Best Dance Scenes of All Time

The following is part of the Ferdy on Films Dance Blogathon.

There is something about a dance scene in film that can bring even the worst film to life for a moment. Maybe this is why I love Bollywood so much, you know that at any moment, the characters are going to break out into dance.

Of the hundreds, maybe thousand(s) of DVDs I own, I find myself rewatching dancing and musical scenes probably more than any other. The more that I think about it, I believe the musical may just be my favorite genre.

So here is a list of some of the great dance scenes in films, in chronological order.

Note: I'm well aware I left out many classic films (what, no WEST SIDE STORY? ROYAL WEDDING? ON THE TOWN?). Consider this some of the best and most underrated dance scenes of all time.

SINGIN IN THE RAIN (1952)

I wanted to choose just one scene from this film, but let's face it, there are just too many. And, I'm not even including the title tune.



"Make 'Em Laugh". Donald O'Conner is just so much fun to watch in this sequence.



"Good Mornin"

BAND OF OUTSIDERS (1964)



Is there a greater moment in cinema than watching Anna Karina and friends dance?

XANADU (1980)



Yes, it is a terrible film. But this ending is just hypnotic. Plus, it has Gene Kelly on roller skates.

GREASE 2 (1982)



Probably the biggest musical number in GREASE 2, "Score Tonight". Even for those that don't love the film as much as I do (which may just be everyone), it has bowling nuns!! How can you not respect that?

STARSTRUCK (1982)



Gillian Armstrong's new wave musical STARSTRUCK has been largely forgotten. This dance in the bar has always been one of my favorite movie scenes, just from the clip of it I saw on SNEAK PREVIEWS when Siskel and Ebert first reviewed it. I love all the bar patrons dancing in unison. This may be one of my top ten favorite movie scenes of all time.

BOY MEETS GIRL (1984)



Tap dancing to David Bowie's "When I Live My Dream" in Leos Carax's BOY MEETS GIRL.


CAN'T BUY ME LOVE (1987)



You knew I had to include this, since this is the unofficial CAN'T BUY ME LOVE fansite, so here is the "African Anteater Ritual" from CAN'T BUY ME LOVE. Trivia note: this was choreographed by Paula Abdul before she even had a recording career.

SIMPLE MEN (1992)



Someone who obviously knows his Godard, Hal Hartley creates his own Band of Outsiders here in SIMPLE MEN. Who ever thought you could have a dance sequence set to Sonic Youth's "Kool Thing"?

RANGEELA (1995)



To end, how about some Bollywood? Here is Urmilla from the opening number of one of my favorite Bollywood films, Ramgopal Varma's RANGEELA

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