Best known dance films

Best Known Dance Films
By Brenda Williams

Ever since Al Jolson spoke the first words on screen in 1927's
The Jazz Singer, singing and dancing have been a big part of the
movies. Here are some of the best-known films involving dancing
over the years:

Saturday Night Fever (1977): John Travolta became an icon in
this tale of a working-class Brooklyn guy who comes alive when
he hits the dance floor each night. The Bee Gees-saturated
soundtrack became one of the best-selling albums of all time,
and Travolta's white disco suit was later purchased by film
critic Gene Siskel. Travolta has since become known for dancing
in many of his biggest hits, including Grease and Pulp Fiction.
A sequel to this film, Stayin' Alive, was directed by Sylvester
Stallone, though it proved unsuccessful with critics and
audiences.

Flashdance (1983): Jennifer Beals became a star in this story
of welder who burns off steam as an exotic dancer by night, all
while dreaming of becoming a ballerina. Ironically, Beals didn't
do her own dancing in this film; clever editing and photography
let several doubles, including a gymnast and a man, perform her
most complicated moves. Like Fever, this had a hit soundtrack,
highlighted by the Oscar-winning "What a Feeling."

Footloose (1984): Though Kevin Bacon has gone on to play many
other types of roles (and starred with nearly every other actor
in Hollywood in the process), for many fans, he'll be best-known
for this peppy tale of a teen who finds himself in a small town
where a zealous reverend (John Lithgow) has outlawed dancing.
This had yet another hit soundtrack, which spawned two
number-one hits and sold 15 million copies.

Dirty Dancing (1987): This surprise hit about a young woman
(Jennifer Grey) who finds love on the dance floor with a
fleet-footed dance instructor (Patrick Swayze) while on vacation
also won an Oscar for best song ("I've Had the Time of My Life")
and became a sensation, inspiring a short-lived TV series and a
live stage show. It was also responsible for boosting attendance
in dance classes across the country. Ironically, Grey and Swayze
had worked together before on the action film Red Dawn - and
couldn't stand each other.

Save the Last Dance (2001): Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick
Thomas star in this tale of a former ballerina who gains the
inspiration to dance again when learning the style of a local
dance club. The film became a huge hit with fans of MTV, which
produced the film. It wound up grossing nearly 10 times its
budget in the U.S. alone.

Step Up (2006): Despite little advance hype, this story of a
dancer (Jenna Dewan) who becomes involved with a street tough
sentenced to do community service at the Maryland School of the
Arts, became a surprise hit, grossing almost double its budget
in its first weekend. A sequel, Step Up 2 the Streets, was
released in early 2008, featuring different characters but set
against the same backdrop. It's enjoyed similar success so far -
meaning that more Step Up films might be on their way soon.

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