I Don't Even Want To Discuss Flashdance.

Kids Talk To Me And Say They Want To Do Musicals Again Because They've Studied The Tapes Of The Old Films. We Didn't Have That. We Thought Once We Had Made It, Even On Film, It Was Gone Except For The Archives.

In The 1930s There Was This Tendency In Hollywood To Portray Everyone As Rich. Even If They Were Doing A Poor Man's Dance, They Were All So Nicely Clothed, Gowned, Coiffured. That's Why I Decided To Wear White Socks, Loafers, T-shirts, And Blue Jeans. I Had A Sociopolitical Context In Front Of Me: I Was A Child Of The Depression Who Danced In A Way That Would Represent The Common Man.

It Fit Into My Scheme Of Things For Many Reasons. At The Time It Was True That Male Dancers Were Looked Down Upon, And It Was True That A Lot Of The Male Dancers Were Effeminate. But What I Was Really Trying To Do Was Develop Something That Would Be American.

I Never Played A Rich Man, I Never Played A Prince. And To Play A Sailor Or Longshoreman You Had To Make Your Dance More Eclectic And Varied, But Still Keep It Indigenous To Your Nationality, Upbringing, And Background.

I Got Started Dancing Because I Knew It Was One Way To Meet Girls.