Hard knocks and sweat bands at performing arts school; New York gangs at war, fighting each other with adrenalin-fuelled dance moves; a casino dance floor where love prevails. Countless stories have been told through dance films, and we’ve all got our favourites. To honour dance on the silver screen, The Australian Ballet’s Artistic Director David McAllister has cherry-picked three of his favourite dance films, which will screen between 11 – 13 September for the Sydney Opera House’s season of Spring Dance. Read on to find out which films got his toes tapping as a young dancer. “I was so excited to be asked to choose some of my favourite dance films,” David says. “The hardest decision was which ones to leave out.”
Swing Time
Of the ten films that Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire made together, Swing Time was Ginger’s favourite. They made an electric pair, dancing ballroom numbers with feather-light footwork, performing some of the most memorable roles in Hollywood. Often Fred would forbid filming to cease until he was happy with the take, even if Ginger’s feet were bloody and raw. In Swing Time, the dance number ‘Never Gonna Dance’ took 47 takes in one day until Fred deemed it good enough to print.
Friday 11 September
West Side Story
“Boy, boy, crazy boy, get cool, boy! Got a rocket in your pocket, keep coolly cool, boy!”
When beloved choreographer Jerome Robbins pitched West Side Story to Leonard Bernstein he sold his idea as a contemporary musical adaption of Romeo and Juliet, focusing on the conflict between Italian-American Roman Catholic and Jewish families in New York. The result? A hot-blooded teenage love affair, a neverending brawl between two Lower East Side gangs and big, bawdy musical hits coloured with Jerome’s character-filled dancing.
Saturday 12 September
Fame!
Pastel-hued tights, headbands damp with sweat and backflips across the screen: Fame! defined the 80s dance flick like no other, and the classic lives on. Later this year a remake of Fame! will be released to cinemas worldwide. It’s hard to imagine it’ll beat the classic 1980 film, though, where the New York High School of Performing Arts is the best place to be if you’re into gyrating dance sequences during lunch hour, and cartwheels off car bonnets.
Sunday 13 September
OK, so why is there no similar season here in Sunny Melbourne?
Hi Jen, this season is being presented by the Sydney Opera House as part of their Spring Dance festival, not by The Australian Ballet – David has just been lucky enough to choose some of his favourite dance films. Might be a suggestion to make to some Melbourne venues!