One of the most influential directors, choreographers, and dancers of all time, Robert Louis "Bob" Fosse (1927–1987) was born on this day in Chicago, Illinois. His father was a vaudeville performer.

“I thank God that I wasn’t born perfect,” he once said.

Fosse was a man who fully celebrated life. In 1954, he set the world ablaze with his innovative trademark trio dance for the sizzling Steam Heat in *The Pajama Game*, winning one of many Tony Awards. His style dripped with passionate sensuality, with dancers in tight black costumes, hats, and white gloves.

“Dance expresses joy better than anything else,” said Fosse, who idolized Fred Astaire and was a genius of visual storytelling and stagecraft.

“The energy doesn’t end at the hands,” he once said. “I want such intensity that it feels like light is streaming from every finger.”

In 1973, Fosse achieved a rare triple crown: an Oscar for Cabaret, a Tony for Pippin, and an Emmy for Liza with a Z. His theatrical legacy also includes Chicago, Sweet Charity, and the semi-autobiographical masterpiece All That Jazz.

Ever original, he changed the spirit of modern dance forever. “Don’t dance for the audience; dance for yourself,” he once said — and his work invites us to do the same.