Original subtitles

Long before the dawn of history...

...long before he could sing or even speak...

...man danced.

Moving to his own internal rhythms...

...the pounding of his heart, the beating of his pulse...

...primitive man discovered dance.

It is within us, always.

On a cold winter's day in New York City...

...these youngsters know how to keep warm.

This is the newest craze.

It's called break dancing.

It was born about 10 years ago...

...here in the streets and playgrounds of the South Bronx.

All right, all right.

All right.

Combining mime and acrobatics...

...break dancing demands discipline, great dexterity and boundless energy.

Like its ancient ancestor, the jitterbug...

...it's a form of dancing that seems destined to remain only for the young...

...or for a few of the young-at-heart who happen to be in perfect shape.

They say dancing is as old as love.

Stepping, swaying, turning...

...bodies moving in rhythm, alone and with others...

...that's dancing.

It's the primal art.

The most physical, the most personal of them all.

Instead of using our hands to daub paint on a canvas...

...or to chisel a shape from a block of stone...

...dancing requires the use of the entire body...

...moving through the space around us.

Dancing is also the most impermanent...

...the most fleeting of the arts.

For the spectator...

...it is often a bewildering succession of steps and turns...

...that are difficult, if not impossible, to remember.

Since the dawn of pre-history...

...countless artists have sought to capture the excitement, the fluidity...

...the beauty of dance...

...on the sides of caves and on temple walls...

...in figures made of clay or mud or marble.

But no sketch, no sculpture...

...would ever convey the most essential element of dance: movement.

Without movement, dance was lifeless.

Centuries passed, civilizations came and went...

...and still the art of dancing...

...could only be handed down from one generation to the next...

...by the teacher, the dancing master.

Then, in the late 1800s, a new-fangled contraption...

...a novelty designed to amuse the public...

...gave movement, gave life to the elusive art of dancing:

The motion-picture camera.

The first dancers to appear on film were attractive young ladies...

...who generally demonstrated more energy than training.

But a glimpse of a shapely leg...

...seemed to more than make up for the lack of polished choreography.

The amateurs soon gave way to professionals...

...who came from vaudeville, burlesque and stage musicals.

These artists may not represent the best of the period...

...but their films are all that remain...

...of a time in which hundreds of anonymous dancers gave their all...

...to appear in the flickers.

When the movie camera finally moved outside the studios...

...it seemed all America was dancing.

Ragtime was an infectious rhythm that helped create a new era in music.

And by the 1920s, the Charleston was king.

It seemed you either Charlestoned or you didn't dance at all.

It did not take Hollywood long to capitalize on the public's fascination...

...for whatever new craze came along.

In 71926...

...director Ernst Lubitsch designed a mammoth masked ball...

...for his film So This Is Paris.

What is so remarkable about this scene...

...is not the thousands of dancers that Lubitsch used...

...but rather, that this was a silent film.

Among film historians, the early sound musicals...

...are known affectionately as the Stone Age of movie dancing.

Chorus girls seemed to spend more time at the dinner table...

...than in the rehearsal hall.

And the choreography was usually second-rate.

Hundreds of musical films were produced in the first few years of the sound era.

Most weren't very good.

And before long, audiences had had enough of them.

To save the movie musical...

...something drastic, something daring had to be done.

One man seemed to have all the answers.

He was a successful Broadway dance director...

...who came to Hollywood and immediately laid down his own rules.

"My girls must be beautiful and shapely," he insisted.

"And I want close-ups.

Lots of close-ups of those lovely faces."

His name was Busby Berkeley, and his arrival...

...meant the movie musical would never look the same again.

Berkeley began to take the camera places it had never been...

...to see through its lens wonders only he could conceive.

His overhead shots became his trademark.

Rather than choreograph his dancers, Berkeley maneuvered them...

...placing them in geometric patterns...

...that unfolded as if seen through the world's largest kaleidoscope.

In spite of his welcome innovations and routines like this one from Flying High...

...Busby Berkeley's efforts seemed too little, too late.

Like most other musicals, Flying High never got off the ground.

Berkeley was about to head back to Broadway...

...when he was summoned to Warner Bros...

...to work on a film intended to be a last ditch effort...

...to create a musical that would be popular with moviegoers.

The film was 42nd Street.

Among the cast was a fresh young singer and dancer from New York...

...making her feature debut: Ruby Keeler.

Ruby would immediately become...

...the first great dancing star of the 7930s.

42nd Street was a box-office sensation...

...that led the way for a successful series of backstage musicals...

...many of them starring Ruby Keeler...

...and another Warner discovery, crooner Dick Powell.

Much of the credit for 42nd Street's success goes to Busby Berkeley.

His vision of a dance number...

...transcended the confinements of a conventional theatrical setting.

The huge sound stages at Warner Bros...

...had become his playground.

And he filled them with as many dancers as his bosses would allow.

There seemed to be no bottom to Busby Berkeley's bag of tricks.

In the Gold Diggers of 1933...

...Berkeley again had at his disposal...

...an appealing score by Al Dubin and Harry Warren.

For this number, "The Shadow Waltz"...

...Berkeley surrounded Ruby Keeler with 60 dancers...

...each equipped with wires to illuminate 60 white violins...

...outlined in neon tubing.

Within a year's time, the name Busby Berkeley...

...had begun to mean as much on a movie marquee...

...as the stars of the picture.

This promotional trailer was released in 1934...

...to help ballyhoo Berkeley's efforts in his newest film, Dames.

The tour guide is actor Lyle Talbot.

Well, here we are. This is the Warner Studio.

Gee, I've never been so thrilled in all my life.

- Will I meet Dick Powell? - Sure, he's working in Dames.

That's a new musical picture with Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, ZaSu Pitts.

Whole lot of stars. You'll meet them.

- When do we start? - Right now.

What's that up there?

Oh, that's Busby Berkeley on his flying trapeze.

He uses that to get all those overhead shots he's famous for.

This picture has some grand songs in it. "Eyes For You" is marvelous.

- Lyle, how are you? - Hello, Buzz.

- This is Miss Howson. It's her birthday. - Glad to know you.

- Another candidate for the chorus? - No, just a visitor.

I've often wondered where you get all those beautiful girls.

You do, huh? They come from all over, you see.

They might come from California, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Texas.

It doesn't matter. There are beautiful girls everywhere.

What have you got up your sleeve for Dames?

You'll top the numbers in Wonder Bar and Footlight Parade?

I don't like to make any promises, Lyle.

This picture's gonna top anything we've ever done.

We have a very huge set over there.

And practically everything moves, this being moving pictures.

The stage begins to move, the girls begin to go up....

If everyone adores just one Ruby Keeler, reasoned Berkeley...

...why not give them an army of Ruby Keelers?

Berkeley's logic was solid, and "l Only Have Eyes For You"...

...Stands as one of the most surrealistically beautiful numbers...

...ever conceived for the screen.

The finale of Dames provided a feast for Berkeley fanatics.

The vocal is by Dick Powell.

In Gold Diggers of 1935...

...Berkeley conceived his ultimate triumph of this era.

The "Lullaby of Broadway" was his personal favorite.

A film within a film...

...that features the most memorable tap-dance sequence ever devised.

It is an incredible piece of film fantasy...

...a monument to the cinematic genius of Busby Berkeley.

Busby Berkeley had certainly broken new ground for the '30s musicals...

...but the future belonged to individual dancers...

...like this young gentleman, Master Sammy Davis Jr.

You know, I'm really glad that we could show you that film.

And I'd like to tell you something.

I can still wear that same suit today.

But to be serious for a moment, you know, I learned to tap dance...

...by standing in the wings and watching other acts.

Of course, I learned from my dad and my Uncle Will.

And they learned from other dancers.

You see, dancing is sort of a hand-me-down art form.

You learn it from someone else.

For instance, these kids are being taught the basics.

It's hard to amount to much unless you've learned the basics.

For example, a ballet dancer has to know the difference...

...between a plié and a jeté.

And if you're gonna be a tap dancer...

...you'd better learn a time step or you gonna be in a lot of trouble.

But after you learn the basics, what then?

Man, that's where...

...style comes in.

Style, elegance, charm and class personified.

Yes, that's Fred Astaire.

You know, Busby Berkeley may have freed the camera...

...to roam among his girls...

...but it was Fred Astaire who taught it how to best capture dance on film.

He insisted that his routines be photographed...

...with as little editing or changes in camera angles as possible.

And that the dancer be shown always in full figure, from head to toe.

In doing so, Fred almost single-handedly...

...revamped and restyled the movie musical.

This is one of Fred's earliest solos from his RKO film Roberta.

Bravo, bravo.

When RKO Studios teamed Broadway star Fred Astaire...

...with an up-and-coming young screen actress named Ginger Rogers...

...motion picture history was made.

There would be no on-screen smooching for Astaire and Rogers.

In their films, like The Gay Divorcee...

...Ginger would resist Fred...

...until the moment he holds her in his arms and dances with her.

And then, well, audiences of the day were captivated...

...by this new and graceful expression of romantic love.

Now, how did you say that last step went?

Oh, yes.

Among the great stylists of the '30s...

...Astaire and Rogers contributed more dancing...

...of unsurpassed originality and execution...

...than any other artist.

Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers.

Nobody does it better.

The only dance team to challenge the popularity of Astaire and Rogers...

...was this unlikely duo:

A 6-year-old youngster by the name of Shirley Temple...

...and a 56-year-old Broadway headliner known as Bill "Bojangles" Robinson.

Each had their own unique and successful careers...

...but when they appeared together on the screen...

...they were a wonder to behold.

Hey.

Hey.

- Hey. - Hey.

- Hey. - Hey.

Hey.

Bill "Bojangles" Robinson.

An idol, an inspiration to several generations of dancers.

His control and balance were legendary.

Each tap clear and clean.

His lightness and grace brought an end to the era of flatfooted hoofing.

Come on, you rascal.

Hit it.

In her first film for MGM, Broadway Melody of 1936...

...the studio gave Eleanor Powell the classy treatment.

A starring role, elaborate production numbers...

...and as her leading man, the dashing Robert Taylor.

Among all the dancing ladies of the 7930s...

...Eleanor Powell was, to put it bluntly, the very best.

Eleanor Powell was a strong and powerful dancer...

...but she always retained her femininity.

Her fresh look, shapely figure were never more evident...

...than in the film Honolulu.

The Nicholas Brothers.

During the '30s and the "40s...

...they became the most successful specialty team in movie history.

Fayard and Harold Nicholas raised the flash act to new heights of elegance.

And this number from Down Argentine Way...

...is a classic demonstration of their extraordinary abilities.

If you ever thought of trying to compare Ray Bolger's style...

...to any other dancer's, forget it.

He was in a class by himself.

A Broadway superstar...

...actor, singer, dancer and superb comedian...

...Ray Bolger could do it all.

The Wizard of Oz.

The movie that made Judy Garland a star...

...and provided Ray Bolger with his most famous role.

If you're among the over 1 billion people...

...who have seen this classic film, then here's a treat.

Cut from the film just before it opened...

...and recently discovered in MGM's vaults...

...is this remarkable Ray Bolger dance number.

Enjoy.

- Won't you take me with you? - Why, of course I will.

We're off to see a wizard.

Well, you're not starting off very well.

Oh, I'll try. Really, I will.

- To Oz? - To Oz.

Today, no one can quite remember why that charming dance routine...

...was dropped from the film.

But wasn't it nice to spend a few more moments...

...along the yellow brick road with Judy and Ray?

In the world of dance, when a performer appears alone...

...he must dominate the stage.

And he must do it completely...

...with technique, personality, and panache...

...like Baryshnikov.

Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas.

Born 1834, died 1917.

This is Degas' self-portrait.

It hangs here, at New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.

More than any other of the great artists of the Impressionist era...

...Degas was fascinated by the powerful and exciting world of ballet.

The flowing movements of ballerinas on-stage...

...the candid poses of young dancers waiting in the wings...

...in the rehearsal halls, and in dance classes.

All this Degas captured on canvas after canvas.

Degas was enchanted by what he called "the fairy-like illusion of the ballet"...

...and, he wrote, "the hard work behind it, which the public doesn't suspect."

Today, a century later, the public is much more aware...

...of the discipline that classical dancing requires...

...mainly because they see so much of it in films and on television.

It was not always that way.

At the turn of the century, most ballet often looked like this.

Moviemakers sought to combine culture and cuteness...

...by presenting little girl dancers barely able to stay on their toes.

Classical ballet still belonged to royalty and members of the wealthy upper class.

No self-respecting ballet dancer would dare to step before the camera.

The jerky motion of the film would make a mockery of their graceful movements.

The first major artist to appear in films was an American dancer...

...who had taken Paris by storm:

Loie Fuller, "La Belle Americaine."

Loie experimented with the new miracle of electric light...

...shining different colors on her long, swirling skirts.

Audiences were fascinated with the startling effects.

So were hundreds of imitators.

In 1897, Thomas Edison filmed one of them, Annabelle.

Then, to demonstrate the changing colors...

...he had each frame of the black-and-white film...

...tinted by hand.

Loie Fuller had begun a revolution in dance.

But it was another American, Isadora Duncan...

...who would become the creator and driving force of a new dancing style.

Rejecting the rigid traditions of classical ballet...

...Duncan became world famous...

...as an advocate of freeform, or interpretive, dancing.

This footage, taken during a long-ago outdoor recital...

...is believed by some to be the only time...

...Isadora's dancing was ever captured on film.

Victorian audiences found her lyrical dancing style enchanting.

Also, Isadora often danced barefoot...

...adding a touch of scandal to her growing popularity.

A woman of tremendous passion and personality...

...Isadora ignited a new spirit in dance...

...that spread across Europe and to America.

In the world of classical ballet...

...another kind of revolution was taking place.

Anna Pavlova, the greatest of the prima ballerinas...

...was in the forefront of a movement...

...that would breathe new life into an old tradition.

A Hollywood epic, The Dumb Girl of Portici...

...provides a rare glimpse of the artistry of Anna Pavlova.

In portraying the deaf and dumb heroine...

...Pavlova gave us a rare opportunity to see her on the screen...

...at the time when she was at the peak of her popularity.

It was not her technical skills that made her so famous...

...but rather the glowing enthusiasm and romantic spirit that she projected.

Even with the coming of sound films...

...ballet hardly ever appeared on-screen.

Early musicals would sometimes include corps de ballet...

...but mainly to provide spectacle or brief musical interludes.

Classical dancers were never featured in leading roles.

It seemed filmmakers were not interested in ballet.

And ballet was definitely not interested in film.

Then, in 1939, a 21-year-old dancer made her debut in motion pictures.

Her name was Vera Zorina.

With a lovely face and figure, she not only was an excellent dancer...

...she was also an appealing actress.

Although Zorina's film career was brief, it was impressive...

...because of the memorable dance sequences...

...choreographed by her husband, the brilliant George Balanchine.

This pas de deux, with Charles Laskey as her partner...

...is from the film On Your Toes.

The Red Shoes, the most popular ballet film ever made.

It starred the luminous Moira Shearer with Robert Helpmann...

...and as the sinister shoemaker, Léonide Massine.

Based on a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen...

...it is the story of the ballerina who, once she puts on the magical red shoes...

...is doomed to dance forever.

Filmed in 1948, The Red Shoes has become a cult classic...

...inspiring countless young girls to attend ballet class...

...in the hopes that they, too, would master the artistry of dance...

...S0 beautifully depicted by Moira Shearer.

Following The Red Shoes...

...ballet stars began to make more and more appearances in films.

This is the incomparable Tamara Toumanova.

From the New York City Ballet came Jacques D'Amboise...

...a protégé of George Balanchine.

This is his memorable solo from the film Carousel.

In 1962, a spectacular dancer left the Kirov Ballet...

...to establish his own career in the West.

He was immediately hailed as one of ballet's brightest new stars:

Rudolf Nureyev.

Nureyev made a series of historic appearances...

...with one of the great ballerinas of our time...

...Dame Margot Fonteyn.

Classical ballet, modern dance...

...theatrical dancing.

Today, we see these styles of dance overlapping...

...borrowing steps and movements from each other.

This, I believe, is wonderful.

We all learn from each other...

...bringing more joy and satisfaction to the audience.

And what an audience it is, the largest the world has ever known.

They say we are entering in a new age in the history of dance.

But then, that is what makes dancing so exciting.

It is constantly changing.

Once upon a time in Hollywood, at MGM Studios to be exact...

...there was an era in the history of dance...

...that we will never see again.

Those of us who dance today...

...look back on that period with great affection and admiration.

To explain this era is one of its finest dancing talents...

...Mr. Ray Bolger.

When I completed filming The Wizard of Oz in 1939...

...I packed up my Scarecrow outfit and answered the call of Broadway.

I was lucky enough to bounce from one hit show to another.

So I became only an occasional visitor to Hollywood.

I dropped in on MGM during the mid "40s...

...to costar with the then grown-up Judy Garland in The Harvey Girls.

What a joy that experience was.

But the changes I saw on my return here were astonishing.

MGM had assembled more creative musical artists...

...at this studio than anywhere else at any other time.

The top musical directors, producers, writers, composers...

...choreographers, conductors, arrangers, designers...

...the list was endless.

You could dive into that pool of talent and never hit bottom.

Which is probably why most film historians...

...refer to the '40s and '50s at MGM...

...as the golden years of the movie musical.

When it came to dancing...

...the studio seemed to have the market cornered.

On its roster during this era were such versatile performers...

...as Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland.

George Murphy.

Eleanor Powell.

Gloria DeHaven.

Van Johnson and Lucille Bremer.

Lana Turner and Ricardo Montalban.

Ann Miller and Tommy Rall.

Cyd Charisse and James Mitchell.

Vera-Ellen.

Eighteen-year-old Leslie Caron.

A whirling, twirling, acrobatic dancer named Russ Tamblyn.

Jane Powell and Bobby Van.

Lucille Ball.

June Allyson and Ray McDonald.

Marge and Gower Champion...

...the movies' last great dance team.

And somewhere behind all that confetti...

...are Debbie Reynolds and Bob Fosse.

During the '40s and "50s...

...I think MGM was determined to make their competitors insanely jealous.

The studio had the number one dancer and the number one dancer.

Two gentlemen whose styles were considerably different...

...but whose contributions to the screen have never been surpassed.

When Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly sat in this theater...

...and watched their efforts up there on that screen...

...I don't think they ever were entirely pleased.

Perfectionists seldom are.

Kelly and Astaire were and are a tough act to follow.

But when they're up there on that big screen...

...they're a great act to watch.

And I always come prepared.

Fred Astaire reached the zenith of his screen dancing...

...in a series of memorable MGM films made in the 1940s and '50s.

Royal Wedding boasted one of those splashy production numbers...

...that movie audiences had come to expect in an Astaire musical.

Choreographed by Nick Castle and directed by Stanley Donen...

...it was the kind of dance extravaganza that Technicolor seemed invented for.

Best of all, it offered a great opportunity...

...for Fred's young costar, Jane Powell...

...to display her remarkable versatility.

Singin' in the Rain, everyone's favorite musical.

It's certainly mine.

The multi-talented Gene Kelly will always be remembered...

...for his contribution to this classic film.

It was choreographed and directed by Kelly and Stanley Donen.

And this number with Gene and Donald O'Connor...

...is one of the very best tap-dance routines ever put on film.

Three Little Words delighted audiences and critics alike.

Directed by Richard Thorpe and choreographed by Hermes Pan...

...it starred Fred Astaire, Red Skelton and the lovely Vera-Ellen.

This number, "Thinking of You," is a prime example of the Astaire style.

A beautiful song, a simple setting, and two graceful dancers.

Invitation to the Dance...

...was a result of Gene Kelly's personal vision and persistence.

In this never-before-shown footage...

...Gene and Carol Haney dance against a blue background...

...which will later be replaced by animation.

Carol's presence is to help guide the MGM animators...

...in creating a cartoon dancing partner for Gene.

Nearly two years in production...

...Invitation to the Dance is the most ambitious all-dance film ever attempted.

It will always stand as an extraordinary piece of filmmaking...

...by a master craftsman, determined to share with his audience...

...the artistry, the exhilaration, the sheer joy of dancing.

The Band Wagon seemed to be everyone's other favorite musical.

Choreographed by Michael Kidd and directed by Vincente Minnelli...

...it certainly provided Fred Astaire with a great part...

...and in what many consider his finest film.

Assisted by dancer Leroy Daniels...

...Fred demonstrates in this number what had become an Astaire hallmark:

Inventiveness.

Jackpot.

One of the best of the early CinemaScope musicals...

...choreographed and directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen...

...It's Always Fair Weather used every inch of the wide screen...

...filling it with some of the finest dancing talents in all of Hollywood:

Gene Kelly, Michael Kidd and Dan Dailey.

Hey!

For Astaire, for Kelly, and for so many other dancers...

...the sidewalks of New York have always held a special lure.

Here's someone who can help explain.

A gifted young lady I've known since she was a little girl.

She comes from awfully good stock, you know.

She's an actress, singer, and, oh, yes, a dancer:

Miss Liza Minnelli.

Broadway. Well, as the song says...

...if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.

You know something? When I was a kid...

...my greatest dream was to be in a Broadway show.

Acting? No. Singing?

I just wanted to be a professional dancer.

A gypsy in the chorus of a Broadway musical...

...right here in New York.

And by the time I was 17...

...miraculously, my dream had come true. I was on Broadway.

Now, for most dancers...

...this is the ideal place to begin your career.

For over a hundred years, every conceivable kind of dancer...

...has stepped into the spotlight along the Great White Way.

So it's no wonder that the Broadway musical...

...has been such an important source for the Hollywood musical.

The successful, showstopping dance routines that originated here...

...were eventually expanded, reshaped and transposed to the big screen...

...to dazzle and delight millions of moviegoers around the world.

And now, here are some of the finest of those classic numbers.

The very best of Broadway.

In 1942, moviegoers witnessed one of the most astounding performances...

...in motion-picture history.

The film was Yankee Doodle Dandy...

...the story of the life and times of George M. Cohan.

In portraying this show-business legend...

...James Cagney created a legend of his own.

The film was directed by Michael Curtiz...

...and the musical numbers were staged by Seymour Felix and LeRoy Prinz.

But working with Johnny Boyle, an old-time hoofer and friend...

...it was Jimmy Cagney who created his own inimitable choreography.

In this number, Cagney, as a jockey accused of fixing a race...

...awaits a signal from the ship that he has been cleared of all charges.

Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate...

...provided an unusual number of dance routines...

...and they were all showstoppers.

The film version was directed by George Sidney...

...with choreography by Hermes Pan.

This formidable quartet includes Bob Fosse, Bobby Van, Tommy Rall...

...and the object of their affection...

...the lady known as "Tops in Taps," Miss Ann Miller.

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's Oklahomal...

...was a Broadway milestone.

The film, directed by Fred Zinnemann, is a timeless example...

...of Agnes DeMille's extraordinary choreography.

By integrating the dancing with the plot of Oklahomal...

...by using the dance to develop characters and to advance the story...

...Agnes DeMille made musical-comedy history.

The dancers are James Mitchell...

...and Bambi Linn.

Sweet Charity was a dancer's dream come true.

The songs by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields...

...provided a perfect springboard for the inspired direction and choreography...

...by the brilliant Bob Fosse.

And the stars? Well, three of the best dancing ladies in the business.

Paula Kelly, Shirley MacLaine and Chita Rivera.

Live it!

Cole Porter's Silk Stockings was directed by Rouben Mamoulian...

...with Eugene Loring handling the imaginative choreography.

This number, "The Red Blues"...

...is a dazzling example of the many splendid talents...

...of one of the greatest dancers to ever appear in films...

...Cyd Charisse.

Hey!

Easy, Action.

West Side Story, codirected by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins...

...and choreographed by Robbins...

...fused dramatic action, music, song, dialogue, and especially dance...

...in a theatrical unity that still stands the test of time.

The score by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim...

...was, and remains, electrifying.

But it's the dancing...

...perhaps the finest ensemble work ever achieved on film...

...that is at the core of West Side Story.

A lasting tribute to the talents of Jerome Robbins.

- Cool. - Go.

- Crazy. - Cool.

- Go. - Crazy.

Go.

Yeah!

Okay.

Let's go.

Dancing on film is nearing its 100th anniversary...

...and the innovations through the years have been remarkable.

Now, it's no secret that dance follows music...

...and as music changes, dance changes with it.

The music of the '80s has had a profound influence on movie dancing...

...and the changes we've seen...

...continue to hold an exciting promise for the future.

In 1977, the disco phenomenon had long been with us.

And disco dancing was never more graphically presented...

...than in Saturday Night Fever.

The music of the Bee Gees highlighted...

...the most talked-about element in the movie...

...the spectacular dancing of John Travolta.

Go! Go!

Make them lights go, Tony.

All right.

All right.

- Go get them. - All right.

- Come on, Tony. - All right.

Yeah.

Fame, a film that took nearly everyone by surprise.

The Oscar-winning title song was performed by Irene Cara...

...and the exuberant and spontaneous dance routines...

...captured the spirit of the times.

Let it all hang out.

Jennifer Beals was the beautiful star of Flashdance.

The story of a working girl and bar dancer...

...who dreams of becoming a ballerina...

...the movie was a startling success.

Again, Irene Cara provided an Oscar-winning song.

But the dancing honors belong to the talented stand-in dancer...

...Marine Jahan.

In 1983, film dancing entered a new era.

Music videos began to play on television and in motion-picture theaters...

...offering audiences a stylized...

...and exhilarating form of dancing on the screen.

The most innovative...

...and certainly the most successful exponent of this new medium...

...is a young and gifted composer, singer, dancer and choreographer...

...who obviously will be leading the way for some time to come:

Michael Jackson.

And that's dancing.

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