Homecoming is a time for great Georgia State pride and spirit, punctuated by many students busting moves at the Homecoming dance. In honor of those students who will soon be shaking it hard, let’s remember some of cinema’s greatest dance scenes.
Singin’ in the Rain: It’s no surprise a classic Hollywood musical includes a memorable dance sequence set to its iconic title song. “Singin’ in the Rain” shows Gene Kelly skipping through a rainy street dancing with an umbrella, while singing out his newfound feels for Debbie Reynolds. His twirls and taps make up several of the film’s excellent dance sequences, but is undoubtedly the most well-known.
The Breakfast Club: John Hughes’ “The Breakfast Club” is one of those uplifting teen movies that we all watched in high school, and still revere for its ability to make us feel nostalgic for the 80s, despite the fact that many in our millennial-heavy student body weren’t alive to experience it. The detention bound characters pass the time with an unforgettable montage set to ‘We Are Not Alone’ by Karla DeVito, showing off their individual moves and forming a surprising friendship.
Pulp Fiction: Quentin Tarantino’s bloody, twisted “Pulp Fiction” may seem like an odd place for a dance number, but that may be the reason it sticks in our minds. John Travolta and Uma Thurman dance barefoot to Chuck Berry’s ‘You Never Can Tell’ in Jack Rabbit Slim’s Twist contest during a sequence that’s short and sweet. It’s memorable for its surprising addition amidst all the gang violence and drug use that the film is based upon. It’s slick and endearing, and all the more iconic for it.
Pretty in Pink: In another awkward 80s teen movie (they’re just so good at the dance scenes!) Jon Cryer does his best to impress the unimpressible Molly Ringwald as she’s working. He basically throws himself around the record shop, bopping and mouthing words to Otis Redding as Ringwald stares on. It’s cringe-worthy and delightful, and totally wonderful faux-cool that makes us viewers swoon.
Little Miss Sunshine: Young Abigail Breslin gives us one of the most distressing strip scenes ever in her pageant dance performance. While throwing off her clothes and twerking little-girl-style to “Super Freak,” she scandalizes the strict pageant moms in the audience and provokes a fight on stage. Supremely enjoyable and hard to forget, it’s both really weird and really great seeing this girl stick it to the sticks-in-the-muds by having the time of her life.
Napoleon Dynamite: Like staring at a car crash, Jon Heder’s uncomfortable solo dance in the talent show is the stuff of legend. With his trademark “weird guy” open-mouth, huge glasses, lanky legs and curly mop look, Heder moves his hips to some ultra funky synth-y jazz as hundreds of confused students look on. His moves are wonderfully horrible but the crowd still goes wild, reminding all of us bad dancers that it’s about having fun, not having the craziest skillz.
So at the Homecoming dance this year, take a cue from these movie dancers and all their crazy joy. The number one thing to take away: dance however you like and wherever you like, no matter how many people around you are uncomfortably grinding. The only thing that matters is jamming to the beat and having a great time.
