Sunday, March 30, 2014

Best Dance Sequences in Film

So I saw this cute video online:


and I thought I'd do a list of my favorite dances in films.

Granted - I have never seen any of the modern dance films (You Got Served, Step Up 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Rize, Honey, Save the Last Dance, Stomp the Yard, Planet B-Boy, Battle of the Year, Streetdance, I think there is something coming out with Derek Hough soon...) Anyways - glad those are out there, doing their thing.

I have also never seen Strictly Ballroom, and I don't want to spoil myself searching for dances, so that's not in here.

Honorable Mentions:
Free and Easy - Free and Easy (the first part is a little rough, but Buster Keaton as a marionette cracks me up)
500 Days Summer - You Make My Dreams
All that Jazz - Bye Bye Life 
Donnie Darko - Sparkle Motion
Flashdance - Audition
Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion - Time After Time
Rent - Tango Maureen (this was the only number that I though they actually made cinematic for the movie version. Take, for example, how much better Today 4 U or Out Tonight are in the stage version, even if those aren't my particular favorite performers in those roles.)
Show Boat - I Might Fall Back on You
Blues Brothers - Do You See the Light
Damn Yankees - Whatever Lola Wants
Spring Breakers - Everytime (no good clip I could find)
The Red Shoes - the ballet. Unsurprisingly, the entire ballet piece (17 min) is not online that I could find.
Pulp Fiction - The Twist
Fantasia - Dance of the Hours
Jailhouse Rock - Jailhouse Rock
Saturday Night Fever - You Should Be Dancing
White Nights - Duo Dance (I have heard Baryshnikov is in the Turning Point, but I can find no clips, so.)
42nd Street - I'm Young and Healthy
Fame - Fame
Full Monty - Hot Stuff (tragically only this low quality clip)
Fantastic Mr. Fox - Let Her Dance (no clip that I could find)
A Chorus Line - One
Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai - Ek Pal Ka Jeena
Slumdog Millionaire - Jai Ho
Pukar - Kay sera sera
Brigadoon - the Heather on the Hill
Black Swan - the Black Swan's dance
Footloose - Never
Kiss Me Kate - From This Moment On
Gold Diggers of 1933 - Remember My Forgotten Man
Top Hat - Top Hat, White Tie and Tails
Pajama Game - Steam Heat
Bonus Sam Rockwell

Top 20:
Pee Wee's Big Adventure - Tequila:


Groove - Heaven Scent:


Evita - Waltz for Eva and Che:


Alps - Popcorn. I love the end of this film, when the rhythmic gymnast finally gets to dance to her pop song. She's so happy:


Pina - pretty much all of the film is brilliant, but here is Full Moon:



Swing Time - Pick Yourself Up:

(Although Cheek to Cheek features my favorite Ginger dress and Never Gonna Dance is also great.)
 
Rocky Horror - the Time Warp:


Chicago - Cell Block Tango:


Moulin Rouge - Roxanne:


Devdas - Silsila Ye Chahat Ka:



Pennies from Heaven - Let's Misbehave:


Center Stage (I am so sad this entire ballet isn't online)



West Side Story - Prologue:


Sweet Charity - Big Spender:


Cabaret - Mein Herr:


Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - Barn Raising:


Singin' in the Rain - Make Em Laugh:

(Also, I had never seen it before, but Be A Clown is a blatant rip-off, presumably from the same studio, no?)

American in Paris & The Band Wagon - the ballets:
The most complete version of American in Paris I could find is with MTT conducting the NY Philharmonic for parts of the score here: http://vimeo.com/60145841



Nicholas Brothers in Orchestra Wives:

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