Top 10 Best Dance Scenes in '70s Movies
#10: “Puttin’ on the Ritz” “Young Frankenstein” (1974)
To demonstrate the majesty of his creation, Dr. ‘Fronkensteen’, dolls him up and puts him onstage in this comedy classic. As the two duet the famous “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” the Monster defies rigor mortis and taps his undead troubles away for a horrified audience. This one gets points for sheer originality. Who would have thought Frankenstein’s Monster would ever be done up to look like Fred Astaire? Apparently, we’re lucky the scene even made it in the movie. Director Mel Brooks argued against it, saying it would be too silly. Which is ironic, considering Mel Brooks’ entire filmography. Actor and co-writer Gene Wilder finally wore him down, and we’re eternally grateful.
#9: “Bottle Dance” “Fiddler on the Roof” (1971)
As the characters come together for the wedding of Tzeitel and Motel, the men of the village perform a traditional “Bottle Dance.” The celebratory dance features four men balancing bottles on their heads as they cross the room, sweeping their legs with incredible grace and precision. The dance is so authentic that many viewers believed it was a traditional Jewish folk dance, but that actually isn’t the case. While based on some Orthodox Jewish wedding celebrations he attended, it’s mostly a creation of the original musical’s director-choreographer, Jerome Robbins. As captured on film, the sequence is just as electrifying as it is on stage.
#8: “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket” “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” (1971)
In one of the movie’s most uplifting and unforgettable moments, Charlie Bucket finally finds his golden ticket, and his previously bedridden Grandpa Joe makes a miraculous recovery. Apparently, a diet of cabbage water and bread does a body good. Watching Grandpa Joe get his dancing legs back is part of what makes the whole scene so special. He and Charlie are not performing the most complicated choreography here, but that’s not really the point. It’s just a moment of sheer and infectious joy. You can practically hear audiences of children cheer right along with them.
#7: “Emerald City Sequence” “The Wiz” (1978)
In this “Wizard of Oz” adaptation, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion reach the Emerald City, a highly stylized version of Manhattan. This seven minute sequence, shot at the base of the World Trade Center, was the most expensive set piece in the entire film. Shot over four successive nights, it’s a dazzling spectacle featuring dozens of dancers awash with colorful lights as they strut and twirl across the screen. The lines of dancing bodies are almost reminiscent of the 1930s Busby Berkeley musicals, but it’s so electric and oh so 70s.
#6: “Portobello Road” “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” (1971)
For this underrated Disney classic, Angela Lansbury plays a witch who takes in three orphaned children during the war. The group travels to Portobello Road, the site of a famed street market. There, they encounter a cavalcade of immigrant dancers from places as close as the Scottish Highlands and as far flung as India. The spirited dance sequence is jam-packed with routines, music, and fashions inspired by the different countries that make up the wartime British Empire. It’s a lovely and joyful celebration of difference and how Britain’s success in the Second World War depended on the strength of its diverse population.
#5: “Time Warp” “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975)
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It’s the creepiest dance party you’ve ever been to, but at least the dance is kinda easy. When Brad and Janet are stranded down the road from the gothic castle of one Dr. Frank-N-Furter, they really just need to use a phone. What they get is the funnest and most unsettling novelty dance in all of cinema. They stumble upon a party full of very strange people who introduce them to the “Time Warp.” Wild, frenetic, and endlessly bizarre, the sequence has become the movie’s calling card. Though the movie didn’t make a mainstream impact right away, fans have been doing the “Time Warp” at midnight showings ever since.
#4: “Take Off With Us” “All That Jazz” (1979)
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Bob Fosse wasn’t exactly known for directing feel-good movie musicals. The semi-autobiographical “All That Jazz” finds him taking his hip-thrusting choreography to new and erotic extremes. During a private rehearsal for his new show’s investors, Fosse’s stand-in character, Joe Gideon, shocks everyone with a dance number that starts out innocently enough. That is, until the clothes come off. Then, things turn into an all-out ritualistic and erotic free-for-all set to music. Fosse’s x-rated in-flight video-themed choreography is as technically demanding and tongue-in-cheek as his best work. It’s also downright pornographic, and the offended producers can’t help but sit with their jaws on the floor.
#3: “You’re the One That I Want/We Go Together” “Grease” (1978)
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The last five minutes of “Grease” foregoes most of the dialogue and instead treats us to the entire cast singing, dancing, and gyrating their way across a school carnival. From shaking things up on the Shake Shack to the nonsense lyrics of “We Go Together,” it’s an energetic and joyous ending to the movie and the characters’ high school experience. It’s not just a curtain call for the speaking characters, but a showcase for the incredible dancers that make up the movie’s ensemble. Especially Green Shirt Guy. Has anyone had a better time than Green Shirt Guy?
#2: “Mein Herr” “Cabaret” (1972)
As the Kit Kat Klub’s resident singer, Sally Bowles, Liza Minnelli is the essence of vamp beauty. “Mein Herr” takes the movie’s classic 30s aesthetics and makes them risqué and modern. As directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse, the number sees Liza and the scantily-clad Kit Kat Girls straddling chairs and pounding the floor. The dark and slinky sensuality, the whimsy of burlesque song and dance, and the smoky atmosphere of the cabaret create a dance number that’s equal parts sexy, silly, and unsettling. In a movie musical full of memorable numbers, “Mein Herr” is the one that made all the posters. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “Last Dance,” “Thank God It’s Friday” (1978) Donna Summer’s Climactic Nightclub Performance is Peak Disco Fever “Aquarius,” “Hair” (1979) A Country Boy Encounters a Troupe of Hippies Dancing in Central Park “Simon Zealotes,” “Jesus Christ Superstar” (1973) Led by Simon the Zealot, Jesus’ Followers Perform a Frenzied Dance of Devotion “Camelot Song,” “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (1975) The Knights of the Round Table Are Sillier Than Legend Would Have It
#1: “You Should Be Dancing” “Saturday Night Fever” (1977)
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This solo dance by John Travolta has come to represent the disco era like no other. As Tony Manero, the excessively limber patron of New York’s 2001 Odyssey Disco, the actor cemented many of the character’s stylish moves into the public memory of the 1970s. Even if you haven’t seen the movie, you’ll know the choreography. Travolta insisted on doing his own dancing for the movie, and trained for three hours everyday in preparation for the movie’s many dance sequences. Given the movie’s immense popularity and his Oscar nomination, it’s safe to say his hard work paid off.
