lady Gaga’s music video for “Alejandro,” there are major references to the film version of Cabaret, which Fosse choreographed. Check out the links below to compare these famous music videos to Fosse’s original numbers.

Beyoncé - “Get Me Bodied”
https://youtu.be/RioOJ7dZxuw

Fosse - “Rich Man’s Frug”
https://youtu.be/mcrZIK3gqbU

Beyoncé - “Single Ladies”
https://youtu.be/4m1EFMoRFvY

Fosse - “Mexican Breakfast”
https://youtu.be/MOPdAJmcAEs

Lady Gaga - “Alejandro”
https://youtu.be/niqrrmev4mA

Fosse - “Mein Herr” from Cabaret
https://youtu.be/qbEeRL94ziI

Sarah Vaughan, possibly at Cafe Society, NYC, ca. August 1946. Photography by William P. Gottlieb.

The Music:

The Diamond Dolls performed to the 1949 Sarah Vaughan version of “Black Coffee” written by Sonny Burke with lyrics by Paul Francis Webster.

Jazz vocal legend, Sarah Vaughan, also known as “Sassy” and “The Divine One,” was a musical innovator whose voice reached, and perhaps even transcended, the levels of the finest jazz instrumentalists. Sarah Lois Vaughan was born on March 27, 1924 in Newark, New Jersey. Coming from a deeply religious family, she grew up singing and playing piano at the New Mount Zion Baptist Church. Vaughan had an early love for popular music, and would often see local and touring bands at the Montgomery Street Skating Rink. While attending an arts high school, she quickly began growing her career as a performer, and during her junior year decided to drop out to concentrate on music.

At the age of 18, Vaughan entered an amateur night contest at the famous Apollo Theater and won when she sang “Body and Soul.” The prize was $10 and a week’s performance at the Apollo. Shortly after her Apollo debut, Vaughan was offered a position with bandleader and pianist, Earl Hines, in April of 1943 and began touring the United States with his band.

Throughout her career, Vaughan was widely recognized as a supremely gifted singer and performer. She won four Grammys, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was invited to perform at the White House and venues such as Carnegie Hall. She joined the Jazz Hall of Fame in 1990 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She shared the stage and collaborated with other musical greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Oscar Peterson, Quincy Jones, and many more.

In 1989, during a run at New York’s famous Blue Note Jazz Club, she was diagnosed with lung cancer and became too ill to finish the last day of what became her final public performance. She returned home to California and passed away a few months later at the age of 66. Vaughan had a large vocal range, exceptional body, volume, a variety of vocal textures, and superb vocal control. The song, “Black Coffee,” has an undeniably warm, bluesy spirit, which perfectly showcases Vaughan’s nuanced vocals and “boundless sense of swing.”

Sonny Burke and Peggy Lee during a recording session for Lady and the Tramp, Peggy Lee Associates, LLC. — Sonny Burke and Peggy Lee during a recording session for *Lady and the Tramp*, *Peggy Lee Associates, LLC.*

Joseph Francis “Sonny” Burke was a musical arranger, composer, big band leader, and producer. Born March 22, 1914, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, he wrote a number of pieces that continue to be regarded as jazz standards, including “Black Coffee.” The song was a product of a collaboration between Burke and lyricist Paul Francis Webster and was first recorded by Sarah Vaughan.

Burke’s career spanned several decades working in film as a composer, collaborator, and as a producer, responsible for many iconic recordings of Frank Sinatra and more. He passed away at the age of 66, but continues to be remembered for his widely known jazz standards and his compositions for Disney, including the classic, Lady and the Tramp.

Photo of Paul Francis Webster, date and place unknown, photo credit unknown.

Paul Fancis Webster was born on December 29, 1907 in New York City. He spent some time as a sailor and dance instructor, then began his career as a lyricist in 1931 and went on to become one of Hollywood’s most successful lyricists. After writing for Shirley Temple films, he decided to become a freelance writer, and by 1941 had his first hit with Duke Ellington entitled, “I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good)”. Throughout his career, he worked with Twentieth Century Fox, MGM, and was nominated sixteen times for the Academy Award for Best Original Song, winning the Oscar on three occasions. In 1967 he was asked to write the famed lyrics for the Spider-Man theme song of the television cartoon.

Outside of films, Webster’s songs achieved popular recognition, in part thanks to recording artists such as Peggy Lee, Tony Bennett, and more. He is considered the most successful songwriter of the 1950s on the U.K. charts and in 1972 was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Webster passed away in 1984, but his poetic and sensational lyrics live on through his music.

Watch the Diamond Dolls perform Black Coffee:
https://youtu.be/6v3SzLJbflE