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Let’s Go To The Movies!!

By Rebecca Kelley
Contributing Author
Photo by Carson Zullinger
Tallahassee Chapter offers a Playlist for your next Dance!!

Have you ever wondered:  What movie is that song from? — or — What song is from that movie? 

Movies, music, and dance has been around since Charlie Chapman and the “silent” movies.  Yes, while there might not have been any sound, you could tell that Charlie had a song or rhythm to his walk and was dancing along to a tune in his head that we could not hear.

Remember Shirley Temple?  She sang and danced in the many movies. 

As ballroom dancers, we all are familiar with Gene Kelly, Ginger Rogers, and Fred Astaire.  However, dance is not just in the musical theatre genre.  Many songs were commissioned to make soundtracks and many of those songs became “hits” on the musical billboard charts.

You might think this article is about music, and you would be right, but it is also how music, movies, and dance all are intertwined.

If you list some modern movies that are about dancing in general and not just musicals, there is:  Dirty Dancing, Black Swan, Footloose, Take the Lead, Strictly Ballroom, Flashdance, Save the Last Dance, Chicago, Honey, Step Up, Saturday Night Fever, Shall We Dance, Dance with Me, Leap! (animated), Fame…the list goes on.  There are also some more risqué movies about dance, such as Burlesque, Magic Mike, Showgirls..again this list goes on.  While some of the movies I listed include ballroom specifically, these movies help bring all dance to the forefront.

The movie, The Greatest Showman, has helped bring a new upbeat sound to Paso Doble, of course not quite a social dance but, we no longer have to continue listening to the same old “song and dance” — as Aerosmith says.  How updated is your music playlist?

On January 20, the USA Dance Tallahassee Chapter themed their social party “Let’s Go To The Movies,” and opened the doors to members, non-members and collegiates.  The evening was filled with ballroom sounds and memories along with lights, cameras, and action.

We started our dance with the song from Annie: “Let’s Go to the Movies”.  This song, a Foxtrot, was played for to get everyone in the mood.  After that, came song after song, each one recognized and bringing smiles to the dancers’ faces.  The floor was full and spirits were high.  We even had fresh popcorn and movie-theatre-type candies for sharing.  

Here are some danceable songs we used.  They become popular because of the movie, and/or vice versa.  Keep in mind, some songs are variations of the original song.  The suggested style, is merely that if you feel different rhythms, that is fine too. 

Song

Artist

Movie

Suggested Style

Footloose

Kenny Loggins

Footloose

Swing

Dance the Night

Dua Lipa

Barbie

Hustle

Sexy Silk

Fuchsia Boom Band

Easy A

Foxtrot

Under the Sea

London Music Works

Little Mermaid

Samba

The Departed Tango

(search by soundtrack)

The Departed

Tango

Don’t Know Why*

Nora Jones

Maid in Manhattan

Bolero

Vito’s Waltz*

New 101 Strings Orchestra

The Godfather

 V Waltz

I Have Nothing

Whitney Houston

The Bodyguard

 V Waltz

Lady Marmalade*

Christina Aguilera, Lil Kim, P!nk & Mya

Moulin Rouge

Cha Cha

Think

Aretha Franklin

Blue Brothers

Hustle

Endless Love

Lionel Richie & Diana Ross

Endless Love

Bolero

Happy*

Pharrell Williams

Despicable Me

Swing

A Wink & A Smile

Harry Connick, Jr

Sleepless in Seatle

Foxtrot

Assasin’s Tango

Jeff Steinberg

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

AT/Tango

Goodnight Moon

Shivaree

Kill Bill Vol. 2

Rumba

Stayin Alive

Bee Gees

Saturday Night Fever

Hustle

Better When I’m Dancing

Meghan Trainer

Peanuts

Merengue

Stand By Me

Prince Royce

Stand By Me

Bachata

Laura’s Theme*

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Dr. Zhivago

Waltz

Welcome to Burlesque

Cher

Burlesque

Tango

Hello, Dolly!

Louis Armstrong

Hello, Dolly!

Foxtrot

Sway*

Pussycat Dolls verision

Shall We Dance?

Cha Cha

Can’t Stop the Feeling

Justin Timberlake

Trolls

Hustle

Golden Eye

Tina Turner

Double 07

Rumba

A Time for Us

Dancelife Orchestra version

Romeo & Juliet

Waltz

Wind Beneath My Wings

Bette Midler

Beaches

Bolero

He’s A Pirate

Tony Evans

Pirates of the Caribbean

Tango

New York, New York

Frank Sinatra

New York, New York

Foxtrot

Can’t Fight the Moonlight

LeAnn Rimes

Coyote Ugly

WC/Cha Cha

(Pink Panther was on this list as well, but with the many versions of Pink Panther, a Foxtrot, a Tango, a Rumba, it was better to leave it off.)

There are so many, many more!  Do you have songs that you play at your monthly dances that have a movie theme to them?

Next time you go to the movies, while your watching, listen to the background music too, see if you want to get on your feet and dance to the rhythm?

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