I liked the inclusion of the number from White Nights, but might have chosen the one where Baryshnikov and Hines are dancing together up in the studio. (It’s been years, I can’t be more specific than that.)
Two from West Side Story? If you’ve got to have both, the order should be reversed. I think I’d dump America and add the number on top of the train from Dancer in the Dark.
Agree on Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, which I just watched about a week ago – that number is nothing short of amazing.
And finally, only one with my god Fred? That’s just wrong. I need to meditate a little more on which ones I’d nominate for inclusion, though.
If you are going to have two Gene Kelly numbers, I dont’ think I would use “I Got Rhythm” from American in Paris. I can see him having two numbers in the top ten and that singig in the rain is number 1.
But the Roxanne number from Moulin Rouge number is not in the top ten? It is far better than the Cell Block Tango from Chicago.
And what about either the finale or Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps from Strickly Ballroom? Either of those should be here.
This list also seems to limit it to Dance Squences from musicals. Why?
The Grand Central Station Waltz from The Fisher King or the piano scene in Big are two fantastic scenes which are perhaps more magical because they are not in a musical or a film that features dancing.
I absolutely hate the Kelly/Paris number–unbearably cute with the French kids. Blech. I’ll take his dance with Cyd in the heather in Brigadoon or his dream ballet in On the Town.
As a song, I’ll take “America”, but as a dance number, “Cool” has it beat. “Chicago”'s overrated (but replacing it with anything from “Moulin” is a joke).
Baryshnikov is fine, but can’t hold a candle to the extended dance sequence in The Red Shoes.
The others are fine, so that leaves three I still need to sub in. I’ll be back…
“Aquarius” from Hair. Twyla Twarp’s great choreography.
One dance number from the “Blue Brothers” should be on the list, just for working them into such a un-musical movie. I’d go with “What I Say.” Truly amazing.
Are you thinking of the Ray Charles song, “What’d I Say”? Wasn’t in the movie. The big Ray Charles number was “Shake a Tail Feather”, which was amazing. So was the James Brown number in the church.
The “Chicago” number is way overrated, although the song is one of my favorites (as is my wife’s – hmmmm). All those fast cuts totally destroys the rhythm and makes me suspect they did it either a) because all dances have to be cut this way these days, or b) to hide CZJ’s lack of talent in that area.
Glad to see the Nicholas Brothers get their due. Their clip in “That’s Entertainment III” was proof that some men are capable of flying. They were astonishing.
If you’re going to rate ‘dance’ then make your primary criteria the quality of the dancing. Don’t be drawn in by how good the music is or how entertaining the plot point. IOW, start with dancing virtuosity.
Certainly, once you’ve narrowed down your list to the best ‘dancing’ on film, then you can use other criteria such as the music, the lyrics, the integration of the dance into and furthering the plot to come up with a best ten.
For example, there is nothing so extraordinary about the dancing itself in West Side’s America or Chicago’s Cell Block Tango or The Music Man’s Shi-Boopi. Sure, they’re very entertaining musical dance numbers, but there’s no virtuosity in the dance. There are many other very entertaining musical dance numbers which do have dancing vituosity – let those make the top ten.
And so, just two points:
Kelly’s Singing in the Rain – while he had many other numbers which showed a lot more dancing virtuosity, dancing with an umbrella and a rain shower as your partners makes this dance innovative enough to make the list. On top of that, the musical number itself is truly uplifting.
Kelly & Caron’s American in Paris ballet in An American in Paris – Come on people: tap, modern dance, and ballet intergrated to a purely American edifice of classical music by Gershwin (who is combining classical music with jazz) – and then combine that with French themes. An eclectic masterpiece.
Thus I will call my list “The Ten Dance Numbers That Leave twickster Awestruck or Giddy with Delight or Both”:
10. “Night and Day,” The Gay Divorcee
“Roxanne,” Moulin Rouge!
“A Lot of Livin’ to Do,” Bye Bye Birdie
“Jumpin’ Jive,” Stormy Weather (The Nicholas Brothers)
Carousing number (sorry, not sure of the name), It’s Always Fair Weather (Gene Kelly, Dan Dailey, Michael Kidd)
The Barn-Raising, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
“Cool,” West Side Story
“Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails,” Top Hat (There are four possible sounds in tap – heel, heel, toe, toe. Fred adds a fifth with his cane, and syncopates the hell out of all five. It’s mind-blowing.)
