The Movies And Ballroom Dancing

Think dancing and you think Hollywood. Whatever kind of dancing you can think of – whether it is the gliding slow dances or the fast tap dances or the modern break dancing, the silver screen has it all. Not only that, it has immortalized both the dance and the dancers in certain movies.

Sometimes, the dance is just a part of the movie. Sometimes, it is the whole movie. Look at all the old Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly movies. It was the dance and the song that was the movie. The story line was present just to string the dance and song sequences together. What you remember are the flawless movements and the steps that never put a wrong foot anywhere. Ginger Rogers of course should probably have been even more feted considering she did all the steps in the highest of heels and backwards at that!

In the great epic movies like Gone With The Wind, even with such a powerful story you remember the great ballroom dance scene when Rhett makes a bid to dance with Scarlett. Then of course, we have movies like the Richard Gere-Jennifer Lopez starrer Shall We Dance where a simple guy learns to dance and prepares for the dancing competition.

There is also that wonderful movie Dance With Me, the story of Rafael, a young Cuban boy who comes to America and becomes a great dancer. The reason the ballroom dancers here look so authentic is because they used actual ballroom competition dancers in the movie. Another hit which received a standing ovation at the Cannes Festival was Strictly Wonderful where a professional dancer and an amateur pair up to enter a competition and all the comedy that follows.

So many movies over the years have had dancing sequences. Look at the old movies like West Side Story and the Little Colonel with Bojangles and Shirley Temple. And who can forget Dorothy dancing her way through The Wizard of Oz? Or the dances in The Sound of Music or Mary Poppins or My Fair Lady? Later, the dances grew more erotic like Flashdance and Dirty Dancing. Why today, you even have all the animated characters doing a great jig! From The Jungle Book to the Shrek series, dance has become part and parcel of most animated movies.

It's always been great to watch ballroom dancing. The great thing about the movies is that they have preserved the different dances or the different ways of doing certain dancing on celluloid so people can watch and enjoy them for years to come.

Young rockers pack Surf Ballroom - Mason City Globe Gazette

Young rockers pack Surf Ballroom Mason City Globe Gazette The Rockin' Kids Show took place Friday morning at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake. The event was part of the 2012 Winter Dance Party. CLEAR LAKE - They came in chiffon scarves and poodle skirts, black horn-rimmed glasses and saddle shoes. and more »

Faculty put on their dancing shoes - GW Hatchet (subscription)

GW Hatchet (subscription)

Faculty put on their dancing shoes GW Hatchet (subscription) The teams, made of staff and student ballroom dancers, will perform Thursday at 8 pm for the 'Dancing with GW' event in Lisner Auditorium. A grand ballroom is almost the last place one would expect to find the University's austere security czar, ...

Put on your dancing shoes at the Mayor's Ball, coming to Narberth in April - Main Line

Main Line

Put on your dancing shoes at the Mayor's Ball, coming to Narberth in April Main Line Each ball guest will receive a dance card to fill up with various partners, Grady said. It's definitely an opportunity to mingle. The mayor realizes some may be a little nervous that their ballroom dance skills are a little rusty – or maybe never ...

Strictly ballroom royalty provide dance joy... - Burton Mail

Burton Mail

Strictly ballroom royalty provide dance joy... Burton Mail Anton, laden with a couple of suits and extremely shiny shoes; Erin, with a tour frock count of more than 650, wafted onto the stage in Birmingham's Symphony Hall to a packed house. The pair have been professional partners for more than 15 years and ...

Fashion a big part of Winter Dance Party - Mason City Globe Gazette

Fashion a big part of Winter Dance Party Mason City Globe Gazette Dan and Jan Hanson of Cedar Falls dance Wednesday night at the Winter Dance Party at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake. 9-11 am — Surf Ballroom Rockin' Kids Show, providing rock 'n' roll history, music and dancing for K-6 students. and more »