Reviews of Dance Movies
Below is a list of dance movies—some good and some not so good. If you’d like to add a review or any comments to the existing reviews, please email me at Jamie@SwingJamie.com
Billy Elliot (2000)
Dance Style: Ballet
Great all-around film—good story, good acting. This isn’t so much a dance film as it is a story about a young boy’s passion for dance. Eleven-year-old Billy is sent by his father to after-school boxing lessons, but Billy secretly uses the money to pay for ballet. As you can imagine, this is his working-class father’s worst nightmare. If you’re specifically looking for a film with a lot of great ballet, this may not feed your appetite, but as a film, it’s loads of fun. (Jamie)
Breaking Through (2015)
Dance Style: Hip Hop, Popping & Locking, etc.
Weak story line and low-budget feel, but plenty of good dancing and likable characters. No professional reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but the audience gave it a 58. (I’m guessing they were mostly 13-year-old girls.
Burlesque (2010)
Dance Style: Jazz, Musical Theater
Starring Cher and Christina Aguilera. I rarely watch a movie where the overall reviews are so low (36% on Rotten Tomatoes), but I noticed that 65% of audiences bucked the reviews and enjoyed it anyway. I was also enticed by the tremendous amount of dancing in the trailer. Bottom line: Amy and I really enjoyed this film. Christina Aguilera has an awesome voice. If you don’t already respect her as a singer, I guarantee you will after this film. In addition, the choreography is fresh and clever, there’s a sweet love story and some great one-liners. Is the movie perfect? No. There were a few scenes where the script could use some tweaking, but overall, this is a film musical lovers will enjoy. (2023 Update: We just watched this film again and I’m more convinced than ever that it’s underrated. It’s a feel-good ride with tons of energy.)
Chance pe Dance (2010)
Dance Styles: Hip Hop, Jazz, Break, Poppin’ & Lockin’
If you’ve never watched a Bollywood film, this would be a good one to cut your teeth on. It’s actually closer to a Hollywood style film than most Hindi language films. One of the odd characteristics about these films is the mixing of genres, which apparently works for Indians, but you may find it annoying at times. For example, this film has a lot of tender and serious moments and then you’ll have a scene with a slapstick character. Unfortunately there are several such scenes early in the film, but if you can get past those to where boy meets and girl and he starts teaching a group of children to dance, the movie is really fun. One other thing that’s oddly entertaining is the way Bollywood films mix Hindi and English. My Indian friends tell me this is typical of the way these two languages are morphing into one. At the time I wrote this review, Chance pe Dance was available through Netflix and Netflix online streaming. Review by Jamie Orr
Camp (2003)
Dance Style: Theater Arts, Jazz and about 60 seconds of Tap
If you go to websites like Rotten Tomatoes, you will see reviews from people who passionately love this film and others who panned it. I think you’ll like it if you ever did school or community theater, felt like a misfit or were a teenage drag queen. Picture High School Musical if Zack were a nympho maniac and had doubts about his sexual orientation. Basically this is a film about a summer camp for high school theater addicts who think Stephen Sondheim is the second coming of Christ. Strangely, the teenage kids are played by decent actors, while the adult acting is embarrassingly poor. Fortunately for us, the adults aren’t on screen much. The movie actually shines during the musical numbers. There is no couple’s dancing in this film. (Reviewed by Jamie)
The Commitments (1991)
No Dancing, but great West Coast Swing music. Generally I only review dance movies, but here’s a deserving exception. In the early 90s, the Commitments Soundtrack was a staple among West Coast Swing dancers. Take Me to the River, In the Midnight Hour, Chain of Fools and the finest cover ever of the Wilson Picket standard, Mustang Sally, were the album’s most popular tracks, but lovers of Soul will find much more to enjoy on this album. The soundtrack sold so well, that a follow-up album, Commitments 2, was issued the next year, with several more great songs, but not as hot as the first. I recommend the original with 14 songs, or you can purchase your favorites separately online. If you decide to buy both albums, a combined 2-Album set was re-issued in 2007 and is available (30 songs) on iTunes for $14.99. It should be noted that in the early 90s, West Coast Swing was generally a faster dance and the best songs on this album are around 120 beats per minute. (Nowadays the sweet spot in West Coast Swing is around 96 to 110 beats per minute.) Nonetheless, the Commitments version of Mustang Sally, featuring Andrew Strong (who was only sixteen at the time), remains the quintessential West Coast Swing song of the past 20 years. As for the Movie itself, it’s one of my all-time favorites. Set against the Urban decay of the Dublin slums, one young man pulls together a mismatched bunch of musicians and singers to create an incredible sound. It’s lighthearted, well-paced and will make you want to get up and dance. (Review by Jamie.)
Cuban Fury (2014)
Dance Style: Salsa
It’s got the same quirky vibe that made Strictly Ballroom a hit in the early 90s. As a 13-year-old competitive dancer, Bruce and his sister are poised to win the Junior Salsa title, but a bunch of bullies convince Bruce that salsa’s for “pussies,” so he quits. Fast forward 25 years and suddenly a love interest inspires the now over-weight and out-of-shape Bruce to try again. The acting is good and the main characters are likable. (Review by Jamie)
Dance Flick (2009)
Dance Style: Hip Hop (kind of)
I sat down to watch this knowing it was going to spoof the dance movie genre, but hoping it would have at least some cool moves. My mistake. I admit I laughed at some of the Jr. High level gags, but don’t expect to see any quality dancing here. Rotten Tomatoes gives this an overall rating of 18 out of a 100. Enough said. (Reviewed by Jamie)
Dance with Me (1998)
Dance Style: Ballroom, Latin (Some great “street-style” salsa)
I just saw this movie for the third time and there was even more dancing than I’d remembered. In particular, during the second half of the movie the entire cast goes to a big Latin/Ballroom competition in Las Vegas. After the competition there is also another club scene with more salsa. The only thing that seems a bit odd is how little the top contenders seem to practice in this film. “Hey let’s meet in Vegas next week and compete for the International title.” Well, heck, it’s a movie. Anyway, this is basically a “street style” vs “ballroom style” movie, and while general audiences may not appreciate the intensity of that conflict, many dancers do. And while the story line may not be Oscar material, I like this film, especially the nightclub/salsa scene where Vanessa Williams gets passed from leader to leader. And even straight men have got to give Chayanne a thumbs up for those pecs. (Reviewed by Jamie)
Dirty Dancing (1987)
Dance Styles: Jazz, Ballroom , Latin
Don’t you feel great every time you see the finale of this film? “No one puts Baby in the corner.” It gets me up and dancing on the coffee table every time. Okay, I’m sure they never really danced this way in the Catskills in the early 60s, but it’s nice to pretend they did. Although this film was made by Vestron for only $6 million, it grossed $214 million in it’s first year. Women returned time and time again to the theater to see Patrick Swazey take his shirt off and hoist Jennifer Grey over his head. (Jamie)
Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004)
Dance Style: Latin
It may lack the big emotional lift that the original gave us, but this is still a fun film with loads of dancing. Set in the weeks leading up to Castro’s rebels chasing the American Imperialists out of Cuba, a teenage American girl discovers true Latin dancing in the arms of a young Cuban male. (Jamie)
Dirty Dancing (2017)
Dance Styles: Jazz, Ballroom , Latin
I watched the three-hour remake of Dirty Dancing on ABC, which means I probably watched about two hours of movie and one hour of commercials. As someone who cut the cable about 12 years ago, this was extremely painful.
I really, really wanted to love this movie. I wanted another generation to fall in love with the energy and romance of dancing in someone’s arms the way audiences did in 1987 when people (okay mostly women), lined up at the box office multiple times to see Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey turn a $6 million film into a blockbuster that has since grossed over $214 million. But alas, I was sadly disappointed.
Amy and I watched the movie together and we agreed, it started with some promise, but got progressively worse. Amid all the sub-plots (and there are many), the most important thread of the movie is supposed to be about Baby learning to dance, which in turn awakens a torrent of passion—for dance and for her teacher, Johnny Castle. But in this version of Dirty Dancing, she never does learn to dance. Rolling Stone Magazine put it succinctly in stating, “…she never improves – but everyone acts like she does.” As a dance instructor who has worked with at least a couple thousand young dancers, this is a complete mystery to me. Young followers with a strong leader can usually dance like seasoned pros in a very short amount of time. So, why does Baby barely dance at all in the two biggest dance scenes? In the finale, the rest of the cast literally dances around her, while she barely moves her feet. In complete seriousness, it looked like actress Abigail Breslin only practiced the big lift, but never learned any basic dance steps. As a result, the dance scenes fall flat and the audience is never lifted to the emotional highs we experienced in the original film.
The film is nonetheless, mildly entertaining and considering how few dance movies are produced each year, you’ll probably want to watch it at some point. So, my recommendation is that you wait until it’s available via streaming so you can watch it ad-free. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 20% approval rating and audiences gave it 10%.
El Cantante (2007)
Style: Salsa
Through the 70s and 80s, Hector Lavoe was the King of Salsa. This film is well acted and full of great music, but the story is sad and populated with highly dysfunctional people. Actually that’s an understatement. These people were messed up from the word go. Near the end of the film, Hector (played by Marc Anthony) says to his wife (played by Jennifer Lopez), “We haven’t been straight more than three hours in twenty years.” If you watch to be entertained, then you’ll be disappointed. Think of this movie more as a documentary about an important figure during the birth of Salsa. There’s even one scene where his manager purportedly invents the name because salsa was a blending of musical styles. There isn’t a lot of dancing and what little there is constantly broken up by the rapid camera changes described by one reviewer as “hyperkinetic style more likely to induce vertigo.” The whole film is shot like that and it gets exhausting at times. One little side note: As a trombone player, I was interested to see how influential that instrument was in salsa. (Reviewed by Jamie)
Flashdance (1983)
Dance style: Jazz
Silly but energetic, this feature-length music video by Adrian Lyne with a Giorgio Moroder score stars Jennifer Beals as a welder who spends her nights wowing blue-collar customers with her fancy erotic dances. Glitz with no mind and lots of fancy visuals, edited with a pounding beat. With Michael Nouri, Lilia Skala, and Sunny Johnson. 2nd highest grossing dance movie. (Review by Jonathan Rosenbaum, The Chicago Reader)
Footloose (1984)
Dance style: Jazz
Just caught this movie again for the first time in twenty years. Kevin Bacon moves from the city to a small Bible thumping town in the Midwest where dancing is banned. Of course, he falls for the minister’s daughter, who has a bit of a wild side. Fun and energetic. Fourth highest grossing dance movie. (Jamie)
Footloose (2011 Remake)
Dance Style: Jazz & Line Dancing
I saw this film in the theater with my sons and we enjoyed it, but I’d stop short of saying we loved it. I wouldn’t recommend it for kids under 12. The film has some difficulty deciding if it wants to be lighthearted and fun or gritty and suggestive. It ends up being a hodgepodge of both. The movie’s best moments are when it employs melodic melodies reminiscent of the original 80s version. I wish there had been more of those moments. With a little tweaking, this could have been a really fun film, but nonetheless, I’m still glad we saw it.
Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985)
Dance Style: Jazz, Gymnastics
Totally lighthearted fluff, but I enjoyed it. Two teenage girls played by young Helen Hunt and Sarah Jessica Parker dream of performing on “Dance TV.” This movie is full of great 80s hair, fashion and attitude. It plays like a spoof, but since it was made it 1985, one has to wonder. The dance focus is on aerials and gymnastic moves. Approach this film with low expectations and you’re sure to have a laugh. (Reviewed by Jamie)
The Greatest Showman (2017)
If this movie slipped below your radar screen you may not even be aware that it’s a musical and has some wonderful choreography. My wife made the observation that all the dance sequences are one speed–super fast. In other words, the kind of contrasting energy that we saw in La La Land (same song-writing team) was missing here. Nonetheless, I found the dance sequences very enjoyable. My favorite involved Zac Efron and an actress named Zendaya doing some amazing moves on ropes. I seem to be alone in my reaction to the singing style in both this film and La La Land, where the singers seem to intentionally hold back rather than project. Even in the big numbers, I feel like the voices only hit an 8 on a scale of 10. I also have to wonder at the fact that this movie pretends to be the story of PT Barnum. It’s so historically inaccurate that it might have been more honest to simply make up a “Barnum Type” character. Overall, the professional reviews were mixed, giving the film a 55% on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences have been far more generous, giving the film an approval of 90%. I do recommend the film and think it entirely appropriate for the whole family. There’s a short scuffle with an angry mob, which turns into a fun bit of choreography and the rest is family friendly.
Holiday Inn (1942)
Dance Style: Ballroom, Tap
This 1942 story, a holiday charmer, was apparently the inspiration for the name of the hotel chain. I discovered it this year, but am told by friends that this is the holiday movie they watch every season. Holiday Inn, set in a picture perfect New England inn (complete with a LOT of snow!), features Fred Astair and Bing Crosby dancing and singing their way into the hearts of two lovely ladies. The story harkens back to gentler times and for that is a respite from more graphic moves of today. It also, however, has an Aunt Jemima character and a scene involving a blackface routine that would never be filmed today. We are treated to Bing Crosby introducing his songs White Christmas and Easter Bonnet. Fred Astaire dazzles—particularly in his “Drunken Dance” and the “Firecracker Dance.” (Reviewed by Sue Deaett)
Love ‘n Dancing (2009)
Dance Style: West Coast Swing
A lot of people had their hopes up that this film would do for West Coast Swing what Swing Kids did for Lindy, but sadly it will not. The story of a deaf professional dancer could have been very engaging, but this story fails to grab the audience on any level. As viewers of this genre, we already know the main character will team up with a cute girl who’s never danced swing in her life and in a few weeks become contenders for the title at the US Open. However, some films successfully sell this transformation, while Love ‘n Dancing does not. Nonetheless, if you’re a Westie, you’ll have fun watching this film as a sort of “Where’s Waldo?” as you pick out your favorite West Coast celebs. (The film is packed full of pros (some of whom you’ve probably taken workshops from.) The real disappointment here is that every one of these dance pros have more exciting routines on YouTube than made it into this movie. West Coast is an amazing dance, but there are very few “Wow,” moments in this film. Here’s an idea: Why doesn’t someone make a movie about real dancers?
(Review by Jamie) Movie Trailer:
http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/love-n-dancing/trailer
Mad Hot Ballroom (2005)
Dance Style: Latin & Ballroom
A bunch of us saw this film together at the Woodstock Theater. We should have another outing like that—dinner and a movie. Anyway, this is an inspirational documentary of a real-life program in New York that takes ballroom dancing into inner-city fifth grade classes and culminates in a city-wide dance contest. I especially love the contrast between the fifth grade girls who are already mapping out their futures while the fifth grade boys are happily immersed in video games. (Review by Jamie)
Make Your Move (2014)
Dance Style: Hip Hop, Modern, Tap
I love the scenes where the two leads dance as a couple. The choreography is beautiful. The plot is a bit contrived and typical of this type of movie: Think West Side Story or Montagues vs. Capulets. A white boy on parole meets a Korean girl who’s about to be deported and their families own two rival nightclubs. The chemistry between the two leads is good. There’s some great drumming integrated into the dances and each dance number is distinctive from the others. (Review by Jamie)
Marigold (2008)
Dance Style: Jazz
If you only plan to see one Bollywood Pic this year, make it Marigold. In truth this is not a true Bollywood film, but rather a BBC Films production. A spoiled “B” film actress from Hollywood travels to India to make a low budget film, only to learn that the financing has fallen through. Lacking the funds to return home, she gets a part in a local film. True to Bollywood style films, the story is light and fluffy, but the music, dancing, sets and costumes are magnificent. As long as you don’t take it too seriously, this is a fun film. (Review by Jamie)
Salsa (1988)
Dance Style: Salsa
I saw this film 20 years ago and recall being disappointed, but I can’t recall the specifics. If you want to review this film, please send it along and I’ll post it. My guess, however, is that you’ll have a tough time finding this at the local video shop, though Netflix may have it. (Review by Jamie)
Saturday Night Fever (1977)
Dance style: Disco/Hustle
In my memory, this was a big box office glitzy film, but on seeing it again recently, I realized it’s not. It’s got a simple, almost low budget feel at times. There’s a lot of “dance posing” and some of the best moves are in the routines done by the couples competing against Travolta. All the same, you can’t help slicking back you’re your hair and strutting around your living room as John saunters down the street in the opening scene. This film deserves our gratitude for bringing a lot of people back to couples dancing. This is the all time highest grossing dance movie to date. (Review by Jamie)
Save the Last Dance (2001)
Dance style: Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop
I was surprised to learn this is the third highest grossing dance movie to date. Some reviewers love it while many called it a glorified after-school special. I happen to like this film and have seen it three time. White middle-class high school ballerina from Vermont loses her mother and ends up living with her estranged father on the south side of Chicago. Her new black boyfriend introduces her to the hip-hop scene and the rest is predictable but satisfying. (Review by Jamie)
Shag: The Movie (1989)
Style: Shag
Apparently the producers of this movie thought they might ride the popularity of Dirty Dancing (which came out two years earlier) by naming this movie “Shag.” I still recall my excitement at the time as I popped the VHS into my machine and anxiously waited for some dancing. Finally, about two thirds of the way into the film I was rewarded by about 30 seconds of mediocre shag. Even if you can still find this film on the shelf, don’t bother. By the way, shag is closely related to West Coast, although it has more memorized footwork patterns that are danced in mirror between the partners. (Review by Jamie)
Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
Dance Style: Jazz, Some partner dancing
Although Debbie Reynolds does some dancing in this film, the standout numbers are done by Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor. Rosie Spahn (a dancer in the Middlebury area) writes, “the best musical numbers are Moses Supposes (Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor – not your usual partnered dance) and Make ‘Em Laugh (Donald O’Connor). Gene Kelly got all of the accolades in this movie but Donald O’Connor held his own and then some.” I agree with Rosie that Donald O’Connor’s “Make ‘Em Laugh” is simply amazing. The plot of the movie involves a Hollywood production company making the transition from silent films to “talkies.” After the first few scenes a very nice chemistry develops between Reynolds and Kelly. (Review by Jamie & Rosie Spahn)
Shall We Dance? (Japanese version: 1996; Hollywood: 2004)
Dance Style: Ballroom
If you’re into couples dancing, then this is a must see. The Hollywood version stars Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez and Susan Sarandon and is a sheer delight. You should also check out the original Japanese version. I’ve seen both several times. This is the story of a disillusioned businessman who puts a little zest in his life when he discovers ballroom dancing. (Review by Jamie)
Staying Alive (1983)
Dance Style: Jazz/Theater Arts
I recently watched this again (Netflix Streaming). I was joking around with my wife and wanted her to see how bad it was, but after a few minutes we both found ourselves saying, “This isn’t so bad.” We ended up watching the whole thing and I have to say, it was okay. Think of it as a walk down memory lane (if you were alive at the time.) The hair, the clothes, Tony’s macho attitude. And best of all, it’s truly a movie about dance with tons of rehearsal shots, performances and a glimpse into the ups and downs of a dance career. We also liked the main female character played by Cynthia Rhodes (the blond who gets pregnant in Dirty Dancing). Rhodes is really sweet, likeable and loyal and of course it takes most of the movie for the Travolta character to wake up to the fact that this girl is the best thing in his life outside of dancing. By the way Sylvester Stallone produced, directed and co-wrote this film and even makes a brief cameo in the early scenes when he bumps into Tony on the street. If at times it seems that Travolta’s character is a little too macho, you may be able to attribute it to Stallone’s directing. I don’t recall this movie getting a lot of attention but somehow this sequel to “Saturday Night Fever” is the 6th all time grossing dance movie. (Review by Jamie)
Step Up (2006)
Dance Styles: Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop
Reviewer Ross Anthony says it well: “While quite formulaic and, at times, plainly hokey, the film is a pleasure to watch. The street dancer and the uptown ballerina mix it up on the dance floor.
Step Up 2 “The Streets” (2008)
Dance Styles: Hip Hop, Poppin’, Lockin’, Salsa, Small amount of ballet
Again formulaic, but still a fun time. The usual story of a teen girl finding herself through dance. Some really great hip hop scenes and one party scene with a few moments of decent salsa. (Review by Jamie)
Step Up 3 (2010)
Dance Styles: Hip Hop, Poppin’, Lockin’
I’ve tried twice to watch this film and both times lost interst a short way in. I just wish they’d keep it real when they make sequals. If the original is successful, the studios seem to think that “bigger and more” will make the sequal even better. Instead the charm and “realness” is gone. (Review by Jamie)
Stomp the Yard (2007)
Dance Style: Stomping
If you’ve never seen this unique style of dance associated with black college fraternities, then you need to check it out. I like the story line as well. There’s some violence near the start of the film that may bother some folks, but if you can get past that, I think you’ll like this film. (Review by Jamie)
StreetDance (2010)
Dance Style: Hip Hop & Hip Hop/Ballet Fusion
A street dance group joins forces with a ballet company to compete for the national British title of best Street Dance Crew. Okay, it won’t win any awards for plot originality, but the characters are likeable and there are loads of good dance scenes. (Review by Jamie)
Strictly Ballroom (1993)
Dance Style: Ballroom
The Aussies have given us one of the all time great dance movies. This is a lighthearted look at the very serious business of ballroom dance competition—the costumes, the rigid rules, the backroom backstabbing. Of course there’s a good love story as well. (Review by Jamie)
Swing Kids (1993)
Style: Lindy Hop
Between this film and the Gap ad featuring Lindy Hop, a whole generation of young people discovered Swing Dancing. The film is well done, though a bit dark for a dance film since it’s set against a backdrop of the rise of the Third Reich. It’s been a while since I’ve seen this film, so I can’t recall what portion of the film included dance. If your memory is better than mine, please send a review. (Review by Jamie)
Take the Lead (2006)
Dance Style: Ballroom, Latin, Small amount of Hip Hop
One of the more recent movies to successfully promote couples dancing as cool and sexy. Antonio Banderas is a dance instructor who brings Ballroom and Latin dancing into an inner-city high school. (Jamie)
The Tango Lesson (1997)
Dance Style: Argentine Tango
RICK GROEN of Globe and Mail probably says it best: “This is essentially a dance film wrapped in a flimsy excuse for a narrative; fortunately, the performance scenes are a sheer delight.” At the risk of being strung up by my tango friends, I have to add that if you aren’t addicted to tango then you may sleep through most of this film as I did. Either you’ll love it or you’ll hate it. (Review by Jamie)
Tap (1989)
Style: Tap
While Max Washington (Gregory Hines) was in solitary confinement in Sing Sing, he turned to his childhood roots of tap dancing to maintain his sanity. Now that Max is out of prison, he’s torn between his love of dance and returning to a life of crime. Guess which one he chooses? The one with the pretty girl, of course. As with many dance movies, the story is only a vehicle that connects us from one dance scene to another. In one great scene, Max is “challenged” by a group of old-time hoofers and each dancer, including Sammy Davis Jr., does a 20-second routine. Another scene is on the streets of New York when about 30 – 40 musicians and dancers take over a construction sight and weave the props and sounds into a really fun routine. This movie is PG-13, so I didn’t let my kids see the whole thing, but since they’ve both been tapping since they were about four, I showed them a few of the dance numbers including one where a boy around 12-years-old (played by a young Savion Glover) does a wonderful piece in the dance studio to demonstrate to another boy that dancing isn’t just for girls. Then, of course, there’s the finale that takes place in a nightclub. Special microphones have been rigged to Gregory Hines’ feet and he even does a decent job on vocals. This movie came out in 1989 and may be hard to find. Our local Hollywood Video didn’t have it, but a friend rented it from Netflix and loaned it to me. (Review by Jamie w/ input from Sue Deatt)
A Time for Dancing (2000)
Dance Style: Jazz
I rarely say it, but even if you’re a dance movie addict, I think you can miss this one. The exception might be if you’re sixteen, female and totally immersed in jazz dance. This film feels like an after-school special with a few swear words thrown in for added spice. This is the story of a teenage girl preparing to audition for Julliard when she discovers she has cancer. The story revolves around her relationship with her best friend who also dances. There are a few moments of impressive dancing—usually group jazz scenes, but a dance movie needs a lot more “wow” moments than this one gives us. And the fact that she’s dying and giving up on the chemo and no longer strong enough to dance in the end-of-year show, but somehow is strong enough to travel alone to New York, go through with the audition and get accepted to Julliard makes no sense at all. You have to wonder sometimes how story lines like this get Hollywood funding. (Review by Jamie)
White Christmas (1954)
Style: Jazz, Tap
Perhaps best know for several classic songs, there’s also a lot of good dancing in this film. This wasn’t the first time the song “White Christmas” (the biggest selling single of all time) appeared in a movie. The first was in the film “Holiday Inn” in 1942. The four leads are played by Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen. As a side note, I was surprised to learn that Clooney was seven years older than Vera-Ellen, who played her younger sister. (Review by Jamie)
White Nights (1985)
Style: Jazz, Tap, Ballet
One of my all time favorite dance movies with Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines. Great chemistry between these two. Definitely check it out. (Jamie)