Mitzi Gaynor Sticks Up for Boys Who Dance

Good Morning America host Lara Spencer, 50, put her left foot in her mouth this week by mispronouncing "ballet" while offhanded mocking Prince George, 6, for reportedly loving his studies in the field.

Mitzi with some of her boys (Image via Mark Alan Knowles)

The implication was that he would come to hate ballet once people bullied him over it.

Instead, many on social media were incensed by Spencer's mockery, and swiftly took her to task for it. On Friday, she apologized sincerely for what she said.

Legendary hoofer Mitzi Gaynor, 87 years young, added her two cents, posting a snippet of herself and a bevy of male backup dancers kicking up their heels to the Stevie Wonder (b. 1950) hit "Sir Duke" (1976) and writing:

"All the men that I had the privilege of dancing with on stage, in films & on TV, were not only amazing artists, but also skilled, disciplined, athletes. Many faced incredible obstacles, & uninformed ridicule to do what they were meant to do. It’s incomprehensible this still happens today. It must stop. Dance is art, dance is sport, and art is life. Love ya-Mitzi"

This scandal has legs if it's still inspiring people to come forward and support boys who dance — and that's more important that Lara Spencer, her true feelings, or whether or not she is trashed forever and a day. Her momentary thoughtlessness doesn't mean she's a villain, but it has led to a good outpouring of affection for the arts.

Mitzi's original post:

All the men that I had the privilege of dancing with on stage, in films & on TV, were not only amazing artists, but also skilled, disciplined, athletes. Many faced incredible obstacles, & uninformed ridicule to do what they were meant to do. It’s incomprehensible this still happens today. It must stop. Dance is art, dance is sport, and art is life. Love ya-Mitzi

Posted by Mitzi Gaynor on Saturday, August 24, 2019

1 Response

  1. I really enjoyed this movie. Typically, I hate remakes, but this one isn t so bad. Was Bing Crosby a better actor in the 30 s and 40 s? You bet your boots. Then again, I ve never liked him in anything he s done, ever, and at least in Anything Goes he doesn t try to act, and sticks to the crooning instead. Also, I love Donald O Connor, and he is at the top of his form here. I didn t know who Mitzi Gaynor was, but now that I do, I really like her. She s a good dancer with a pleasant screen persona. Jeanmaire is okay. I liked her wardrobe. The art direction is good (I especially like the number where Donald and Bing sing the same song from two adjoining rooms) and the film hasn t been overproduced , as was the somewhat comparable White Christmas . I hate it when musicals take themselves too seriously! The story is silly, but worrying about that sh*t is missing the point entirely. Don t believe these over-critical snobs. They re missing out, and they don t even know it.

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