May not be the best, but I was quite loved this video of Bob Fosse, who seemed to have inspired a lot of Michael Jackson’s trademark moves. But Fosse looked a bit more elegant doing it - not that MJ was any slouch.
Weird Al Yankovich’s Fat.
Allow me to step beyond the typical fare and nominate The Correspondents. This (distressingly straight!) gent knows how to move. The only question is whether to go with the dancing at the end of What’s Happened to Soho, or the whole video of Fear and Delight.
I think I’m gonna go with Soho–the video itself is more what impresses in Fear and Delight.
I’ma gonna let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time. Of all time!
From “Yolanda and the Thief”, a Technicolor 1945 movie starring Fred Astaire, there is a zippy dance number called “Coffee Time”, with an op-art wavy black and white floor. The dancers are dancing a 5 count dance phrase to a 4 count music phrase.
Doesn’t quite meet the OP’s criteria but I just gotta share this sexy smooth Cuban dance number. What is it they say in Spanish?* Suave*? Son cubano par Carlos Rafael Gonzalez et Marie Line au festivla Caribedanza - YouTube
If we’re willing to stretch the definition of “dance routine” to include choreography in general, then OK GO has to rank at least “honorable mention” with several of their videos, including:
I Won’t Let You Down, which brings to mind the old Esther Williams synchronized swimming scenes.
Their well-known, award-winning (the music video won the 2007 Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video and the 2006 YouTube awards for Most Creative Video) video for Here It Goes Again.
White Knuckles, which had to difficult to choreograph, considering their co-stars.
So did The Dan Band.
Here’s an even better one. He makes it look so easy!
Regards,
Shodan
Ahh, that makes sense and that’s what I figured. Thank you!
“That’s the end?!”
No! NO, dammit, it’s not at ALL the end! It never ceases to rankle me whenever I watch this most excellent clip on YouTube, only to remember that they cut the damn thing short and leave off the best freaking part. Grr!
I sort of really love the barn raising sequence from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, even if it doesn’t strictly fit the criteria laid out in the OP.