MovieChat Forums > Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940) Discussion > BEST DANCE ROUTINE I EVER SAW!!!

BEST DANCE ROUTINE I EVER SAW!!!


The finale 'Begin the Beguine' dance routine with Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell is simply the best I ever saw. I've watched it over a hundred times and I'm still blown away with their marvelous syncopation and coordination. Like Sinatra said, "Enjoy this one, folks, 'cause you'll never see the likes of this again!"

FAS1

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It was indeed.

Jeanne, Gloria, Toby, Mitzi, Eleanor (2), Frances, Deborah, Marion, Alice, Darcey - are adorable.

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Yes, but you should have specified "Tap Dance" routine. You simply cannot compare this with, say, a Baryshnikov ballet or even an Astaire/Rogers ball room dance...

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You're correct! I should have been more specific. That tap routine is forever etched in my mind...and I still haven't seen anyone that compares to either Rogers OR Powell!! For that matter, I still haven't seen anyone that compares to Astaire OR Kelly!! Like Sinatra, this is part of a bygone era--an era that will never come around again.

FAS1

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I think that Ginger Rogers "Black Bottom" routine in Roxie Hart is the best dance routine I've ever seen. That doesn't mean I disagree with you because it's not a tap routine.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsbpgsrXqZY

Jeanne, Gloria, Toby, Mitzi, Eleanor (2), Frances, Deborah, Marion, Alice, Darcey - are adorable.

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I thought that the George Murphy/ Astaire song and dance number to open the movie was the standout of this movie.

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One of the most beautiful aspects of this dance is the flow of Powell's dress in the mirrored floor. It's like a flower opening and closing in a ever-changing ways. I'm a lifelong movie lover but have just seen this for the 1st time. It's delightful, and Begin the Beguine is perfection.

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The dancing in this film is exquisite. Eleanor Powell cements herself as the best dancer on film I've seen. So far. And Astaire is a perfect compliment. Both at their very best. The Begin the Beguine dances are incredible. The sets are impeccable and the accompanying music is quite good, too. But it's the dancing that sets this one apart and, despite the thin plot, I have to give this a very solid 9/10.

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