I think most of us are dance fans, who love to dance or to watch someone dancing. Dance is a kind of art that generally involves movement of the body, often rhythmic and to music. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire of movements, or by its historical period or place of origin. Dancers are the ones who practice dance and perform in stage programs, series, movies, etc. Many amazing dancers have graced the dance floors with their talents. Movies and videos of these popular dancers show us the extent of their love of and devotion to their particular forms of dance.
Let’s have a look at the 10 best dancers in Hollywood History.
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American actor, dancer, singer, choreographer, and television presenter who is widely considered the greatest dancer in film history. His stage and subsequent film and television careers spanned a total of 76 years. He starred in more than 10 Broadway and West End musicals, made 31 musical films, four television specials, and numerous recordings. As a dancer, his outstanding traits were an uncanny sense of rhythm, perfectionism, and innovation. Fred’s most memorable dancing partnership was with Ginger Rogers, with whom he co-starred in a series of ten Hollywood musicals during the age of Classical Hollywood cinema, including “Top Hat”, “Swing Time”, and “Shall We Dance”. [Source: www.who.com.au]
Martha Graham
Martha Graham was an American modern dancer and choreographer. Her style, the Graham technique, reshaped American dance and is still taught worldwide. She danced and taught for over seventy years. She was the first dancer to perform at the White House, travel abroad as a cultural ambassador, and receive the highest civilian award of the US: the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction. In her lifetime, she received honors ranging from the Key to the City of Paris to Japan’s Imperial Order of the Precious Crown.
Gene Kelly
Gene Kelly was an American actor, dancer, singer, filmmaker, and choreographer who was recognized for his energetic and athletic dancing style, his good looks, and the likable characters that he played on screen. He starred in, choreographed, and co-directed with Stanley Donen some of the most well-regarded musical films of the 1940s and 1950s. Kelly is best known for his performances in “An American in Paris”, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, “Singin’ in the Rain”, which he and Donen directed and choreographed.
Rudolf Nureyev
Rudolf Nureyev was a Soviet-born ballet dancer and choreographer. Nureyev is regarded by some as the greatest male ballet dancer of his generation. He pushed himself hard, rehearsing for hours in order to make up for the years of training he missed. Rudolf went on to dance with The Royal Ballet in London and from 1983 to 1989 served as director of the Paris Opera Ballet. He was also a choreographer, serving as the chief choreographer of the Paris Opera Ballet. He produced his own interpretations of numerous classical works, including Swan Lake, Giselle and La Bayadère.
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson was an American singer, songwriter, and dancer. Dubbed the “King of Pop”, he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a four-decade career, his contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture. He popularized complicated dance moves such as the moonwalk, to which he gave the name, as well as the robot. [Source: www.musicraiser.com]
Shakira
Shakira is a Colombian singer and dancer who is widely known for her dancing in her music videos and concerts. Her distinctive dancing style is said to combine Latin dancing with Middle Eastern belly dancing, which is derived from her Lebanese heritage, and her hip shaking is mentioned in songs, such as Fifth Harmony’s “Brave Honest Beautiful”. Shakira sings and dances at the same time, and that’s her unique talent.
Patrick Swayze
Patrick Swayze was an American actor, dancer, choreographer, singer, songwriter and film producer known for playing distinctive lead roles, particularly romantic, tough and comedic characters. People magazine named him the “Sexiest Man Alive” in 1991. He performed in the romance film “Dirty Dancing” which eventually became one of the most successful and culturally-significant dance movies of the 20th century.
Sofia Boutella
Sofia Boutella is an Algerian actress, model, and dancer. She was exposed to many more forms of dance in Paris, particularly hip hop and street dance, which intrigued her for offering more “freedom” compared to the more disciplined styles of ballet and gymnastics. In 2018, Sofia starred in the ensemble dance-horror film “Climax”, a performance which earned her a lot of critical acclaim.
Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era’s top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. She started her dancing career at the age of 12. Rita also starred in the Technicolor musical “Cover Girl”, which was released in 1944. She is best known for her performance in the 1946 film noir “Gilda”, opposite Glenn Ford, in which she played the “femme fatale” in her first major dramatic role.
Channing Tatum
Channing Tatum is an American actor and producer who is also one of the best dancers in Hollywood. In 2000, he was first cast as a dancer in Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs” music video. He also starred as Mike in “Magic Mike”, a film based on his eight-month experience as a male stripper in Florida. [Source: www.comedymood.com]
