Post by Patricia Kelly

Last, but not least, the American in Paris Ballet ends with the artist with which it began: French Fauvist painter Raoul Dufy (1877-1953). When Gene told me about the huge “Dufy cyclorama” that was on the stage, he said, “Irene Sharaff took several Dufy paintings and stuck them on a maquette and then our great scenic painter...George Gibson took that and put it up clear around that fountain—3/4s of the way.” Gene screened the ballet for Dufy. He said, “Arthur Freed and I got the MGM projection room in Paris and we invited Dufy up....We were both shaking like leaves....And when we turned on the lights, he was weeping with joy and he asked us if we would run it again. It was a big thrill.” #genekelly #genekellylegacy