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From Broadway spectacles to silver screen sensations, the 2000s delivered unforgettable choreography that still has us tapping our feet! Join us as we count down the most spectacular dance numbers that defined musical theater and film during this golden decade of jazz hands and high kicks!
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00:00Hold on, hon, we're gonna bunny hut
00:03I bought some aspirin down at United Dwight
00:07Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:09And today, we're counting down our picks for the top 10 most memorable dance numbers
00:13from the Naughty's musicals of stage and screen.
00:17Hey, why'd you pause it?
00:19We have a lot to cover.
00:21Number 10. What's up, Duloc? Shrek the Musical.
00:25Please keep off of the grass, shine your shoes, wipe your face
00:29Duloc is, Duloc is, Duloc is a perfect place
00:38This dance number introduces Farquaad, the Lord of Duloc,
00:42famous for his ruthless quest for power and incredibly short stature.
00:46Once upon a time, this place was infested.
00:50Freaks on every corner, I had them all arrested.
00:54We have to give a special nod to the costume department here
00:57because their work adapting Farquaad's look to the stage
01:00is easily one of the most memorable elements of this musical.
01:13Farquaad's stage costume combines traditional stage acting with puppetry
01:17as the Farquaad actor dances on his knees and controls his fake legs.
01:21This simple but effective visual trick is on full display in What's Up Duloc
01:25and makes even the over-the-top doll ensemble look normal next to Farquaad.
01:29Hey, let's hear it for those Duloc dancers!
01:31Aren't they terrific? Ha!
01:33Ha!
01:36Ha!
01:41Hilariously clever, this number captures the spirit of the original scene
01:44while being wholly unique to the musical.
01:47He taught us to dance with Rosa Metas, he's trained in ballet,
01:50political and jazz.
01:52My hard work and my rigor
01:54have made me so much bigger.
02:00Number 9. I Don't Dance, High School Musical 2.
02:04I'll show you that it's one and the same
02:06Baseball dance and same game
02:08It's easy
02:10Step up to the plate
02:12Stop swinging
02:13I wanna play ball now
02:14And that's all
02:15This is what I do
02:16It ain't no dance that you can show me
02:19Kenny Ortega's illustrious career includes choreography credits on films like Dirty Dancing and Newsies,
02:25but to the children of the early 2000s, his most notable work was directing and choreographing the High School Musical film series.
02:32His bright, energetic choreography style is showcased perfectly in the ironically named I Don't Dance from the second film.
02:39Ortega manages to incorporate hip-hop, swing and salsa styles of dance into one big baseball-themed number, and it totally works.
02:47I don't dance!
02:52The song gives Chad and Ryan, two supporting characters from the first movie, the chance to take center stage and lets the talents of Lucas Graviel and Corbin Blue truly shine.
03:08I don't dance!
03:09I say you can't
03:10There's not a chance
03:11No, no
03:12If I could do this, well you could do that
03:14But I don't dance
03:16Get it out of the park!
03:17Number 8.
03:18The Club, In The Heights
03:20Vanessa, let me get the next one
03:22Vanessa, let me interdress
03:24I'm the way you sweat, the way you flex on the floor
03:27It makes me want you more
03:29Lin-Manuel Miranda's first Broadway show before his international smash hit Hamilton was In The Heights, a love letter to the Latin American community in New York City that Miranda was raised in.
03:40Considering dance is a major part of Latino culture, it was inevitable that this musical would showcase this cultural element in a prominent way.
03:48The penultimate song of Act 1, The Club, is a high energy number that ramps up the action in a palpable way. Rising tensions and heightened jealousy are all telegraphed through dance, eventually climaxing in a sudden blackout and the ensuing chaos. Both a cultural spotlight and a thrilling scene, The Club hurdles the plot into Act 2 with great finesse.
04:17Number 7. Step in Time, Mary Poppins
04:30Over the rooftop, step in time
04:34Over the rooftop, step in time
04:38Never need a reason, never need a rhyme
04:43The 2006 Broadway adaptation of this classic film was tasked with reimagining the iconic songs of Mary Poppins for a new generation in an entirely new medium.
04:52Step in Time and its dancing chimney sweeps were already quite theatrical in the film, but the stage musical turned the energy up even further.
05:10This number has more dancers, more acrobatics, and even upside down tap dancing.
05:23The dancers may be totally covered in soot, but their spectacular dance moves make them shine regardless.
05:40Of course the original Dick Van Dyke version will always reign supreme, but this adaptation is brilliant in its own right.
05:46Number 6. Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia
05:55This jukebox musical instilled a deep love of ABBA into a new generation, while simultaneously making everyone want to book a flight to Greece.
06:14The plot is as convoluted as any Shakespearean comedy, the songs are energetic and perfectly positioned, and everyone just looks like they're having so much fun.
06:23Looking out for another, anyone will do, you're in the mood for a dance, and when you get the chance.
06:36Of course, the fun peaks with none other than Dancing Queen, where Donna's best friends and former bandmates convince her that she's still just as exciting and talented as she was in her youth.
06:46Mamma Mia has definitely played a major role in the enduring popularity of this song, and it was one of the few songs from the original to be reprised in the sequel.
06:55Dancing Queen, young and sweet, only seventeen.
07:03Number 5. You Can't Stop the Beat, Hairspray
07:07This musical deftly tackles difficult social issues with a fun, upbeat energy and a soundtrack that you can't help but dance to.
07:19The finale, You Can't Stop the Beat, characterizes the ongoing struggle for progress and equal rights as an unstoppable force that lives on in all those willing to fight for what's right.
07:28Finally, everyone gets to dance together, unsegregated and joyful. A message so upbeat deserves a song to match.
07:47And some Hairspray cast members lovingly refer to the song as You Can't Stop to Breathe, to reflect the demanding nature of the choreography and music.
07:55The result is a labor of love that ends this positive musical on a much deserved high note.
08:00You know what you can't stop the rhythm of too much you love to say.
08:05You can't stop the beat, you can't stop the beat, you can't stop the beat, you can't stop the beat.
08:14Number 4. Whipped Into Shape, Legally Blonde
08:17Certain famous dance numbers in Broadway musicals can be performed by talented dancers in a way that makes them look effortlessly easy.
08:34This is not one of those songs.
08:36This Act 2 opener introduces Brooke Windham and her fitness empire as she demonstrates a workout routine from jail, having been accused of murdering her husband.
08:44You know, you act like you should. You've got to get your whipping, whipping good.
08:48It gets you out of any shape and gets you whipped into shape.
08:53Come on, people!
08:55Whipped Into Shape.
08:57The result is cardio insanity, with Brooke belting out notes that should be impossible to hit while jumping rope.
09:06Since the musical opened in 2007, this choreography has become legendary.
09:11You've got to!
09:24Playing Windham in Legally Blonde is an even more demanding role than Elle Woods, just for this singularly impossible song and its accompanying dance.
09:32The choreography may change, but it's always a challenge.
09:40Number 3. Electricity, Billy Elliot the Musical
09:44I'm free! I'm free!
09:49Based on the British film, Billy Elliot follows a working class boy with a passion for ballet, and his struggle to convince his father to let him pursue his dream.
10:03Electricity is Billy's declaration of what ballet means to him, expressed, of course, through dance.
10:10While many beloved Broadway dance numbers are famous for their big ensembles of coordinated dancers, this song is uniquely performed solo.
10:22Therefore, a lot of pressure is on the young performer playing Billy as every eye in the audience watches him portray Billy's talent and passion.
10:29Electricity sparks inside of me, and I'm free! I'm free!
10:40It would be a difficult song for any dancer to pull off, let alone one so young.
10:45Number 2. El Tango de Roxanne, Moulin Rouge.
10:48First, there is desire. Then, passion!
11:00This 2001 jukebox musical is full of classic pop songs brilliantly reimagined to fit the 1899 cabaret the film is set in.
11:08Nicole Kidman's rendition of Diamonds, Our Girl's Best Friend captures the glitz and glamour of the Moulin Rouge, but this spot in our ranking has to go to the Tango rendition of The Police's Roxanne.
11:18Roxanne!
11:25You don't have to put on that red light!
11:29This cover fuses the 70s hit with Mariano Morez's Tanguera, creating a sultry, dramatic rendition of Roxanne that expresses Christian's complicated feelings for Satine.
11:39The accompanying dance is just as intense, emotional, and electrifying as this reinvigorated Tango cover, an unforgettably modern take on two 20th century songs.
11:48You're free to leave me, but just don't deceit me and please believe me when I say I love you.
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12:21Number 1, Cell Block Tango, Chicago.
12:24He had it coming, he had it coming, he only had himself to blame.
12:32If you'd have been there, if you'd have heard it, I betcha you would have done the same.
12:39This 2002 movie based on Bob Fosse's 1975 musical was the film that made Hollywood take musicals seriously again.
12:47The film won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and brought Fosse's signature choreography to a new generation of fans.
12:54It wasn't until later, when I was washing the blood off my hands, I even knew they were dead.
13:00They had it coming, they had it coming, they had it coming, they had it coming all along.
13:08Cell Block Tango is by far the most memorable number in the film, telling the individual stories of six murderous women and what drove them to commit their crimes.
13:16The brutal tales are contrasted by their glamorized dance retellings, an homage to Fosse's original choreography updated for the screen.
13:37The film revitalized audiences' interest in the musical, which is currently the longest-running musical on Broadway.
13:43Did we miss any iconic 2000s dance numbers? Let us know in the comments.
13:48Dancing through life, no need to tough it, when you can slough it off as I do.
13:56Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
14:00And be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
14:13We'll see you next time.
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