Customer Reviews

That's Dancing!

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This work, narrated by Gene Kelley, is devoted to the cinema musicals, starting with seldom seen footage of the silent era, and continuing with the fantastic dancing scenes of Busby Berkley. Next we move on to the Fred Astaire period, which centers attention on the individual dancer. We see beautiful performances from the likes of Ginger Rogers, Ruby Keeler as well as the incomparable Nicholas Brothers. With the advent of color, comes a never previously seen number on the 'yellow brick road' with Judy Garland and Ray Bolger. Not to forget a marvellous routine by Shirley Temple and Bojangles Robinson! Alltogether, this is the most memorable series of dance sequences that I have ever seen in half a century.

This film is a must-see for any dancer. The clips used to showcase different types of dancing in film are creatively woven together and the commentary is very informative. Many famous scenes from the old MGM musicals to the water spray scene in Flashdance are used to illustrate how diversified dancing in films can be. For ballet dancers, there is a portion devoted solely to ballet in films which is hosted by Mikhail Baryshnikov. Scenes of Rudolph Nureyev leaping through the air compliment this section as well as scenes from various ballets. Liza Minelli hosts the Broadway inspirational portion which is shorter in length. I only saw this film once but I feel that it is a must-own selection for any dancer.

This video has gotten some play recently on TMC, but in the wrong format. It is so compressed on the screen that it is hard to appreaciate the great dancing. I would recommend buying your own copy as these are all the classic dances from the movies..from Cagney to Michael Jackson, you see some really great performances! I just watched it on TV and went right to the net and ordered it. The precision of some of these dances and the abilities of not just the stars, but the chorus dancers as well, left me in awe. You could run 27 takes with me dancing and still not come close to what the worst of these dancers can do! I understand they are adding some new footage of the St. Cyril Theatre Guild's Grease dances to the original video. Even without these new additions, That's Dancing is just marvelous!

This is definitely one of the best films ever made! I loved this from the first five seconds on. I think that this is certianly a triuumph in the movie world. From ballet, to vaudeville and from Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers to Busby Berkley, this movie will have you tapping your toes and singing along to the beat. I never get tired of watching this!
Other good movies are the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies from the thrities.

Following the success of THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!, the producers thought a feature devoted solely to great film dancing would be a smash. Unfortunately, THAT'S DANCING mixes classic scenes with some embarrasing moments--Gene Kelly praising breakdancing in a lengthy sequence, for example. On the plus side, it's wonderful to see not only Astaire and Kelly, but also Vera Zorina, Bill Robinson soloing, Eleanor Parker, etc. But where oh where are longer sequences with Bobby Van, Ray McDonald, or even co-host Liza Minelli (of course, these are primarily MGM musicals, which disqualifies a number of entries)? Every time I watch this collection, I want to put another, better one together myself!

I am certainly glad I purchased this DVD. There is footage that is historic as well as artistic, such as Bojangles' routine and some of the ballet dancers. I would have liked it even more if they'd done longer segments of some of the dances, rather than snippets, and if they'd chosen a better segment for Michael Jackson, such as his show-stopping live performance with his moon walk; also, I wish they'd shown Sammy Davis Jr's amazing live performance of "Mr Bojangles"--another show-stopper and awesome.

That being said, it is a superb compendium; I'm glad that it was created. It was quite an undertaking to sift through the vast array of recorded performances. The scope of the subject is so huge that there was no way they could cover everything, or please everyone. That they did such a great job is testimony to their dedication, skill, etc. I'm pleased that they included bits showing actors who weren't known for dancing; some were surprisingly good. I am especially thankful that it includes a segment showing Rudolph Nureyev leaping around the stage, leap after leap. My most treasured dance moment is/was watching him do so in a live performance, when he did seven fantastic leaps around the stage. It was the most beautiful and wonderful ballet moment I'd ever seen: power, grace, astounding height and width...

One final "I wish they'd...": Many consider the folk dance in The Sound of Music, when the Captain cuts in while his son is dancing with Maria, one of the most romantic moments ever in any movie. Too bad it wasn't shown here.

I do recommend this DVD, and have no regrets about buying it.

How enjoyable 1985 That's Dancing is! And the special treat is that you get to see the complete dance performances. You will see the beginning era of dance and several entertainers who comment, Gene Kelly, Baryshnikov, Ray Bolger, Liza Minelli and Sammy Davis Jr.

Genres of Dance
You will see some entertaining black and white performances from the earliest choreographer, Busby Berkeley, and those beautiful, jovial dance numbers in Technicolor. Included are some wonderful tap dancing performances from the legends of the dance, especially a Nicholas Brothers tapdance; it is exuberant. Considered one of the best, a tap dance with Donald O'Connor and Gene Kelly. Plenty of time is given to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers from "Gay Divorcee" and "Swingtime", plus Astaire's various partners. What is new to audiences is a scene that was cut from "The Wizard of Oz", a charming dance number with Ray Bolger. Too bad that was cut because it was so refreshing.

Baryshnikov comments on early ballet clips, and archive footage of Nureyev. From the colorful "Red Shoes" is Isadora Duncan. And not to forget the dance from Broadway which includes James Cagney in "Yankee Doodle Dandee" and more.

The latter part of dancing features that amazing dance from Flashdance, where the actual dancer, Marine Jahan, danced for Jennifer Beals. Michael Jackson's "Beat It" and John Travolta's "Saturday Night Fever" clips.

Special features - Yes...John Travolta was included as ONE of the GREATEST!???? Huh??

This extra includes info on selection process to include such astonishing performances, and how this search was conducted. There was a grand photo of the remaining dance greats that took place, and yes, don't ask me how, but John Travolta was included among the greatest dancers in entertainment. He was so honored, I think he was just wondering how he was ever to be included anyhow!

Enjoyable!!....Rizzo

My interesting in dancing has always been as a spectator, not a dancer; we did however give our daughter dancing lessons from early childhood and she loved it. She loved it so much that she married a professional ballet dancer and now they own a successful dance school where they both teach.

As a fan of classical music since childhood I can recall the rapture I felt when I saw my first ballet; the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo was presenting the second act of Swan Lake. I was transported to a world of ethereal beauty that made a lasting impression on me. Since then I have been mostly a fan of classical ballet whereas my wife appreciates not only ballet, but also other more contemporary forms of dance.

I mention the above to help explain our enthusiasm for this DVD. It covers the world of dancing from ballet to break dancing and features a multitude of really remarkable dancing sequences from the stage and screen.

As a home theater enthusiast it pleases me that the sound has been remastered to Dolby Digital 5.1 surround and really immerses the listener in great sound.

The overall effect is an uplifting joyous experience in dance; it leaves you feeling better about things than when you started.

We also bought a copy for our daughter and her husband and as dance professionals, they have found it to be a delight as well.

If you enjoy watching dancing or have a family member who does, this DVD is a treasure and sure to please anyone who appreciates dancing.

I'm very glad we added it to our collection.

This movie is a compilation of some of the greatest dancers and dances ever filmed! From the early days of Ziegfeld Follies and Busby Berkeley to modern ballet and break-dancing, you can see the different styles and forms of dance. Some of the stars are Ruby Keeler, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, a wonderful solo by Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, the Nicholas Brothers, Eleanor Powell, Ray Bolger, Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse, Ann Miller, Leslie Caron, Nureyev/Fonteyn. Wonderful choreography from "West Side Story" and "Flashdance" and other memorable dance movies.

This DVD brings a smile to your face and sets your feet to tapping. Fans of musicals & dance will love this movie. It makes a nice gift.