Ginger Torvill and Fred Dean

So here's something you mayn't know about me... when I was a wee lass, I was OBSESSED with figure skating, I wanted to skate so badly. But the nearest rink was far far away and the whole thing was expensive. SO my mother sent me dancing instead as this was cheaper ( she also sent me to improve my spatial awareness... I was the clumsiest child ever, but thats a story for another day!). Anyway, I still like to watch figure skating, even though I've since forgiven my mother for this early travesty. SO Iwas youtubing some of the teams for the WInter Olympics (woop!!) and came upon this link.

I'm guessing some of you may have heard of Torvill and Dean, one of the most famous Ice Dance pairs ever, and pretty much the only famous British skaters! They won gold in the 1984 WInter Olympics with the first and only perfect score, 12 6.0s! (Their routine Bolero is worth a recce if you've a few minutes to spare, stunning!). But the point of this increasingly longwinded post is as follows.

After the '84 Olympics, Torvill and Dean went pro, and choreographed numerous fantastic ice dance shows. In one they paid tribute to our very own Fred and Ginger, which is the video I came across.

The quality is pretty awful, but I love the music combo they use (Change Partners eeee!) It lovely to see a tribute to the wonderful pair in a different genre, even if they don't entirely capture the essence, any exposure and worship of the classics is good in my book. They manage some on ice tapping which is pretty difficult, Also they do rather a simiilar thing to the lifts at the end of the Yam, towards the end, which I thought was nice! Amusingly, Torvill's feather dress can be seen to shed rather excessively during the Cheek to Cheek section

So here's the video...



Hope this was of interest to some of you! They also tried a second time with a "Putting on the Ritz number, in which I think they're actually more in the style of Fred and Ginger though it's up tempo and shorter.



I enjoyed writing this post, looking forward o the olympics!
Keep it Gingery

Beth XX

Photoshooting, vintage stylee (well partly!)

Last week I got the opportunity to go and have some professional photos shot for free (lucky me!). I got to shoot three outfits and wanted to show various sides of myself, so here's what's what!

Of course Ginger was gonna impact on my look, had a nice chat with the makeup lady about managing my curls, in to more of a thirties style, but keeping it me-ish. She said she was just relieved I didn't want Cheryl Cole hair, as she's already done that 5 times that morning!! Make-upwise I originally thought, I'll go all forties glamour, but then when I chose my outfits, it didnt seem right to wear such heavy make-up. In the end, I asked for, forties movie star on a day off, just to highlight my eyes rather than really make them up, and for a bolder than natural lip colour, but not a bright red, as being a pale skinned creature, this makes me look vampiric. Here's a resulting headshot.

Outfit wise, I went for one vintage look, with a dress I found in a charity shop, seamed stockings, red midheels which are modern but vintage in style and this cutesy necklace I got for christmas.

Then I went for a more eveningy look with a dress my mamma got me for Christmas, which I love, and some killer heels I found in the sales, I have a major shoe lust going on at the moment, and needed an excuse to break these babies out. In the end, I didn't like a lot of these pictures as the photographer made me pose in ways that weren't commfortable, and it showed in my face.

Lastly I wanted to do a more casual look, so I wore a chose a huge sweater from Topshop, Black tights, and some '40s kid style flats I picked up in a vintage shop in London, these are probably some of my favourite shots!
All of course topped with my signature hair ribbon! If anyone stuck with this rather epic post, then thanks for reading!

Hopefully shall be back soon with something exciting and Gingery to say...

Beth XX

Finding Beth...

Having read the responses to my prior post, I'm here to in form all y'all who read, or have at one point read my Gingerised blog adventure, that things are going to change a bit.

I started this blog because I wanted to share my hunt for Ginger with others who love her as I do, and for the most part, we succeeded in finding her. BUt you can't search for ever, so this blog is going to have to take a new direction.

You see, I can tell you what I think of Ginger, which can pretty much be summed up in the word 'swell', and I can tell you all about her films and facts and the whole wonderful shebang, but to be honest, you can read/watch the latter yourself, and the first is a limited field. So from now onwards, I'm going to post more broadly, and talk about myself more; the things that Ginger has taught me, other films, other aspects of life, etc. If that's not what you signed on for, then I hope you find something that is, and thanks for reading. But I have faith in the blogging community, that your interest in what I have to say is more than just looking for another source of Ginger worship.

My blog will remain dedicated to Miss Ginger Rogers, as she remains my inspiration, and I shall post as much of her as I can. But wonderful as she is, I can't let Ginger, or anyone else limit me, and Finding Ginger, should never get in the way of Ffinding myself. My blog will remain vintage in spirit, Gingerish all over, but from this moment, will be Beth at heart.

XX

The only way to enjoy anything in life is to earn it first

It's been a very long time since I posted anything and I decided the time had come to face the fact. This is and isn't about Ginger so apologies for the large injection of Beth in this post.

Since I've been at university, a lot has changed, my expectations of other people, what I do with my time and how I view the world. I really don't like this change, because of all the things that have been lost, the things which made me me, my dancing, my friends, my family have all very much changed roles or vanished altogether. Over christmas, I realised how much I'd changed, and how little I liked who I had become, I stopped watching Ginger films because I had noone to watch with, and people found it strange, also because it was unbearable to see someone so happy, dancing when it had all been taken from me.

So this new year, 2010, 99 years since Virginia Katherine McMath arrived, I decided to turn things about. Now I can't promise to blog with the regularity that my empty summer allowed, but I'm promising this, to anyone who cares, from now onwards, I'll post as often as I have something to say.... and hopefully this will help in my personal remodelling!

SO I shall begin in week one of 2010, by saying this

OBSERVATION - In Bachelor mother, Ginger has normal eyebrows. Now I know this sounds highly bizarre but rather than the pencilled on ones of the Fred and Ginger, early ginger etc, she has fairly natural blonde eyebrows. I noticed this on watching on NYE, and believe it to be a rare if not unique phenomenon! SO on that bizarre note, I shall be off. XX

Fred, Cary, David, Douglas, Dennis, Jimmy or Norman??

It's been a while, and I miss the chats we used to have over these... so here goes with

"Favourite Ginger Rogers Leading Man"

There were a lot of these obviously, so I shortened the list based on my preferences and noted films. If you feel any worthy candidate has been missed, comment!!

The options are as follows

1. Fred Astaire

Could not be overlooked. 10 wonderful toe tapping musical extravaganzas make Fred Ginger's most frequent and most famous leading man.... but is he your favourite??

2. Cary Grant

Ginger and this lovely chap had quite a story, really I wish they'd just got married but was not to be! Working toether later in Ginger's career for Monkey Business and Once Upon a Honeymoon. Quite some chemistry!

3. David Niven

Ginger and David were never romantically invilved, which is a fairly rare occurrence if you think about it! Working together three times, does Mr Niven's boyish charm and comedic value make him a winner??

4. Jimmy Stewart

All I can say is what a pairing! Little and large, ligh and dark, SHE SHOULD HAVE MARRIED HIM TOOO! I seem to have become rather opionated!

5. Douglas Fairbanks Jr.

Another non-romantic leading man! Sadly these two only made one film together "Having Wonderful Time", but oh boy don't the sparks fly on eagle rock in the dark.... it's the only time backgammon ever sounded romantic!

6. Norman Foster

Ginger made a few films with Norman, and I always feel there's a certain charm to the pairing. The boat scene in Rafter Romance is so deliciously romantic that to not include Mr Foster seemed stingy.

7. Dennis Morgan
Two words and one number, Wynnewood Strafford VI. Of course there's also Perfect Strangers, but the fact is Kitty and Wyn should have been together!!!

Get voting.... I'm still choosing but swinging Between Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant, for me the real life romance is a clincher!!

Beth xx

On copyright!! (This is a humorous post)

Havin returned to find my little catch phrase "Keep it Gingery" a VKMwide phenomena I have been advised to copyright said phrase! This however seemed mean, so instead, I propose the following,

An oath to Ginger must be made, upon which each oathmaker may use the Gingery phrase at their discretion!

Please pledge the following,

I, the undersigned, do solemnly pledge to love Virginia Katherine McMath until age or infirmity rob me of all bodily functions. I hereby swear to promote Gingeryness in the wider community by gabbling on the subject to anyone who expresses a slight interest, and watching as many films as I can fit in to my life. Furthermore,I will fight the injustice by which her name appears only as an attachment to that of Fred Astaire. On June 16th I swear to wear something pink and eat ice cream, in Ginger's memory.

This I do swear, on pain of death at the hand of Lottie Marin!

Signed


Beth Stephens

There we go!

I am officially the perpetrator of this contract, so any questions should be directed to me!

Keep it Gingery

Beth xx

Gingering up my room, converting flatmates, and being sorely missed!

Is what I've mainly been up to! The posting drought has been somewhat severe, as I've been very busy settling in and making things beautiful!


Of course my room has generous helpings of VKM, but I had to tidy it before I could delight you all with pictures!!

So without further ado I introduce part 1... Gingering up my room!

Deviating from typical student "posterization" I got some massive Gingerpics printed, framed them and now have one over my bed, and one where I can see it as I wake up!!


This combined with my extensive Ginger DVD rack makes me feel fairly at home!!

I've been raving to my flatmates already about the thirties, musicals and of course Ginger and have so far managed to organize a flat screening of the Major and the Minor/Swingtime for next week.... I've been suprised how many people are interested, slightly concerned they may simply be humoring me though!!

Anyway, to summarise, hopefully I shall be able to post on a regular basis again, hope you missed bu obscure rambling,

Keep it gingery,

Beth XX