00:00 *Music*
00:03 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the movie dance scenes that gave us all the feels.
00:10 Some of these scenes reveal major plot points, so here is a spoiler alert.
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00:17 *Music*
00:19 If you like what you're hearing, be sure to check out the full song at the link below.
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00:33 Number 10. Bye Bye Life - All That Jazz
00:36 Near the end of Bob Fosse's semi-autobiographical musical drama,
00:40 the dying choreographer/director Joe Gideon experiences a hallucination.
00:44 *Music*
00:55 He joins musical star Ben Vereen and two dancers to perform his dark, explosive, and surprisingly touching swan song.
01:02 It's as much a send-up of show business as it is a celebration of it.
01:06 *Music*
01:12 As Vereen and the dancers sing and strut across the stage,
01:15 Gideon says a tongue-in-cheek farewell to everyone he knows, even if they can't stand him.
01:20 What starts out as a parody soon becomes surprisingly touching as Gideon says goodbye to his adoring fans,
01:26 colleagues, exes, and the daughter he's leaving behind.
01:30 His talent is the only way he can actually relate to anyone in his life.
01:34 *Music*
01:49 Number 9. You Were Meant For Me - Singing In The Rain
01:52 No one could exude charm and grace like Gene Kelly.
01:56 *Music*
02:03 With his puppy-dog eyes and graceful footwork, he made being a romantic lead look so easy.
02:09 After searching all over town for Debbie Reynolds' character, an actress who's captured his heart,
02:14 he knows he's got to pull out the big guns if he wants to win her over.
02:18 *Music*
02:26 The two finally meet again on a soundstage,
02:28 where he leads her in a dance in front of a beautiful sunset backdrop and an industrial fan.
02:33 It's a beautiful marriage of music, movement, and pure movie magic.
02:38 *Music*
02:46 Number 8. The Lendler - The Sound Of Music
02:49 Maria and Captain Von Trapp have never been on the same page when it comes to his children.
02:54 *Music*
03:01 When they dance the Lendler together, they move as if they share a mind.
03:05 In the all-too-brief scene, the two dance across the terrace in front of the captain's children and the envious baroness.
03:11 *Music*
03:23 Despite the movie's reputation as squeaky clean and family-friendly, there's a lot of subtext to chew on here.
03:29 Watching the dance go from something friendly and innocent to something more intimate is kind of thrilling,
03:34 especially when you see just how troubled Maria is by their obvious connection.
03:39 "I don't remember anymore."
03:40 *Music*
03:43 "Your face is all red, is it?"
03:45 "I don't suppose I'm used to dancing."
03:48 Number 7. Under Pressure - Aftersun
03:52 On the last night of their Turkish holiday together, Sophie and her depressed father share a carefree dance to the song Under Pressure.
03:59 *Music*
04:10 Their dance is a rare moment of joy for the father and becomes the emotional crux of the entire movie.
04:16 Throughout the story, we're shown snippets of the girl as an adult, searching for her father on a crowded dance floor while a strobe light obscures our view.
04:23 *Music*
04:34 We come to realize at this moment that it's really her recalling their last times together.
04:38 All that remains of their relationship exists in video recordings and a few fading memories.
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04:55 Number 6. Nina's Final Performance - Black Swan
04:59 After almost two hours of nail-biting tension and body horror, ballet dancer Nina makes her big debut in Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake.
05:06 *Music*
05:16 Driven to the brink by her insecurities, even the smallest misstep spells disaster for her fragile psyche.
05:22 It doesn't help that she's become totally unable to tell fantasy from reality.
05:26 *Music*
05:32 Director Darren Aronofsky and actress Natalie Portman make us feel every pang of anxiety as the character unravels before our eyes.
05:40 In the devastating finale, as that pulsing score hits its final notes and Nina takes her big leap, it's hard not to feel terrified for her.
05:48 *Music*
05:56 Number 5. I've Had the Time of My Life - Dirty Dancing
06:01 If the upstanding doctor's daughter Baby met the working class dance instructor from the wrong side of the tracks,
06:06 it would have been more surprising if they didn't fall in love.
06:10 *Music*
06:20 Their final dance together to the soon-to-be classic song is a triumph of their trust in each other.
06:25 When Baby jumps into that lift, you gotta have a little lump in your throat.
06:29 It's not just a difficult move to pull off, it's a visual metaphor for Baby asserting her independence in a world that doesn't take her seriously.
06:37 *Music*
06:47 Characters make peace with each other, all wrongs are made right, and the entire cast comes together in a euphoric group dance in a finale of gooey 80's charm.
06:56 *Music*
07:08 Number 4. Pole Dance - Away We Go
07:11 A couple expecting their first child goes on a cross-country road trip to find the perfect home to start their new family.
07:17 Along the way, they reconnect with old friends like Tom and Munch, who have been trying to have biological children for years.
07:23 *Music*
07:32 As Munch performs a dazed and lethargic pole dance at a club, her husband explains how she's miscarried five times,
07:39 offering the hesitant parents a much-needed perspective shift.
07:42 Juxtaposed against Munch's performance, this revelation packs an unexpected emotional wallop.
07:48 *Music*
07:59 Like most of the movie's heartbreaks, it comes virtually out of nowhere and in an unexpected package.
08:05 *Music*
08:14 Number 3. Dance at the Gym - West Side Story
08:17 It's a throwdown on the dance floor as the Jets and Sharks meet at the gym, but in the midst of the high kicks and twirling,
08:23 star-crossed lovers Tony and Maria see each other for the first time.
08:27 All the world and conflict around them fade into a blurred and echoing unreality.
08:32 *Music*
08:40 The dance turns to a gentle ballet as we watch them fall instantly in love.
08:44 *Music*
08:56 Even though we know what's coming, or maybe because we know what's coming,
09:00 it's particularly sad to see them make their first connection. We know it can't last.
09:05 *Music*
09:12 Number 2. Dancing for His Father - Billy Elliot
09:15 The son of a working-class coal miner, 11-year-old Billy Elliot finds an unexpected passion and talent for ballet.
09:22 From his shaky first lessons to dancing across town when his emotions get the better of him,
09:26 Billy has learned that sometimes it's the only way he can truly express himself.
09:31 *Music*
09:41 When his father finds out he's still dancing despite being forbidden,
09:45 Billy knows he can't possibly explain in words, so he launches into a triumphant dance in open defiance of his father.
09:52 *Music*
10:01 He flies, twirls, and pirouettes across the gym, free as a bird.
10:06 It's a desperate, dizzying, and euphoric performance that leaves his stoic father speechless.
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10:20 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:24 Prom dance, Carrie. For the first time, a high school outcast feels accepted by her peers. It doesn't last.
10:31 *Music*
10:39 Dancing in the stars, La La Land. Sebastian and Mia defy gravity at the Griffith Observatory.
10:45 *Music*
10:54 Alex's audition, Flashdance. After a near disastrous stumble, the hopeful dancer nails her big audition.
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11:08 Final dance, Strictly Ballroom. The crowd gives Scott and Fran a beat to dance to when their performance is sabotaged.
11:15 *Applause*
11:25 Dancing at the Harbor, Another Round. A hard-drinking teacher shares a joyous seaside dance with some former students.
11:32 *Music*
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11:56 Number 1. The Ballet of the Red Shoes, The Red Shoes.
12:00 Starring in a ballet based on The Red Shoes, Art begins to imitate life for ballerina Victoria Page.
12:06 *Music*
12:14 The stunning 17-minute ballet sequence works on two levels, mirroring her offstage dilemma while also being the direct cause of that dilemma.
12:22 She is faced with an impossible situation.
12:25 *Music*
12:33 She's being forced to choose between her career and the love of her life. In the end, she chooses neither.
12:39 The audience is left to wonder if the real curse of The Red Shoes came to life or if Victoria simply couldn't live without both of her great loves.
12:47 *Music*
12:58 Do you agree with our picks? Let us know in the comments. And hey, if you're a fan of the song playing right now, be sure to check out the music video for it right here.
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