Totorus

Photo credit by Jan Zalud (योहन)

If there is one thing a movie fanatic loves more, it’s a great movie with an unforgettable dance scene. You hear it all the time; when a brand new dance flick hits theaters, moviegoers schedule a movie date to scramble to their seats, waiting patiently for the moment when the next best dance scene is birthed. Though there are a vault size amount of movies with dance scenes that make the average watcher bubble up with excitement inside, these movies in particular make you want to hit the rewind button more than you can count.

Footloose is a 1984 American film that stars Kevin Bacon as a Chicago teen that relocates to a small town where the local government has banned rock music and dancing. The final dance scene is the gem of the movie, displaying break-dancing paired with female dancers mesmerizing viewers with their impressive leg extensions. It’s hard not to get into the scene as the song that shares the same title plays in the background. The fact that the movie revolves around a town that forbade dancing and rock music and the dance scene showed the teens finally doing something that they truly wanted to do, made for a very delectable dance scene.

Grease is a 1978 film that was based off of the musical that shared the same name. The movie is one of the best musicals turned movies ever made. The singing is superb, but the dancing is even better. Though Grease had a collection of noteworthy dance scenes, the one that stood out the most was the dance scene at the high school dance. Something about a bunch of teens breaking out their best dance moves is such a treat for the eyes. The contrast of sweet and innocent dancing (Danny did with Sandy) and dirty dancing (Danny with Cha Cha) added a little more authenticity to the film.

Flashdance is an American film that became a cult classic for three reasons: off-the-shoulder sweatshirts, leg warmers and dancing. In the dance scene that the film is most known for, Sam played by Jennifer Beal auditions for a spot in a very prestigious dance school. Her dance is very uncontemporary, but then again so is her life. What gives the dance scene even more vibrant life – as if that were possible – is the song that Sam dances to which is Irene Cara’s “What a Feeling.” The judges tapping their feet as Sam dances her heart out adds the topping to the cake. The final dance scene in Flashdance was so loved that it became a classic because of the storyline that showed Sam coming from very little attempting to gain everything.

Risky Business is best known as a comedy drama that helped catapult Tom Cruise into fame. The film follows a young teen played by Cruise who gets the house all to himself while his wealthy parents are out of town. Raiding the liquor cabinet and racing his father’s Porsche are just some of the rebellious acts performed while his folks are away. The memorable scene comes when Tom Cruise slips across his parent’s living room floor jamming out to Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock & Roll” wearing nothing but a pink dress shirt, white underwear and tube socks. The scene would later be recreated for a string of Guitar Hero commercials with celebrities dressed in the same get-up as Tom Cruise.

Dirty Dancing is a 1987 romantic film that starred Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. The story follows a teen girl played by Grey who looks to rebel against her father’s strictness by starting a relationship with a dance instructor played by Swayze during a family vacation. The final dance scene has been labeled one of the most exciting dance scenes in movie history and shows Johnny (played by Swayze) dancing with Baby (played by Grey) in a very emotional and captivating fashion. The signature jump Johnny does off of the stage to Baby jumping into Johnny’s arm and him lifting her high above his head, makes for a very illustrious scene.

Stomp the Yard is a movie that revolves around a troubled teen that leaves the inner city to attend Truth College after his younger brother is murdered in a street fight. While in college, he decides to join a fraternity that has a rivalry with a more popular fraternity. The movie stars Columbus Short and Meagan Good along with R&B singers Ne-Yo and Chris Brown. The final scene of the movie is the most impressive scene of the film. The two conflicting fraternities battle each other in a stepping completion. After the two fraternities tie in scores, they enter into a tiebreaker that sees them giving all that they have to walk away with bragging rights and the trophy. The scene is very powerful and a tearjerker, making it the quintessential happily ever after story.

A dance film that provides not only a great storyline but a great dance scene is essential in a film’s success. There are mounds and mounds of films that add dance scenes for more pizzazz; however, a good dance scene is not only good for the present time, it is also good for building great memories for that is how cult classics come to be.