Dance film

A dance film is a film with dancing; in the strict sense discussed a dance movie and the dancing itself.

• 2.1 early phase of the sound film
• 2.2 The golden era of dance film
• 2.3 The conversion of the musical film
• 2.4 Decline of the dance film
• 2.5 renaissance of dance film
• 2.6 presence

The genre

Term

The dance film is a genre that can not be clearly defined. Its beginnings go up on the development of sound films in the 1920s back. He is closely associated with Hollywood, the center of the film in the U.S., and at the same time closely linked to the musical theater productions of Broadway, which served the dance movie for a long time as a template. The term " dance film " is only available in German, there is no equivalent translation in other languages ​​. Standard names for dance films in English are " musical comedy ", "musical movie ", " music film" or simply "romantic comedy". These concepts raise less the dance aspect out, but equally include dance, music, singing, humorous and romantic elements.

Character

A dance film is characterized by the significant emphasis on the dance scenes in which the dancers, or are best shot in Full Length. This is supposedly due to Fred Astaire, who insisted on this perspective. Sequences in which only partial movements shown are to be preferred at best tap dance or at a standstill, the pose. The Full Length is often realized by using a wide-angle lens, with the dance scenes are recorded.

Exciting choreographies with 30 or more dance couples are been an essential element of dance film, but which is completely faded into the background with its demise long time. Modern dance film focuses on a few dancers, though., Not only to a single couple or a single dancer / one dancer

Demarcation to the musical film

A verfilmtes musical is called " movie musical" or " musical film " in German. The boundaries for the dance film have dissipated here with time. Famous musicals such as Grease were filmed and successful dance films such as Saturday Night Fever and Dirty Dancing were reworked later to musicals. In musical films often find echoes of the theater productions of the musical templates. The actors playing on a stage facing the audience; the Kino-/Fernsehzuschauer takes over the part of the theater audience.

Musicals win their material from the entire width of life, which is then enriched with dance scenes. Basically, however, the dance scenes are put into it to a musical - the musical would also do without dance scenes and the plot would remain completely still. The dance film, however, has the dance and on the content; Dance events and correspond with each other. In individual cases, a musical but also devote directly dance themes (about A Chorus Line ), so that the film then gets the character of a dance film.

Development

Early phase of the sound film

Although there already from the first decades of the film recordings of dancing couples, but even for experienced pianist at the first cinemas it was hard together to achieve complete synchronization of the clock.

In the first sound film, The Jazz Singer, eventually also appeared dancing chorus girls, so it was inevitable to Hollywood discovered the Broadway productions as film material. The Broadway Melody is one of the first sound film musicals. From 1929 it was turned down in countless chapters, all of which had more the character of revue films, in which the success of one year were strung together. The production company Metro -Goldwyn -Mayer rose in the 1930s, the market leader of musicals. The music was associated with a small story to a sparse plot.

The golden era of dance film

With the discovery of the Fred Astaire dance film got its own quality, as his incomparable style of dance and the choreography of the dance film Hermes Pan gave special elegance and style. Also, now received the films, such as Flying Down to Rio, Invitation to Dance, a significantly higher budget, professional marketing and ausgestalteteres script.

In the 1930s and in the following two decades were added other giants of the dance film with its main partner Ginger Rogers, his friend, colleague and almost as unique dancers Gene Kelly and the Queen of tap dance, Eleanor Powell.

The conversion to the musical film

At least since the end of World War II the public was demanding, so the producers resorted to the numerous musical materials of Broadway, to give more content to the story. Now, was not alone in the dance in the foreground - nevertheless emerged with The Red Shoes, Kiss Me, Kate and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers epochal dance films. With their dance choreographies ( see, eg, the later film version of West Side Story ) handed her influence to the origins of music videos.

Decline of dance film

Ironically related productions of the 1950s, as the water revues an Esther Williams literally diluted the dance film. Although played here also best dance and swing orchestras such as Harry James and Xavier Cugat, but the actual dance was even more pushed into the background. In addition, he has attracted the former Stars with age since the 1960s.

Renaissance of Dance Films

Only with the surprising success of Saturday Night Fever (1977) and the musical movie Grease with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in 1978 was the dance film back: a necessary minimum of story, catchy songs, exciting dance scenes. Fame - The road to fame, Flashdance, Footloose, A Chorus Line and Dirty Dancing were the biggest success in the 1980s. The great success of the movie Fame - The road to fame even led to the eponymous television series Fame - The path to glory the hour with a total of 136 episodes from 1982 - 1987 was produced with similarly great success. In the 1990s, again followed a decade of decline.

Presence

Recent dance films like Center Stage (2000), The Company ( 2003) and Rhythm Is It! (2004) include documentary features, in which dancers accompanied in their work and their lives. In Mad Hot Ballroom (2005) students from New York schools will be accompanied, as they learn various ballroom dances to compete in a competition against each other. The film tells of their thoughts and feelings and documented their lives and their development. In dance with the time (2006 /7), the autobiographical dance theater piece is "Time - dancing since 1927" by Heike Hennig as a film template. Four former ballet dancers return with 80 years on the stage of the Opera Leipzig back and dance and tell their extraordinary life stories. 2011 brought with Wim Wenders " Pina" for the first time an internationally acclaimed dance film in 3D technology out.

In addition to these documentary films embossed but it has also in the classical dance films repeatedly individual representatives (such as Billy Elliot - I Will Dance in 2000 ), which had been successful with the public. Also remakes were released from Fame and Footloose, but could not achieve the success of the originals.

Topics

The dance film is characterized by an emphasis on cinematic dance scenes, he also addressed in the present increasingly the dancing itself. This dance related subjects determine the action, such as learning to dance the dancer or the pursuit of fame.

Dance films are especially happy produced when a special music rhythm (disco music, salsa, samba, hip hop, etc.) of the respective style of dance should be demonstrated and this is to wound with a film plot. Which rhythm is selected depends on its timeliness and regional distribution. In Mad Hot Ballroom (2005) even the Merengue was incorporated as a separate discipline of the standard dance.

Over time, various topoi have been established in the genre that have been passed down from the big hit movie models:

• The competition. Dancing is rarely an end in itself, but its goal to provide presentation. The couple is dancing in front on the dance floor want to be seen to be better than others, the dance floor " emptying" ( Saturday Night Fever, Footloose, Salsa, it's hot). A recording of a dance or ballet school is sought and requires an entrance exam, or a dance audition ( Fame - The road to fame, Flashdance, Save the Last Dance, Honey ). The crowning glory, however, is of course the dance competition, which is attended by a couple, and it usually also wins ( Dirty Dancing, Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights, Strictly Ballroom, May I ask, Rhythm Is It, Center Stage, Dance with me! , Salsa, It's Hot, Mad About Mambo, Saturday Night Fever, and others).
• The dance is traditionally used to finding a suitable partner; Dancing is wooing a woman. So can also be found in almost all dance films couples get closer and fall in love. The dance often overcomes social and cultural barriers: dance partners find despite social obstacles and different backgrounds to each other ( Dirty Dancing, Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights, Center Stage, Dance with me, Danzon, Salsa & Amor, Mad About Mambo, The Company - The Ensemble, Save the Last Dance).
• Must also be learned in the movie dancing. The dancers have to often work hard to learn the dance ( Fame -: Path to Glory, Mad About Mambo, Flashdance, Center Stage, May I ask, Honey, Save the Last Dance, Rhythm Is It, The Company). A couple trained and supported themselves, often is one of two experienced, if not dance teacher, and helps the other less experienced partner in a very short time to learn to dance ( Salsa & Amor, Dirty Dancing, Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights, Dance with me, Strictly Ballroom, Save the Last Dance).
• Dancing has often somewhat disreputable and illegal. In dancing the old rules no longer apply - new, sensual movements and rotations are tested ( Dirty Dancing, Strictly Ballroom, Mad About Mambo, Flash Dance, Salsa & Cupid). Conservative restrictions and prohibitions be breached ( Footloose, Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights, Shall We Dance? ).
• Dancing changed the dancers. In dance it is someone else, no longer the man of everyday life; one is by dancing mature ( Saturday Night Fever, Salsa, it 's hot, Mad About Mambo, Center Stage, Dirty Dancing, Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights, Rhythm Is It! ). Often this process is irreversible: After dancing one leaves his old relations, can not go back, or goes away ( Saturday Night Fever, Salsa & Amor, Honey, Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights, Danzon ).