Just inspired by someone raving about "Burn The Floor" on one of the threads: what ballroom films or shows do you like? rate? recommend?

(not that I can afford to go out and spend lots of money, but it'd be interesting to hear anyway!!)

Raving about Burn the Floor? Totally wasn't me, I never do that....

Dirty Dancing
Center Stage
Strictly Ballroom
Take the Lead
Save the Last Dance
Shall We Dance?

All faaaaaaaaaaaaaabulous! I own them all lmao, and watch them all the time!

LOL

I have Strictly Ballroom (which I first watched late at night on TV one time, thinking it'd be rubbish but just kind of got sucked in!) and Dirty Dancing, have seen Save The Last Dance which I also like.

Dirty Dancing is just a classic. One of the best dancing films ever made, if not the best! Love Strictly Ballroom and Flashdance as well, even though they're both brilliantly corny.

As for proper ballroom shows...I was one of the people raving about Burn the floor on another thread, as it is simply fantastic. The original version had such great dancers, was a smash hit all over the world and got a standing ovation after every single performance. The Cutlers are one of the star couples dance the whole way through it and do a couple of great solos. If anyone is thinking of buying it though, make sure you get the 1999 version as it's the best one and the only one you'll see the Cutlers in as they went back to competing after the first tour. If you get it, prepare to see Matthew as you have never seen him before!!!

There are a variety of ballroom and Latin competition videos you can get, but most are expensive. Also World Superstars festival DVDs are great as they feature showdances from all of the top couples. Again, very expensive though.

There you go - cheap at half the price

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Burn-The-Floor...QQcmdZViewItem

Love Shall We Dance,especially the original Japanese version, and Strictly Ballroom-after all it is the mother of all Strictlies-SCD, SBJones etc. Sod-must get ready for work and strictly little children!

Burn the Floor.

That's it. I love it.

A few of my favourites, some from quite a long time ago. None of them (except perhaps the Fred Astaire ones, are anything to do with ballroom, but they all have some fabulous dancing in them. I know they may seem a bit old fashioned, but if you love dance, they are worth having a look:

Fame (some good dance sequences)
Singing in the Rain (everyone knows the Gene Kelly routine with the umbrella but there is also a fab one with Gene, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor leaping about on furniture)
A Chorus Line
An American in Paris (classic dance with Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron)
Carousel (great dance sequence)
Oklahoma
West Side Story (fabulous dancing)
Guys and Dolls
Anything with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
Anything with Ann Miller, Cyd Charisse, Vera Ellen
Anything with Sammy Davis Jnr and his family dancing

Strictly Ballroom is fantastic - a total cheese-out but a must for all dance fans. Burn the Floor is a new one on me and what a shame it's on the other side of the world now! But did anyone else think Take The Lead was a bit of a disappointment?

As it happens Save The Last Dance is on E4 at this very moment

Good thread.


I am watching 'save the last dance', adore it, have seen it a load of times.

Best dance movie ever though imo, is 'west side story.'

Great taste.....love them all. Have most on DVD/video. American in Paris final scene is fabulous. I can watch and watch that


Love the 'dancing through the dark' dance with Cyd Charisse and Fred in 'the Bandwagon' too.

Strictly Ballroom & Dirty Dancing are probably the closest to 'Ballroom films' and I love them both!

You can't get me listing my favourite musicals as the post would be huge huge huge huge HUGE. Have to say though I've never been particularly swayed by Flashdance and think her audition dance is rather rubbish though I guess if you look at when it was produced maybe it's not quite so bad... and I've seen "Save the Last Dance" a couple of times now and it does nothing for me. "Center Stage" however is a marvellous film... one of my pupils lent it to me when it first came out and I swear I watched it every night and made sure I had bought my own copy before giving it back to her.
'Chicago' is just the ultimate dancer's theatre show
When I was first introduced to 'A Chorus Line' I watched it on repeat as I did with 'West Side Story' - even named my little sister after 'Maria'.
Staying Alive - which was the sequel to Saturday Night Fever has fantastic stage dancing in it - much better than SNF!

I did warn you guys about letting me talk about musicals!

The dance in 'Singing in the Rain' with them all jumping about the furniture is 'Good Morning' and it is great!

Easter Parade is one of my classic film favourites - with Fred Astaire, Judy Garland and Ann Miller. Fred tries to teach Judy to dance like his old partner played by Ann Miller (very glamourous style - floaty/feathers) but it doesn't work and then finally they discover comedy routines/theatrical routines are the true showstoppers for them.

The BandWagon is a cool classic film too with Fred Astaire..

Oh and On The Town with Gene Kelly is great!

This post really will last a long time if I continue talking... so I'll stop before I name the other thousand musicals I love too

Top Hat wtih Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers..Cheek to Cheek routine is my favourite.
Chorus Line movie is such an insult to the musical...they treated the biggest song (what I did for love) as a throwaway...can't have that! Now that's a movie I wish they'd remake Definately go see the real thing in the the theatres if they ever stage it again.
Japanese version of shall we dance is my fave too.

"Good mornin', good mornin'"

Love that. Love Gene Kelly (American In Paris is also a fave of mine - also love Fred Astaire! You have good taste

Having finally got my hands on Burn The Floor, decided I would resurrect this thread. Anyone got any dancing/ballroom suggestions to add to the mix?

You forgot the "Barn Raising" scene from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers..... how could you

All Fred Astaire / Ginger Rogers films, I really love them.

Japanese version of Shall we dance.

Strictly Ballroom

Fred and Ginger are my favourites - I absolutely adore them.

I suppose anything that includes dancing to Cole Porter (my favourite), Irvin Berling, Gershwin, or Rogers and Hammerstein/Hart

However also anything with Gene Kelly, Donald O Connor, Anne Miller, Cyd Charisse.

I also loved Strictly Ballroom and Chicago.

Nobody's mentioned Mad Hot Ballroom! It's BRILLIANT!

It's a documentary, but it's SO GOOD. I love it. It's about teams from New York schools (junior high? the kids are about 10-12 ish) competing in a ballroom competition. You see them rehearsing, learning, all new to dancing, and their teachers, and then the final competitions. It's is just wonderful, I love it so much.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0438205/

http://www.paramountvantage.com/madhot/

I agree, it's wonderful. I saw it on Sky and bought the DVD, it's a really good watch.

I also love Centre Stage, to continue with something a little different to the typical musicals. It's a film, not a docu, but it's good.