Happy National Dance Day, America!
Today, as these united states bust a collective move (or give those who do a nod) I thought I'd take a moment to pay homage to the ultimate dynamic duo. There's peanut butter and jelly, Batman and Robin, and the song and dance.
You may not a song to dance, but the two most definitely go together (like rama lama lama ka dinga da dinga dong). You need look no further than Broadway to find an endless choreographed parade of song and dance numbers, each just as dazzling as the next.
And while I would never pick a favorite (don't ask me), there are those where the two are so in sync it's almost impossible to imagine one without the other - they're inextricably linked.
So, this National Dance Day, take a waltz (or tap) down memory lane with (in my humble opinion) some great song and dance combos:
"Singin' in the Rain"You can't have a dance list without Gene Kelly, it's impossible. I honestly could have picked just about any number in this movie, but I love that one of the most recognized dances in American cinema is to a song about singing (and dancing).
"(I've had) The Time of my Life"It may be all about the lift, but you know you can't hear the song without seeing it.
"All That Jazz"This could be applied to any Fosse show, but I defy you to hear those opening notes without seeing the jazz hand...
"Dancing Queen"Okay, if you don't love this Abba joy ride, then this may not spring immediately to mind (and we can't be friends), but if you do, the dock choreography is burned into your brain (in the best way).
"Cats"It is Caturday after all. Putting opinions about the plot and new trailer aside, without dance, "Cats" would be a very strange show indeed. With dance, it's still a show about cats, but with incredible choreography.
I could keep going forever with this list. I haven't even touched on " An American in Paris" or " Summer Stock" (I had to keep my Gene Kelly list to one) or " West Side Story" or " Footloose" or " Center Stage" or " Newsies," but then we'd be here all day. I hope I've helped you celebrate National Dance Day. Now get out there and go into your own song and dance, whatever it may be...
