Beyonce channels more Fosse choreography in new music video

[Raspberry]

Posted: 5/19/11 at 12:38am

Her "Get Me Bodied" music video basically re-imagined Fosse's film version of "Rich Man's Frug." Then she modeled "Single Ladies" off of "Mexican Breakfast." (She was very open about it in interviews and praised Fosse and Gwen Verdon and cited them as inspirations.)

This one, "Run The World (Girls)," which came out tonight, uses him way less than the others, but there are still a few unmistakable moments of pure Fosse. That sequence with the awkward kickline shares a lot from his version of "Willkommen," beginning when the girls turn around in a line, one hand back, the other extended with palm forward. Then comes the march forward and awkward turn and kick with their bodies bent all the way back. Even the use of camera there seems similar... how it follows them, turning, ducking, and cutting awkwardly around the dance from behind.

Shortly after, they're lying on the ground with their rotating ankles in the air, all of them bent or crossed in different positions. The isolation of the one rotating joint is obviously very Fosse, but the image here is particularly reminiscent of his "Mein Herr," again including the camera--several straight, unmoving shots cut together. That moment also reminds me of some choreography from the "Chicago" revival (which I'm assuming Reinking probably lifted and pieced together from Fosse as well; I didn't see the original).

Did anyone pick up on any others?

Disclaimer: this music video and the song itself are both a complete mess, and maybe not worth your time to discuss. The parts I mentioned start at about 2:40.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBmMU_iwe6U