Dance-Movie Derby: An Introduction
Johnny and the staff kids showing Kellerman’s what’s up.
I really love Dance Movies.
They’re corny and cliche, yet often transcend their faults and return somehow into the realm of awesome. I want to share the analysis and pleasure of Dance Movies with you.
I would prefer to do things chronologically from what I consider the “origin” of this specific type of film, but I am going to first begin by dealing with my favorite and the most –in my opinion– ultimate example of this genre: Dirty Dancing.
I will do Flashdance and Footloose later. I will not do Saturday Night Fever. The reason is that 1) Barry Gib sucks, and 2) John Travolta’s character is a douche. The main character of a good dance movie cannot be a douche.
To begin with I want to make a few stipulations for Films to fall into this category:
You suck so hard my floor is clean.
1. There can be no singing. Musicals are a totally different entity.
2. There must be socio-economic or social/cultural issues at stake; either as barriers or context. Subculture clashing with systemic normality is preferred.
3. There must be totally kick-ass dancing beyond traditional dance style. In other words, the dance featured that helps the characters triumph over adversity must have sass and “A little som’in’ som’in’ on the end.” (Drumline is the bastard child of Dance Movies. I love Bastards.) This is where the lower-class or subculture influence shines.
For instance: The Company is not a dance movie because there is only formal ballet and no actual conflict of any kind. (That movie sucks.)
So, this is my approach. Dance Movies are awesome. But don’t take my word for it: Go watch some. Your favorites? Discuss them seriously, you might be surprised at what you find.
Stephanie Edd
I propose Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, and Dance Pe Chance as dance movies by any reasonable definition that also have singing. (When everything has singing by default, the term “musical” doesn’t really apply.) In decreasing order of quality. JBJ is a really fun movie that I highly recommend; it doesn’t center on dance in the way that the latter two do (just the last bit revolves around the Mr. and Miss Southall Dance Competition), but conversely, it has the lovely feature that Amitabh Bachchan appears randomly in scene transitions as this awesome fairy tale hobo who makes everyone around him start dancing; see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmGS4I0XNj4
Also, I rather liked Saturday Night Fever. I forget whether I thought JT was a douche.