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Tag: Dance

March 12: Paula Abdul ~ “Opposites Attract”

Okay, so this is another throwback (might be that way for the whole week, at this rate), but Paula Abdul’s dance is infectious and the animation for her performance partners, The Wild Pair (originally credited as MC Skat Kat), the video employs a technique similar to Gene Kelly’s Anchors Aweigh and Invitation to the Dance.

It’s one of my favorite music videos from the ’80s, because of the animation and the dancing.

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February 26: Hollywood Movie Dance Tribute ~ We Can Dance and We Can Neutron Dance

It’s almost time for the Oscars and it’s finally time to post these two “That’s Entertainment” style videos, produced by Robert Jones as loving tributes to dance in the movies. I think there are some key clips Robert missed in these first two takes, and he acknowledges as much in a comment on the second video:

Ive [sic] got about 250 movies/clips that involve dancing and between the two dance tributes I’ve used less than half.  There are so many movies I wanted to work into this one.  A video like this is very time consuming.  I’d love to make another one though.  It’s a lot of fun.

I sure hope he does, because I love the work he did on these two:

and…

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February 19: A tribute to Devo (RIP, Bob Casale, 1952-2014)

Ordinarily, it’s Wednesday and I’d be featuring a video (or more) on the subject of dance. Not today. I almost — *almost* featured a trio of Devo songs for Twofer Tuesday, but I hesitated. Yesterday, I heard that Bob Casale, one of Devo’s founding members, died suddenly of heart failure.

This has already been a hard year, with losing Pete Seeger and Shirley Temple Black among others, but they were both in advanced years. 61 (Casale’s age) is no longer as hugely distant as it once was.

Devo’s music had a major influence on my life, from taste in music to the realization that being different isn’t a bad thing. We’re Through Being Cool could be considered an anthem for some of the counterculture who thought of Devo as inspirational music.

Their brand of nerd rock predated “Weird Al’s” career by a solid four years. He eventually featured their music styling in an original tribute, Dare to be Stupid.

How do these music videos qualify for Dancing Wednesday? Well, if you’d seen me while I was an undergrad at SUNY New Paltz, in the local New Wave club, you wouldn’t have to ask.

The group is probably best known for the song “Whip It” —

— but there are others that I consider to worth including in this list. They follow, in no particular order. If you’re just discovering their music for the first time, I hope you can appreciate the influence they brought to music, especially during New Wave, and beyond as well.

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February 12: Mikhail Baryshnikov & Gregory Hines ~ White Nights

We’re on the run up to the Academy Awards, and we’re in Russia right now for the Olympics. What better reason (aside from watching these two gifted dancers) do I need to feature this clip from White Nights? Why, none at all.

They made it look easy. I know better. 

Celebrating the return of my internet, thanks to that “other” monopoly that made the news last week. Enjoy the first of five posts in the same day.

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February 5: Attraction on Britain’s Got Talent ~ 1st Audition and Final

The nature of viral video is such that you never know what’s going to be popular or when it’s going to hit. Some videos make the rounds multiple times, and others skyrocket in a matter of weeks.

The silhouette dance is a highly specialized form of dance, and Attraction is particularly good at it, considering that each of these videos has well over 5 million hits.

If you haven’t seen the first one go round on your feed, be warned – it’s a sentimental tearjerker of the highest order.

First:

and then:

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January 29: Choreography by Balanchine. Prodigal Son (Parts 1-4)

Today’s highlight, a 1979 performance of George Balanchine’s ballet, “Prodigal Son” in four parts, features Mikhail Baryshnikov in the title role.

My first exposure to his work, in the 1977 film The Turning Point, made me a lifelong fan. I was privileged to see his work live in 2003, when he performed at the Festival of the Arts in Columbia, MD.

I believe this is the first time I’m featuring Baryshnikov’s work, but I guarantee it won’t be the last. His diversity of style, classical and modern, and his on-screen presence places him at the top for his generation of ballet dancers, and in my opinion one of the best ever. Watch for future career highlights throughout the year.

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January 22: Zach Sherwin ~ “Goose MCs” (5th Anniversary of the Miracle on the Hudson)

Dancing Wednesday just got a whole lot more surreal.

Okay. Really? YouTube has EVERYTHING, including “A hip-hop ballet honoring Capt. Chesley Sullenberger and the fifth anniversary of the Miracle on the Hudson.”

I swear. That’s what the clip says. You’ll find the complete lyrics on the video page.

I’ll probably resort to the classics again next week, but with a continuing accumulation of snow that’s cancelling school a second day in  a row, I have every right to be amused and I just love to share.

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January 21: Kate Bush and Noel Fielding ~ “Wuthering Heights”

Okay, so technically this isn’t a Twofer Tuesday in the traditional (?) sense, but it’s my blog and I can do what I want.

Back when Saturday Night Live was a new thing, they featured Kate Bush doing both Wuthering Heights and another song from The Kick Inside. The first version is the one I remember from that introduction to her music. (I have all her albums and I’ve snagged more of her videos for featuring this year.)

So when someone started circulating the parody Noel Fielding did for Comic Relief, I was surprised to discover the second version of the music video was also on YouTube, and darned if he wasn’t dead-on accurate.

Here’s Kate’s version (Number Two):

And here’s Noel’s. I’d put the coffee mug down if I were you:

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January 15: Jason Brown Free Skate 2014 US Figure Skating Championships

This isn’t an official video, so I have no idea how long it will stay up on YouTube, but it’s making the rounds on my Facebook feed and you really need to see it.

At its very best, figure skating is an art form as dramatic as anything you can put on stage, and at 19, Jason Brown is one of the very best I’ve ever seen. Even if you aren’t a fan, I am sure you can still appreciate the hard work that brought him to this moment on the ice.

I’m not generally a fan of sports (unless there’s a bat, floor exercises or ice involved) but I have a weakness for figure skating in particular, as well as dance, and Brown combines the athletic best of both.

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January 14: The Bangles ~ “Walk Like an Egyptian” and “Going Down To Liverpool”

I have a confession to make. Vevo is my favorite part of YouTube. It’s like staying up all night just to catch my favorite music video on MTV (back when MTV was, you know, Music Television), but without the Whitesnake and AC/DC videos in the way.

Seriously. I can find almost EVERYTHING I ever loved about the ’80s on Vev0, and you’re gonna get to watch them all year long. Twofer Tuesdays are especially cool because I don’t have to stick with the most played songs. I just have to find two that match (in whatever random way that fits, kind of like a video version of Apples to Apples.) But don’t be surprised if these disappear again off the playlist before the year is out. YouTube has a bad habit of making my favorite selections vanish into thin air.

With that in mind, here are two Bangles tunes. First one makes me smile, every time, especially when the cops are in the donut shops.

The second one? Has Leonard Nimoy. Seriously. How did I miss this the first time around? 1984 was never stranger than this. But wait, there’s more

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January 8: Baby [Cory] Dancing to Beyonce

Yes, folks, YouTube can be serious thugs when they want to be.

This is not the original 4 million hit viral video posted by Cory’s family, but then, that’s because we can’t see the original here in the US. So I’m offering this substitute instead. Catch it before YouTube takes it down again.

If this 20-month old can get his grove on, what’s stopping you?

(Oh and? Swallow the drink if you’re one of the five people on my feed who hasn’t seen the video yet. The bouncing is nothing compared to his leg moves. Seriously.)

Next week (maybe) we’ll get into some Baryshnikov moves, but hey! They all have to start somewhere, right?

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January 1 (New Year’s Day): Steve Martin & Gregory Hines ~ Fit As A Fiddle

Starting off the New Year in style with my favorite funny man Steve Martin and one of the best there is or was, Gregory Hines.

I would have featured this video during Steve Martin week, but I found it after I’d already compiled all the clips for the week. Which just goes to show, if you wait long enough, you can find enough material for an entire year. And so here’s to the offbeat and unexpected. And to our first Dancing Wednesday!

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November 21: Kenichi Ebina Performs an Epic Matrix- Style Martial Arts Dance

Switching gears tomorrow, because I’m running out of weeks. We are ALMOST to the December Advent Calendar, but not quite yet.

Here’s your last Dance Video for the week. He could give Marquese Scott a run for his money. Seriously.

Dubstep, Japanese-style.

Honestly? I thought he detached his head. 20 million hits and counting.

Do not drink or eat anything while watching this. I promise, you’ll thank me later.

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November 17: Greatest Father Daughter Dance Medley Ever!

Oh, if only my Dad could have danced like this guy.

Seriously. I’m surprised this only has 6.8 million hits. It should have a whole lot more!

We all think of dancing at a wedding as a ritual, a celebration. This is celebrating all right – listen to the guest howl in approval.

Enjoy the week. More to come as Dance Week continues…

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November 16: JK Wedding Entrance Dance

There are viral videos, and then there’s this.

In just four years and some change, this video has amassed nearly 83 million hits.

That’s just amazing.

It’s easy to see why. These folks aren’t pros. They are out there to have fun and celebrate with their friends and family.

If you have to walk down the aisle on your own, what better way to celebrate?

I’m dedicating the coming week to dancing, wedding, pro or otherwise.

Enjoy!

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September 28: 100 years of fashion in 100 seconds

There are lots of ways to show how we’ve changed in 100 years, but I don’t know a lot of them that are more fun to watch. 100 seconds of history. Not too shabby.

We’re almost done with September, and the last two days are up for another single singer medley. As we move into October, I’m giving the blog over to the Fourth playlist, which covers both October and November. Three short months and we’ll be done for this year, but I don’t think I’ll be done with the blog.

Between music and dance, I could cover a whole additional year, and in that year, what else will become viral? Who knows?

Enjoy your beautiful autumn days.

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