It’s no secret I’m a fan of the 80’s & 90’s…I’m also a HUGE fan of dance movies and musicals!
The knarlier the music, the brighter the leotard, and the cheesier the dance sequence, the better.
Of course there are the dance movies everyone knows about…Dirty Dancing, Grease, Footloose, Flashdance, Saturday Night Fever, Sister Act 2 (far better than the original in my opinion), and yes those all top the list as some of my favorites. BUT, here are some of the less known movies centered around dance and music that all hold a special place in my heart (I own them all on DVD if you need to borrow them.)
My all time favorite has to be “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” My sister and I watch this everytime we get the chance. It’s one of those special moments my sister and I will always share. “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” stars a baby Sarah Jessica Parker, a baby Helen Hunt, a baby Shannen Doherty, and the crop tops are to DIE for!
Another one I used to watch with my mom all the time was “Fame”…while it’s not strictly about dancers, who doesn’t love a movie where the students dance around the hallways.
Since I was a band and chorus geek in high school, I grew up on musical’s and I remember the first time I was introduced as a Freshman to “Chorus Line”, starring Michael Douglas. It follows a group of broadway hopeful chorus dancers as they audition and sing and dance their hearts out. I was hooked.
I did mention the cheesier the better right? While this one isn’t actually a movie about dancing but rather gymnastics, I still categorize it as one of my favorite’s from the 80’s…”American Anthem”… “Steve is a talented gymnast who has given up competition and is working at his father’s bike shop. Julie is the new girl at his old gym, who has moved to town to train with their powerful coach. Inspired by Julie, Steve resumes training. While dealing with the conflicts in their personal lives and the stress of training, they prepare for the US Olympic Trials.”
Come on you can’t get any better than this!
While my list may be all over the place as far as quality, they all hold a special place in my heart.
By: Faith Rinker
