To see the video, click on the gold YouTube URL. After you've watched the video, click on your browser's back button and come back and see more. It's worth it. Ballet is first but some of the best dance numbers are from movies that come further down on the list. Check out the dance numbers from Hellzapoppin' and A Day at the Races, etc. By clicking on the movie title in gold, you can learn more about the movie on Amazon.

Ballet

Russian Nike "Just Do It" Ad: Ballerina vs Hip Hop

http://www.youtube.com/v/06ooGrzi0KU

The music is Alexander Borodin's Polovtsian Dances which was made into a hit song: Stranger in Paradise. The dancers are Mariya Vinogradova (ballet) and Anastsiya Soboleva(Hip Hop). To check out a scene from the actual opera/ballet, as well as a spoof of the opera/ballet, check out Knock on Wood way down below.

Center Stage

http://www.youtube.com/v/uo3_U4jquTk

From the movieCenter Stage (Special Edition).

Swan Lake Odette Variation (Svetlana Zakharova)

http://www.youtube.com/v/Q8nSUBcYk5w&feature=related

Swan Lake - Act 2, Pas de Quatre

http://www.youtube.com/v/vbY_FIyXPFg

Gillian Murphy - Swan Lake - Black Swan

http://www.youtube.com/v/bOdE0P7K0HM

Diana Vishneva in dance from Carmen

http://www.youtube.com/v/YbFOMqXiPn0&NR=1

This performance was for the 1994 Prix de Lausanne. She was 18 at the time and won the gold medal that year.

Diana Vishneva in Coppelia

http://www.youtube.com/v/VHj6p4a9xkc&feature=related

This performance was also for the 1994 Prix de Lausanne.

Diana Vishneva in Don Quixoti

http://www.youtube.com/v/gpwAuPTI6ks&feature=related

“Ice Skating” Erik Bruhn & Zizi Jeanmaire

http://www.youtube.com/v/Ott1vTjmFFA

An excerpt from the ballet “Ice Skating” which occurs in the Danny Kaye movie, Hans Christian Andersen. The ballet stars Erik Bruhn and Zizi Jeanmaire with choreography by Roland Petit. Zizi Jeanmaire also stars in the movie.

“The Little Mermaid” Zizi Jeanmaire & Roland Petit

http://www.youtube.com/v/FtFIF4zncuE

An excerpt from the ballet “The Little Mermaid” which occurs at the end of the Danny Kaye movie, Hans Christian Andersen. The ballet stars Roland Petit and Zizi Jeanmaire with choreography by Roland Petit. Zizi Jeanmaire also stars in the movie.

Zizi Jeanmaire & Dirk Sanders

http://www.youtube.com/v/weWJPPol7pQ

La Croqueuse de Diamants with Zizi Jeamaire & Dirk Sanders choreographed by Roalnd Petit. It's part of a DVD called Zizi Jeanmarie Dances Roland Petit.

Roland Petit & Zizi Jeanmaire

http://www.youtube.com/v/M5JFfSQ9hM4

A Pas de deux from Roland Petit's Carmen. It's part of a DVD called Zizi Jeanmarie Dances Roland Petit.

Ekaterina Maksimova

http://www.youtube.com/v/yxG6_-buArU

Ekaterina Maksimova & Vladimir Vasiliyev perform a pas de deux from Don Quixote.

Ekaterina Maksimova Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/v/zhVhqeI_fCs

Ekaterina Maksimova & Vladimir Vasiliyev perform from Don Quixote.

Super Pirouette

http://www.youtube.com/v/EqutnMKB49s

A Korean Dancer

http://www.youtube.com/v/M3PMCD7aMRI

Nutcracker Excerpt - Anthony Dowell & Lesley Collier

http://www.youtube.com/v/xd0tNCuW7NY

The Royal Ballet performs The Nutcracker with Anthony Dowell and Lesley Collier.

Darcey Bussell - Swan Lake Demonstration

http://www.youtube.com/v/abL5vw_Q6Qc&feature=related

Darcey Bussell demonstrates part of Odile's solo from Swan Lake.

The Making of the Pointe Shoe by Altin Kaftira

http://www.youtube.com/v/6GLf1Wgtxm0

Le Corsaire - Pas de Deux with Zakharova and Zelensky

http://www.youtube.com/v/MQvyQc68-u4

Rudolf Nureyev

http://www.youtube.com/v/DEcqgA6Q5YA

Rudolf Nureyev when young in great, rare solo doing the variation from the ballet, Gayne, music by Aram Khachaturian. This clip was taken from a Firestone TV special.

Rudolf Nureyev

http://www.youtube.com/v/_De2BeQggT4

Rudolf Nureyev when young in great, rare solo doing the variation from the ballet, Sleeping Beauty, music by Tchaikovsky. This clip was taken from a Firestone TV special.

Nureyev & Fonteyn

http://www.youtube.com/v/-oc_GvdFen0

The balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet

Friedemann Vogel Sofiane Sylve Swan Lake

http://www.youtube.com/v/oRRaHMVTQwA

"Sleeping Beauty" Dutch National Ballet

http://www.youtube.com/v/pW7kuPxy2TI

Ballet Don Quixote Basil - Daniil Simkin

http://www.youtube.com/v/vvMOvsXZXY4

Les Bourgeois - Daniil Simkin

http://www.youtube.com/v/I2aj79ql9iY

Nutcracker - Joseph Phillips - Mary Carrmen Catoya

http://www.youtube.com/v/tU7WjSfCCBs

Butterfly Lovers

http://www.youtube.com/v/8uaVXmWEN-c

A blend of ballet and acrobatics. Check it out.

Great Chinese Circus--Swan Lake

http://www.youtube.com/v/4sMc-p19FIk

More gymnastics than ballet but still cool.

The dying swan

http://www.youtube.com/v/NKu_a7m8CXU

From mad about Mariinsky

In the middle somewhat elevated

http://www.youtube.com/v/vHCUpEEqPSU

From mad about Mariinsky

Polina Seminova

http://www.youtube.com/v/q-u99OnkF7g

Nureyev Muppet

http://www.youtube.com/v/r_kSTtjplkM&search=%20

Nureyev dances with Miss Piggy.

Marlon Was immer Du willst

http://www.youtube.com/v/DMjbEGcaxJc

To read a translation of this song check out http://vergessene.multiply.com/video/item/15

Polina Seminova

http://www.youtube.com/v/feLtdsfTOT4

Alina Cojocaru in rehearsal - Royal Ballet

http://www.youtube.com/v/v9cJb8CFB2w&

Alina Cojocaru & Johan Kobborg, Giselle rehearsal

http://www.youtube.com/v/qNcZ0WJ9rMo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/v/55b9u77wkEo&feature=rec-HM-r2

Alina Cojocaru—Rose Adagio

http://www.youtube.com/v/v9cJb8CFB2w&feature=rec-HM-fresh+div
http://www.youtube.com/v/8QXI4ns_bVk&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/v/gUrpnn0sUKA&feature=related

Maya Plisetskaya in Don Quixote by Leon Minkus

http://www.youtube.com/v/9wbgEHxGVOw&feature=channel_page

Maya Plisetskaya in Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky

http://www.youtube.com/v/QuzuVsqc0ZM&feature=channel

Nutcracker—Sugar Plum Fairy—Sofiane Sylvie

http://www.youtube.com/v/L_UJvDcigPI&feature=channel_page

Yuan Yuan Tan & Desmond Richardson in Othello

http://www.youtube.com/v/Z-Rj8-vpgeM&feature=channel_page

Alessandra Ferri & Laurent Hilaire in Carmen

http://www.youtube.com/v/eEyRfq8EFLg&feature=channel_page

Alessandra Ferri & Wayne Eagling in Romeo and Juliet

http://www.youtube.com/v/N1JOJCiLVEM

An excerpt from the ballet, Romeo and Juliet with Alessandra Ferri and Wayne Eagling. The choreography is Kenneth MacMillan. Great dancing. Great choreography. Great music. The video is from Ballet Favorites

Nina Ananiashvili

http://www.youtube.com/v/PT4Q14nUfMw&feature=related

In the Upper Room

http://www.youtube.com/v/rywTXvF_Ll4&feature=related

Choreography: Twyla Tharp. Music: Phillip Glass. Glassworks contains some the music from this piece.

Evelyn Hart & David Peregrine

http://www.youtube.com/v/v_ycPIV4hEQ

This clip is an excerpt from 40 Years of One Night Stands: the Story of Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet, a documentary by Patti Ross Milne. It is the 1980 performance at Varna, Bulgaria of Norbert Vesak's, Belong. Evelyn Hart won the gold medal and David Peregrine won the bronze. The film is available at: www.meritmotionpictures.com. Click on “Productions” scroll through to find “40 Years”. Scroll down to the Pay Pal option and order.

Katie Williams—Fierce Fouettes

http://www.youtube.com/v/YxsI4Giuu0Q&feature=related

Katie is now a corps dancer with ABT.

Alys Shee's Italian Fouettes for Bayadere

http://www.youtube.com/v/VrezMrsQt90&feature=related

Katia Almayeva (Age 11) - Esmeralda Variation

http://www.youtube.com/v/Swe7bhhfyfA&feature=related

Natalia Osipova at 17, Esmeralda variation

http://www.youtube.com/v/WV0jT1Do6NQ&NR=1

Dance Class

http://www.youtube.com/v/lo-F2pIddD0

Dance Movies

Hellzapoppin’
Whitey's Lindy Hoppers

http://www.youtube.com/v/R0BHxhUnokU

Whitey's Lindy Hoppers excerpt from the movie Hellzapoppin featuring Frankie Manning (in the Mechanic's Dungarees) and Ann Johnson. Hellzapoppin' routine is to the music of Count Basie's "Jumpin' At The Woodside." Two of the musicians are Slim Gaillard and Slam Stewart.

A Day at the Races
Whitey's Lindy Hoppers

http://www.youtube.com/v/S2f9dFrvBr4

From the movie A Day at the Races. The dancers are Whitey's Linda Hoppers. Ivie Anderson is the young girl singer who sang with the Duke Ellington band.

The Affairs of Dobie Gillis
Bob Fosse, Bobby Van, Debbie Reynolds &
Barbara Ruick

http://www.youtube.com/v/6p5J5CmG-_M

From the movie Affairs of Dobie Gillis, Bob Fosse, Barbara Ruick, Bobby Van and Debbie Reynolds perform some magic in a 1953 movie. Bob Fosse is wearing a sweater and light socks. Barbara Ruick sings the song. The movie's only available on VHS.

The Affairs of Dobie Gillis
Bobby Van

http://www.youtube.com/v/Za7DcyJYrCU&feature=channel_page

From the movie Affairs of Dobie Gillis,Bobby Van does a nice solo in the 1953 movie. The movie's only available on VHS.

The Affairs of Dobie Gillis
Debbie Reynolds & Bobby Van

http://www.youtube.com/v/m2Yoir-2Bms

From the movie Affairs of Dobie Gillis,OK. No dancing in this number but Debbie Reynolds & Bobby Van do a sweet job singing, All I Do Is Dream of You. If the song sounds familiar, it was also sung by Debbie Reynolds in “Singin’ in the Rain.”

Small Town Girl
Bobby Van

http://www.youtube.com/v/5bKwsUnd2F0

From the movie Small Town Girl. Bobby Van is the dancer. This movie is currently not available on DVD or VHS. However, a very cool movie with Bobby Van, Debbie Reynolds and Bob Fosse is Affairs of Dobie Gillis which is available on VHS.

Peter Wolf Video
Peter Wolf

http://www.youtube.com/v/1gkxRNmnC1Y

Peter Wolf, former lead singer of the J. Geils Band, does his take on Bobby Van’s famous dance number from Small Town Girl for the song, Come As You Arefrom the album of the same name.

Swing Time
Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers

http://www.youtube.com/v/mxPgplMujzQ

From the movie Swing Time. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dance to Jerome Kern's Pick Yourself Up.

Top Hat
Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers

http://www.youtube.com/v/HYHZh-xnqhE&feature=related

From the movie, Top Hat, one of the greatest musical numbers ever put on film. The song is Cheek to Cheek by Irving Berlin. Ginger’s dress is also famous. The story is that the feathers kept on coming off, requiring the scene to be stopped and reshot. The director, Mark Sandrich and Fred Astaire kept yelling at Ginger to put on another dress but she refused. You be the judge of whether she was right. Hermes Pan is the choreographer.

Roberta
Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers

http://www.youtube.com/v/5hIxvmCypE8&feature=related

From the movie Roberta is not one of Fred and Ginger’s best movies but it’s a nice dance number to the Jerome Kern tune, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. Hermes Pan is again the choreographer.

Roberta
Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers

http://www.youtube.com/v/UnUfY-URXzA&feature=related

Another dance number from Roberta . Too Hot to Handle is the song by Jerome Kern. Hermes Pan is the choreographer.

Ship Ahoy
Eleanor Powell & Buddy Rich

http://www.youtube.com/v/6R8InADno6o&feature=related

Ship Ahoy [VHS]is the movie. It’s not yet available on DVD, just VHS. Buddy Rich is the drummer. Bert Lahr (from the Wizard of Oz fame) opens the scene with Red Skelton.

Gold Rush
Charlie Chaplin in Table Ballet

http://www.youtube.com/v/xoKbDNY0Zwg

Charlie Chaplin doing this famous table ballet dance is part of one of his best movies The Gold Rush (2 Disc Special Edition)

The Nicholas Brothers at an Early Age

http://www.youtube.com/v/w-ZYxkwaPd4

Fred Astaire called the Nicholas Brothers' "Jumpin' Jive" dance sequence in Stormy Weather (see below) the greatest movie musical number ever filmed. George Balanchine called their acrobatic movement ballet, despite their lack of formal training. Mikhail Baryshnikov once said they were the most amazing dancers he had ever seen. This clip is an extra feature on the DVD The Green Pastures. The Nicholas Brothers are not in the movie.

Down Argentine Way
The Nicholas Brothers

http://www.youtube.com/v/bLJL01VpvbE&feature=related

Down Argentine Way is the movie this dance sequence appears in. It’s a pretty good one.

Stormy Weather
Cab Calloway & the Nicholas Brothers

http://www.youtube.com/v/_8yGGtVKrD8

From the movie Stormy Weather--Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers perform “Jumpin Jive.”

Minnie the Moocher
Cab Calloway

http://www.youtube.com/v/33nTnawq6jk&feature=related

Performed by Cab Calloway and his Orchestra

Something in the Wind
Donald O'Connor

http://www.youtube.com/v/Dg1CZJJhFsw

From the movie Something In the Wind Donald O’Connor entertains Deanna Durbin with a dance to the song I Love a Mystery. The dance became the basis for the number Make ‘em Laugh in Singin in the Rain a few years later.

Call Me Madam
Vera Ellen & Donald O'Connor

http://www.youtube.com/v/mFG46XhRB68

From the movie Call Me MadamDonald O’Connor and Vera Ellen do it as beautifully and as romantically as it can be done. The tune is It’s a Lovely Day Today by Irving Berlin.

Yes Sir That's My Baby
Donald O'Connor

http://www.youtube.com/v/0Rx5_IEmzpo

Donald O'Connor sings and dances in a great tap dance number from the movie Yes Sir That's My Baby which is very hard to find. The choreographer is Louis Da Pron who did a lot of work with Donald O'Connor in his movies.

Private Buckaroo
Donald O'Connor & Peggy Ryan

http://www.youtube.com/v/87195HTjN4E

Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan have small parts in this dance sequence. The main credits are to the Jivin' Jacks and Jills. Private Buckaroo is one of Donald O'Connor's first movies. Harry James and his band play the music.

There's No Business Like Show Business
Donald O'Connor

http://www.youtube.com/v/hmgEiLP1CvI

Donald O'Connor in nice dance number from the movie There's No Business Like Show Business.The woman's voice you hear is Marilyn Monroe's.

Here Come the Co-Eds
Peggy Ryan

http://www.youtube.com/v/Z6_YlOUnN24

Peggy Ryan sings and dances in this rare solo number. The movie is an Abbot and Costello vehicle, Here Come the Co-Eds.

Words and Music
Cyd Charisee & Dee Turnell

http://www.youtube.com/v/RcDcGKPkV7c

Cyd Charisse and Dee Turnell do a fun ballet number from the movie Words And Music. Both are in dark red costumes and for some unknown reason Cyd Charisse is wearing make-up that gives her skin a slightly darker tone. The movie is a Hollywood version of the life of Lorenz Hart who was part of the song writing duo of Rogers and Hart. Words and Music is not a great movie but the musical numbers are plentiful and excellent.

Wonder Man
Vera Ellen

http://www.youtube.com/v/UL0AL_BYlJA

This tap extravaganza, including tap dancing on her toes, is from the Danny Kaye movie, Wonder Man. Vera Ellen is one of the best dancers Hollywood ever showcased and this number proves it. Wonder Man is a very funny movie, one of Danny Kaye's best, but hard to find. However, it is worth looking for.

Happy Go Lovely
Vera Ellen

http://www.youtube.com/v/-eoZ6-V9Bqc

http://www.youtube.com/v/Rfwkvp4CUv0

Happy Go Lovely was made in England in 1951, so it’s not a big budget Hollywood production but David Niven and Vera Ellen have good chemistry and the plot is charming and Vera Ellen’s dancing is always special. It’s definitely worth watching.

White Christmas
Vera Ellen & Danny Kaye

http://www.youtube.com/v/fZXYYfHICSc&feature=related

From the movie White ChristmasDanny Kaye and Vera Ellen dance to the song, The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing.

Knock on Wood
Danny Kaye & Diana Adams

http://www.youtube.com/v/5iVU6cZvXbE

From the movie Knock on Wood. Unfortunately, this movie isn’t available on DVD or VHS, so the video quality is very poor. The beautiful ballerina is Diana Adams who danced for Balanchine in the 1940’s and 50’s. The ballet is a spoof of the ballet sequences in the opera Prince Igor by Alexander Borodin. Here’s a ballet scene from the opera.

http://www.youtube.com/v/t8C8frqCKKg

If you watched the first ballet video—the Russian Nike ad—this is the music.

Excuse My Dust
Sally Forrest

http://www.youtube.com/v/tKAzRSgjRFA

From the movie Excuse My Dust. Another movie among the missing in terms of DVD and VHS release. However, the movie is NOTHING like this dance number. The movie is a comedy starring Red Skelton. The dance is a fantasy sequence. Sally Forrest, the great dancer in this number, is in the entire movie as an actress but this is her only dance number.

The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm
Russ Tamblyn & Yvette Mimieux

http://www.youtube.com/v/ta676ZW5v0g

The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm was a movie made by George Pal in Cinerama in 1962. The movie consists mainly of three Grimm fairy tales. This clip is from "The Dancing Princess." It starts with Russ Tamblyn wearing a "cloak of invisibility" long before Harry Potter ever heard of it. The movie's not yet available on DVD.

Tom Thumb
Russ Tamblyn

http://www.youtube.com/v/sLwtFzmUE7c

From the movie Tom Thumb. You can see that Toy Story owes a lot to Tom Thumb. The dancer is Russ Tamblyn who is also one of the dancers in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Russ is the father of Amber Tamblyn who plays Tibby in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Peggy Lee wrote the song.

The Fastest Gun Alive
Russ Tamblyn

http://www.youtube.com/v/tdAvEOt-l_I

A western with a great, athletic dance sequence by Russ Tamblyn. Athletic dancing was his speciality and you can see he's very good at it. The movie stars Glenn Ford and it's a pretty good western. The Fastest Gun Alive is available on Amazon as a Video on Demand download. You may be able to find a copy on VHS at your library. Not yet released on DVD.

Carousel
Jacques D’Amboise and Susan Luckey

http://www.youtube.com/v/ZYY6DhNGJAk

From the movie Carousel. The sequence stars Jacques D’Amboise and Susan Luckey. Jacques D’Amboise was a principal dancer with Balanchine. The musical is by Rogers and Hammerstein.

Audrey Hepburn

http://www.youtube.com/v/0GSFd6NUH3Q&feature=rec-HM-fresh+div

Audrey Hepburn (age 23) in the British film "The Secret People" before she became a star in Hollywood.

Jab We Met
Kareena Kapoor & Shahid Kapur

http://www.youtube.com/v/25YDJuKJ6h4

Jab We Metis a Bollywood movie modeled after the Hollywood romantic screwball comedies of the 30’s and 40’s. It’s fantastic. Very funny. If you’ve never seen a Bollywood movie and love romantic comedies, this is the one to see. Every Bollywood movie is interspersed with dance/song sequences that don’t necessarily have much to do with the movie. This is one of them.

Bollywood/Hollwood
Lisa Ray & Rahul Khanna

http://www.youtube.com/v/vH1qfK2n_nE

Bollywood/Hollywoodis another very funny romantic comedy. It was actually made in Canada and it is very Western in nature. The dance/song sequences are also more tightly interwoven with the plot.