Cinematheque Stories

Event

Cinematheque StoriesDancing Cheek to Cheek The Films of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers

David Garonzik, lecturer

From early collaborations like Flying Down to Rio to classics such as Top Hat, Swing Time and The Gay Divorcee, join Naples Cinematheque CEO David Garonzik for a fascinating look at the legendary screen partnership of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers — one of Hollywood’s most iconic duos. Through their celebrated RKO musicals, Astaire and Rogers redefined cinematic dance, blending elegance, wit and emotional storytelling with groundbreaking choreography and timeless music. In this lecture, Garonzik examines how their films shaped the Golden Age of musicals and established a new language of movement. It also highlights the contributions of choreographer Hermes Pan and composers Irving Berlin and George Gershwin. Beyond the glamour of their dance numbers, the lecture also explores the duo’s on-screen chemistry and artistic partnership. Dancing Cheek to Cheek is both a celebration and a deep dive into a collaboration that transformed the movie musical and continues to influence filmmakers today.

This presentation is part of David Garonzik's Cinematheque Stories series.

David Garonzik

David Garonzik

David Garonzik is the founder and CEO of Naples Cinematheque, which presents alternative cinema experiences at Paragon Theaters in Naples. An accomplished American projectionist and screening room manager, Garonzik has a career spanning more than three decades across Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C. Born in Queens, New York, he developed an early fascination with cinema and began his professional journey at age 17 as a projectionist in Washington, D.C.

Garonzik studied film at the Brooks Institute of Photography, the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Los Angeles. He has managed theatrical presentation and technical operations for major industry events, including the Hamptons International Film Festival and Palm Springs International Film Festival. His technical portfolio includes work on major Hollywood productions, including Ghost in the Shell and the Academy Award-winning film The Revenant.