The Greatest Dancer - My Top Ten

I decided that the best way to tackle this week's theme is to give you an insight into who I think are the best ten dancers ever. As a professional dancer myself it was quite a challenge to limit myself to just ten given that there are so many different genres of dance to select from. I have done my best to choose and present them in the traditional dance style of reverse order beginning with number ten. You will find a mix of  brief  details, you tube links and photographs. The list is purely personal and there may be some inclusions that you have may not have encountered before. Please read, watch and comment if you like. My hope is that my efforts may stimulate vibrant conversation.

10 Mitzi Gaynor

Mitzi's most famous movie role came in the Rogers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific. Bikini clad she strutted her stuff in the memorable 'I'm gonna wash that man right outta my hair' and my favourite, 'Honey Bun' which was such a clever routine.

9 Donald  O'Connor

His face and name may not be familiar to many of you but if I tell you that he was the funny man in he classic movie Singing in the Rain where he performed a standout  performance with his routine, Make 'em Laugh. Just follow the link below and enjoy the show. 

8 Liza Minnelli

The daughter of  Judy Garland was always destined for the stage. Wasn't she born in a trunk in a theatre? Liza with a zee, rose to fame through her performance in the movie Cabaret. Not the most attractive girl but boy could she sing and dance. Set in pre-war Berlin, the story highlighted the grotesque nature of entertainment at a time when The Nazi party first came to power in Germany. It is a great watch with several memorable numbers featuring Miss Minnelli as Sally Bowles

Watch her reprise her award winning performance in Cabaret by clicking on the link. 

7 Michael Jackson

What a phenomenon this young man was. I first saw his exceptional Thriller video in a night club in Blackpool in 1983 and we were all copying the routine. 

Michael was born into an African American family of five boys and two girls. I remember his first hit Rockin Robin. He was such a cutie but it was his incredible dancing that propelled him to super stardom. 

 

6 Cyd Charisse

She reputedly had the longest legs in the business.  During her career, Cyd partnered many of the best male dancers, including a memorable routine with Gene Kelly in Singing in the Rain. 

Click on the link to see this incredible routine.

5 Juliet Prowse

For those of you unfamiliar with the name or the 1960 Cole Porter movie Can Can, I thoroughly recommend  that you get a copy or watch  it soon. It is a real romp set in Paris at the turn of the 20th century. The costumes and songs are fantastic - but oh the dancing - it will just blow you away. 

The finale can can performance feature both Juliet and one of the stars of the show, Shirley MacLaine who was a terrific dancer but surpassed by Prowse. She was simply sensational. She starred on Broadway as Mame.

Follow the link to see the Can Can finale. 

4 Sutton Foster

This tap dancer is a genius. Watching her perform in a live stream of Anything Goes at the cinema a few years ago was the first time I have ever cried with joy in  public.  The final dance routine errupted on stage into a cacophony of  wonderful tapping, singing and amazing timing. The ovation in the theatre expanded into the cinema.  Sutton's perfomance is a triumph. The show is well worth watching. If it ever comes to a UK theatre, I will be first in the queue for a ticket. 

Some of cast performed at the Toni awards and you can see this shortened version by clicking on the link. 

3 Dame Margot Fonteyn 

Royal Ballet Prima Ballerina Assoluta Margot Fonteyn (1919–91) was an iconic figure in British ballet. With Ninette deValois and Frederick Ashton she was instrumental in shaping the Company, and was particularly renowned for her performances in the formal classics and as a muse for Frederick Ashton.

Many of her most loved roles were performed with Rudolph Nureyev. See her here in Rose Adagio from Sleeping Beauty.  

2 Gene Kelly

Genius is the only way to describe the prowess of Gene Kelly when dancing. The Hollywood movie star danced his way into our hearts in such musical classics as \on the \town, An American in Paris and of course the enormous hit musical, Singing in the Rain. The umbrella scene must be the most watched dance extract of all time. You can watch it here. Go on my friend, spoil yourself.

1 Michael Flatley

Well at last we come to the climax of my list of the top ten greatest dancers. Having seen the man storm the stage in Manchester in Lord of the Dance for my 40th birthday treat, there was never any doubt that he would be my number one. The man is a giant in the world of dance. He created a worldwide phenomenon from Irish dancing. He choregraphed and performed in Riverdance, Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames and Celtic Tiger Live.  What an incredible repertoire. There can be only one and that one reigns supreme. He is simply the greatest dancer. 

You can see the maestro perform in Riverdance here. 

No poem today - I hope that you enjoyed the blog. If you did please leave a comment.

Thanks for reading. Keep dancing. Adele