00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo and today we're counting down our picks for the most impressive or
00:08enduring dance numbers from musicals that debuted during the 1970s.
00:20Number 10.
00:21Hot Feet, Eubie.
00:31This musical review, celebrating jazz and ragtime composer Eubie Blake, features a few
00:36numbers that make the most out of some fancy footwork.
00:39Tap legend Gregory Hines and his brother Maurice absolutely dazzled audiences with performances
00:44of the tune Hot Feet.
00:56The song is the penultimate number for Eubie, and programming from the era showcases just
01:00how impressive the dancing was for this often forgotten 70s musical.
01:05The Hines brothers' performances from the 1979 Tony Awards, for example, seem smooth
01:10and effortless.
01:11The pair glides across the stage with true beauty and grace, proving that their esteemed
01:16reputation is definitely well earned.
01:26Number 9.
01:27Superstar, Jesus Christ Superstar.
01:37The original production of Jesus Christ Superstar was an important part of the 70s cultural
01:42zeitgeist.
01:43Classic songs like I Don't Know How to Love Him, Heaven on Their Minds, and particularly
01:47Superstar, are still thrilling to watch in revival after revival.
01:58The latter song in particular makes the most out of Judas Iscariot, Angels, and the Soul
02:12Sisters to create an atmosphere that feels more cut from a righteous rock concert than
02:16a biblical reading.
02:18This is by design, of course, since Superstar also juxtaposes this energy and electricity
02:23with the climactic crucifixion of Christ.
02:25The numbers, choreography may vary, but the rock concert feel remains the same.
02:42Number 8.
02:43Born to Hand Jive, Grease Believe it or not, Born to Hand Jive actually
03:00wasn't a part of the original Chicago production of Grease.
03:03The iconic number would be added for the subsequent Broadway presentation, however, going on to
03:07become one closely associated with Grease's meteoric success.
03:11The choreography here has a lot of moving parts, requiring coordination from the cast
03:16together with precision timing.
03:26It's difficult today to separate Born to Hand Jive from the 1978 film adaptation, but this
03:31dance routine is honestly a great time no matter which production or revival sets it
03:36up.
03:48Number 7.
03:49Everybody Rejoice, A Brand New Day, The Wiz.
04:04In the 1970s, soul and funk gained a lot of prominence on radio and on the pop charts.
04:10This didn't go unnoticed by the creators of the 1974 The Wiz, which updated the classic
04:15story of Dorothy and Oz for a new generation.
04:18This super soul musical is perhaps best known for its film adaptation starring Michael Jackson
04:22and Diana Ross, but songs like Everybody Rejoice, A Brand New Day stand out in every production.
04:36This number occurs after Dorothy has vanquished Eveline and freed the Winkies from her spell.
04:41The jubilant dancing that follows is a group effort that's impossible to resist, an expression
04:46of relief and freedom from oppression.
04:48Every choreographer seems inspired by this number to do exceptional work.
05:04Number 6.
05:05Magic To Do, Pippin.
05:17The magical Ben Vereen is a certified Broadway icon, having won and been nominated for Tony
05:23Awards for his work on both the original Jesus Christ Superstar as well as 1972's Pippin.
05:29Magic To Do opens up the show, as the cast begins the first of numerous breaks of the
05:33fourth wall.
05:46Magic To Do peels back the layers slowly, with voices joining what will be an expansive
05:50musical number incorporating nothing short of a Broadway circus.
05:54The dancing is all glorious, as are the wondrous costumes and makeup.
05:59It all does a great job at wowing the audience, getting them ready for the fantastic show
06:03that awaits them.
06:14Number 5.
06:15The Time Warp, The Rocky Horror Show.
06:27It may be the 1975 film adaptation of The Rocky Horror Show that made The Time Warp
06:31an audience participation sensation, but a good song's a good song, right?
06:36Richard O'Brien's ode to B-movies, rock and roll, and sexual freedom continues to live
06:40on with revival after revival.
06:43With generations of performers taking their turn at The Time Warp,
06:56you all know the moves.
06:58It's just a jump to the left, and then a step to the right.
07:01Simple, but oh so effective.
07:04Easily replicable too, but dance routines don't necessarily need to be super complicated
07:08to be a classic, and The Time Warp is most definitely that.
07:24Number 4.
07:26Take Off With Us and Take Off With Us Erotica, All That Jazz.
07:39There is an innate coolness to these dance numbers that's frankly impossible to resist.
07:43We admit that we're cheating a bit with regards to both Take Off With Us and Take Off With
07:47Us Erotica, since they're taken from the musical film All That Jazz.
08:03Yet when the subject of said film is Bob Friggin' Fosse, can you honestly blame us?
08:07The slow and sensual movements of the latter seem designed with the deliberate intention
08:12to titillate, and they definitely succeed in that department.
08:15It's the sort of randiness that was part and parcel of Fosse's complicated life and
08:19behavior.
08:20The end results speak for themselves, however, and remain one in a million.
08:29Number 3.
08:30Nowadays, Hot Honey Rag, Chicago.
08:46Speaking of Bob Fosse, no list such as this would be complete without a number of tunes
08:51from the man's magnum opus, Chicago.
08:53Cell Block Tango certainly requires singling out for greatness and storytelling.
08:58It's the iconic Hot Honey Rag that takes the proverbial cake, however.
09:01A classic slice of magic featuring the characters of Velma and Roxy.
09:15The duo's magical chemistry on stage serves as the penultimate musical number for Chicago,
09:20before a reprise of All That Jazz closes things out.
09:23It's a bright and glittering bit of glam that never gets old.
09:27No matter how many times we watch.
09:44Number 2.
09:45Glory, Pippin.
09:59The combined power of Ben Vereen and Bob Fosse compels us to once again reference the mighty
10:04Pippin in our list, specifically with regards to Glory.
10:07This dance number is one that highlights Vereen's solo skills as a dancer, while also incorporating
10:12Bob Fosse's Manson Trio setup.
10:15The combination of beautiful dancing juxtaposed against the bloodshed going on behind Vereen
10:19is powerful.
10:23Meanwhile, the Manson Trio bit is super surreal, as still more gory violence occurs throughout
10:32the scene.
10:33It's quirky and honestly unlike much else going on in musicals at the time, and definitely
10:38bears some discovery, if you've never seen it.
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11:10Number 1.
11:12One Reprise Finale – A Chorus Line
11:29Sometimes the easiest answers are also the correct ones.
11:31Number 1, taken from 1975's A Chorus Line, seemed as if it was destined to take our number
11:371 spot.
11:38Possessing both emotional pathos and elegant beauty, 1 takes place during a point in the
11:42show where a lot of realizations take place with regard to careers, lives, and romances.
11:54The symbiosis of the chorus line takes over as the group's movements become one, synchronizing
12:00in glorious harmony.
12:01The audience, however, knows better, and can individualize the dancers' stories, hanging
12:06on through every kick, stretch, and smile to the very end.
12:22Which dance routine from the 70's do you feel is the most underrated?
12:26Let us know in the comments!
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