Fred Astaire

(Newser) - Merce Cunningham, one of the most influential dancers and choreographers of the 20th century, died last night at age 90, the New York Times reports. Hailed as the creator of new classicism, he remained productive to the end; this year saw the premiere of his final work, “Nearly Ninety,...

(Newser) - Imagine the surprise of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa when he returned from vacation to find his proxy asking for donations to fund the Michael Jackson memorial. “This is a world-class city, and we provide fire and police protection, period,” he says. “The idea that we would...

(Newser) - Fred Astaire was a great dancer, but he was also a bit of a bigot. A new bio by Peter Levinson cited by the New York Post includes this anecdote: Solicited for a donation to a program developing young black writers, Astaire responded, “Whatever gave you the impression that...