It’s Monday, and it’s been another week of divisiveness, and anger, and general weirdness…as per usual for the past several centuries.
Well, let’s take a break from Monday doomscrolling, and enjoy some really cool dance performances, old and new, to remind us humans are meant to be joyful sometimes.
We’ll start with some recent urban beats I ran across last night. Here’s an impressive guy who has no idea gravity exists:
Here’s the Ross Sisters, known for this backbone breaking contortionist dance to “Solid Potato Salad” from 1944’s Broadway Rhythm. It starts about one minute after their singing. They aren’t known for their singing, so be patient. It will be worth it. I am betting this gave those boys still fighting overseas another reason to come home.
As far as one of the most celebrated dance performances, the Nicholas Brother made use of the entire stage for this incredible 1935 performance from the film Stormy Weather. Fred Astare called this segment one of the greatest he had ever seen. You gotta also give props to the horn section in this band for being able to play so well with two guys literally kicking all around their heads.
Dance is something people from all over the world have in common, although each region has it’s own angle. For example, here’s some stilt dancing from France. One false step could mean two broken legs.
There’s also the Russian Berezka, where the dancers move with such precise and small steps it looks like they are ghostly figures floating across the floor.
Of course, we have to share Korea’s K-Pop revolution, and appreciate the work they put into even pieces of choreography that last only a few moments. Here is a compilation of some dance practice and video moments showing some impressive choreography these boy bands spend several hours a day trying to perfect:
Finally, actor Timothée Chalamet got some recent hate for his flippant remark on ballet and opera. Sadly, he wasn’t entirely wrong about them not being big money makers anymore. Yet, he actually did some good, as people started paying attention to these art forms and celebrating some great ballet performances.
I mean, without ballet, the great Rudolph Nureyev would never appeared on the Muppet Show:
Sometimes we have to remind ourselves there is always reason to celebrate, enjoy out creative natures, move to the music around us and inside us…and just dance.
Even when you’re supposed to be guarding the Death Star:
Hey Lisa! It’s nice to see you celebrating the world of dance in our crazy world.Sometimes people surprise like that guy in the first video. Good Lord! Those Ross Sisters were flexible. The core strength they had to do those moves. Wow! The Nicolas Brothers did some of most physically demanding dance routines ever. You know you’re good when you impress Fred Astaire. I could never do a dance on stilts. Yikes! The Berezka dance is cool. Those K-Pop guys do have the moves and it’s a lot of practice to get it them just right. I forgot Nureyev was on the Muppet Show. Even Stormtroopers need to have fun. Here is an interesting side story. Gene Kelly,Mr. Singing In The Rain himself, lived at my great grandmother’s house as a border while he ran a dance studio and taught all of my mother’s family dance routines. My great uncle and great aunt did shows with him and he wanted them to go to New York with him to audition for nightclubs and Broadway shows. They turned him down. And the rest is history. He kept in touch with our family through the years. A lovely man. What a fantastic article to brighten my day. Thank you ,Lisa!
Thank you so much for the comment and sharing the story.
I am glad you enjoyed it so much.
Yes, the purpose was to just make us all smile today.
Dance is something we can all celebrate and enjoy.
Both my daughter have danced their whole lives, and I know how harsh auditions can be. Thankfully, they aren’t trying to go pro with it…so much compeition.