That kid has the moves! Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the moments we discovered that the actors who grew up on our screens could really throw some moves.
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00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the moments
00:09we discovered that the actors who grew up on our screens could really throw some moves.
00:2010. Jaden Smith – The Karate Kid
00:24Jaden's first feature film was The Pursuit of Happiness in 2006,
00:28alongside his father Will Smith. He continued to dabble in acting and eventually turned his
00:33sights to music. However, besides being a great actor and singer, it turns out he can throw some
00:47epic moves too. And no, we don't just mean those awesome karate stunts, which he mostly did
00:54No, we're talking about his dance skills in the arcade.
01:07We're pretty sure the looks on our faces were no different than his when he watches
01:11Mei Ying dance. If that isn't enough, he also strutted his stuff on Ellen while promoting the
01:16movie. 9. Sabrina Carpenter – Girl Meets World
01:27These days, Carpenter's music can get anyone on their feet faster than three shots of espresso.
01:39However, she was flexing her dance skills long before her music career took off.
01:44Fans of Girl Meets World might recall one spooky episode where Riley and Maya are haunted by a
01:50previous resident of the house who calls herself the Bay Window Ghost. She insists that she can't
01:56move on until they learn to love the Bay Window as much as she once did. Perhaps Maya isn't too
02:02happy about being forced to cut a rug, but it's definitely a thrill for us.
02:06It's gonna take a lot more than that to control me, sister.
02:17Carpenter and Riley actress Rowan Blanchard are so good. Talk about having some hot feet.
02:238. Lindsay Lohan – Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
02:38Many of us first met Li Lo in the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap. She shot to stardom in the early
02:442000s with roles in Freaky Friday, Mean Girls, and Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, where
02:50she played Mary slash Lola, a teenager dreaming of Broadway fame. After her family moves out of
03:06the city, she starts at a new school and sets her sights on landing the lead role in their musical
03:11Eliza Rocks. When her big moment comes, she totally nails it.
03:26How many of us dreamed our school would put on this show after watching Lohan's performance?
03:30At the very least, we watched that scene over and over, trying to perfect her moves.
03:417. Christian Bale – Newsies
03:50Did you know that Batman could dance? As a kid, Bale attended ballet classes before getting his
03:55big break in Empire of the Sun when he was 13. However, he hadn't hung up his dancing shoes
04:01quite yet. In 1992, he played newsboy Jack Kelly in the Disney cult classic Newsies.
04:12Now, anyone who has seen the film knows that this young ensemble's choreography goes far
04:22beyond a few box steps and jazz hands. While we can't know if Bale kept up with his pliés and
04:27rond de jambe, he definitely didn't let his sense of rhythm and nimble feet slide either.
04:41If you thought that was impressive, just watch him go in Swing Kids.
04:566. Ryan Gosling – La La Land
04:59If you grew up watching the Mickey Mouse Club or followed the Canadian dancing kid
05:03scene in the 90s, you may have known that this actor has some serious moves.
05:08However, it would still be a little while until the rest of us were clued in.
05:12In 2016, he starred alongside Emma Stone in the movie-musical La La Land,
05:16which celebrates the genre's golden era.
05:25Now, we're not saying he's the next Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire. However, we're pretty sure that
05:30he would fit right in, starring alongside those two Hollywood icons in their heyday.
05:35If Broadway ever calls, we truly hope he answers.
05:455. Coco Jones – Let It Shine
05:49Today, you probably know Coco Jones as a Grammy-winning artist.
05:58But like several of our favorite contemporary singers,
06:02she got her start on the Disney Channel.
06:13She first wowed many of us with her triple-threat talents as
06:17Roxy in the 2012 hit movie Let It Shine.
06:20What I said is so much better than any song on the network has a right to be.
06:32Plus, her performance wouldn't look out of place in a music video.
06:38You know, the kind that sparks a global dance trend?
06:41If you ask us, this wasn't just the moment we discovered she could dance.
06:45It was also the moment we knew she was going to make it big.
06:494. Neil Patrick Harris – How I Met Your Mother
07:02NPH first gained fame as the titular child prodigy doctor in Doogie Howser, M.D.
07:08But today, he's probably best known for playing the suit-wearing,
07:11high-five-loving Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother.
07:18For the show's 100th episode, he went all out with an ode to his beloved suits.
07:34Before all that, though, he had already racked up a ton of stage credits.
07:38However, it was this moment that really showcased his dance skills to the masses.
07:49He continued to flex his moves almost any time he hosted an award show.
07:55There's also his Tony-winning performance in Hedwig and the Angry Inch,
07:59where he took things up a notch by dancing in heels we're not even sure we could stand in.
08:143. Tom Holland – Lip Sync Battle
08:17Did you know that when this Spider-Man hits the dance floor, he always sticks the rhythm?
08:22We got our first glimpse of his talents when he competed against his Spider-Man
08:26co-stars Zendaya on Lip Sync Battle. Actually, if you happened to catch the
08:30West End run of Billy Elliot between 2008 and 2010, you may have first caught his moves then.
08:36It all started, I used to go to a street dance club, and we did a show in White Lodge,
08:40the ballet school. And the headmaster, he spotted me. He was like,
08:44we want you to audition for Billy Elliot, and I was like, ah, fair duty.
08:46Anyway, Holland started his second performance with a suave take on
08:50Gene Kelly's Singing in the Rain before transitioning into Rihanna's Umbrella.
09:03Not only are his moves on fire, but he throws in some jaw-dropping stunts too.
09:08As the rain pours no less, even Zendaya is floored. Work it, Spider-Man.
09:162. Shirley Temple – The Little Colonel
09:24Shirley Temple was Hollywood's darling during the Great Depression era.
09:27Her sweet-as-candy demeanor could put a smile on anyone's face.
09:39Most audiences first learned she could also shake a leg when she performed the
09:43stair dance alongside tap dance extraordinaire, Bill Bojangles Robinson,
09:48in the 1935 flick The Little Colonel. This was Robinson's signature routine,
09:53and apparently he knew that teaching it to his young co-star would be challenging.
09:59What's going on around here?
10:03So instead, he broke it down more simply for her,
10:06and adjusted his own steps so that it looked like she was mirroring his.
10:10Despite the years between them,
10:12this turned out to be one of the defining dance partnerships of its time.
10:26Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:30Daniel Radcliffe – How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
10:34Looks like someone was hit with a dancing feat charm.
10:49Christina Applegate – Sweet Charity
10:52The Married with Children actress showed off her sweet moves in the
10:552005 Sweet Charity Broadway revival.
11:05Raven Simone – That's So Raven
11:10It almost feels like this episode was crafted to let her triple threat talents shine.
11:24Jodie Sweetin – Full House
11:27Fun fact, the actress' actual dance teacher choreographed this routine,
11:31and those are her actual dance class buddies, too.
11:47Jenna Ortega – Wednesday
11:49She also came up with the moves, so she can basically add choreographer to her resume, right?
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12:211. Judy Garland – Summer Stock
12:25Many of us first met Garland as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz,
12:28yet we'd argue that it was her final film with MGM, Summer Stock, that we first got to
12:33see her full range. Starring with Gene Kelly, Garland plays Jane, who begrudgingly allows
12:49her sister's theater group to use her farm for rehearsals. Jane must have caught the performance
12:54bug since she appears in two of the movie's most memorable numbers. In Portland Fancy,
13:00she and Kelly's Joe start as dance floor rivals. However,
13:04they soon realize how amazing they are when they move in harmony.
13:17There's also another musical scene where Garland's moves will definitely make you get happy.
13:24Which child actor's moves surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments.
13:48Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from MsMojo,
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