Don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the scenes from movies and shorts that make your feet swing and your heart sing.
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00:00why i took a dance lesson every day of my life up until a couple of days ago
00:04you're kidding no no i did shall we dance welcome to ms mojo and today we're counting
00:11down our picks for the scenes from movies and shorts that will make your feet swing
00:15and your heart sing how do i look let's go
00:19number 20 a funny instructional short groovy movie it's less than 10 minutes long but this
00:32satirical video from 1944 manages to pack in tons of jokes and plenty of great dancing it's easy to
00:38follow and goes like this girl left white one boy right black one girl white black to a boy black
00:46white girl boy oh well you see how it goes as the narrator attempts to explain how to jitterbug
00:52the moves quickly get too fast and complex to keep up with we're treated to some impressive
00:57aerials and unique shots and the pianist's feet move so fast they begin to smoke
01:02so
01:15the film notably features an early appearance by renowned dancer jean velos in one of the lead
01:19roles her incredible career spanned more than seven decades and this isn't the only time she'll
01:25be showing up on our list
01:39well old reed number 19 i want to be like you the jungle book now i'm the king of the swingers oh
01:46the jungle vip i've reached the top and had to stop and that's what's bothering me this one's
01:53a little outside the box but it's still a classic when songwriters richard and robert
01:58sherman decided to turn this scene into a jazz number they knew exactly who they wanted for
02:03the part of king louis singer louis prima was already known as the king of swing when the
02:07shermans approached him about the part he couldn't wait to jump on board
02:11getting mad baby the brief cameo gave him the chance not just to show off his vocals and scat
02:26talent but to connect with a new young audience the song has arguably become even more famous
02:32than the movie since it's been covered by more than a dozen artists
02:41number 18 go daddio swingers maybe it's just that he he doesn't feel like dancing would you dance
02:48with me okay the swing revival of the mid-90s brought us some pretty great movies that have
02:56stood the test of time swingers put john favro and vince vaughn on the map and gave a major
03:01career boost to bands like big bad voodoo daddy while many swing dance movies rely on fancy
03:14aerials and crazy choreography this scene is more about the music and the romance of course favro's
03:20character mike does have some pretty sweet moves and his chemistry with heather graham is off the
03:25charts you can practically see the sparks flying between them as he whisks her around the crowded
03:29los angeles club i had a great time tonight me too
03:36i should do it again sometime number 17 barbara stanwick shows off lady of burlesque
03:52singing dancing costume changes and some impressive physical feats stanwick does it
03:57all in this number falling square in the middle of the early swing craze of the 30s and 40s
04:02lady of burlesque follows a series of murders that take place at a new york theater in reality
04:07though it's mostly an excuse to watch a bunch of beautiful talented people dance in skimpy outfits
04:18so
04:23stanwick shows off not just her talents as a performer but also her comedy chops
04:28this scene is a little bit vaudeville a little bit burlesque and a lot of high energy swing
04:35so
04:45number 16 recaptured youth 17 again where's that music coming from
04:53maybe she's in here if you've never seen this movie you might think this is just some teenagers
04:57enjoying the tail end of that 90s swing revival we mentioned but the story behind this scene is
05:02actually a lot more meaningful after a grandma and her ex-husband are magically transformed into
05:07their 17 year old selves they rekindle their youthful romance finding themselves at a club
05:12they light up the dance floor during this jazzy r&b number
05:16so
05:31it turns out those old school moves are still totally hip and the youngsters
05:34around them can't resist joining in even the band looks impressed
05:47all right number 15 swing kids
06:03you know you love swing when you find yourself on the floor dancing to a slow song by yourself
06:08in this powerful scene peter has lost everything including his two best friends to the nazi regime
06:14all he has left is music and it moves him to dance even when he doesn't have a partner
06:28as he spins frantically around the dance floor his former friend thomas who's now a member of
06:33the hitler youth prepares to raid the club the music dancing and violence all escalate in
06:38intensity until they reach a breaking point and peter and thomas are forced to face off one last
06:43time go on get out of here number 14 swept off her feet at the coco bongo the mask there's
06:52impressive aerials and then there's this with the power of the mask stanley ipkiss turns a
06:57night at the coco bongo club into a wild swing performance the high energy number they're
07:10dancing to is hey pachuco performed by none other than the royal crown review that's the
07:15band responsible for starting that swing revival we kept talking about
07:34with his bright yellow zoot suit and stunningly beautiful partner
07:37jim carrey makes swing look cooler than cool thanks to a little movie magic
07:41cameron diaz gets swept off her feet literally
07:56number 13 bowtie idle wild this movie flew under most people's radar in the mid-2000s
08:02that's a shame because the soundtrack is jamming
08:15set in georgia in the 1930s idle wild is full of anachronistic soul and hip-hop written and
08:20performed by outcast this super dynamic scene starts with the focus on the musical performance
08:25but just wait until the dancers get a chance to do their thing
08:33oh
08:38their acrobatics are so impressive they have to be shown in slow motion to appreciate the
08:42full effect the music clothes and incredible moves all combined to make idle wild an
08:47underappreciated gem
08:52me
09:14we bet you've never seen a dance partner used as a weapon before
09:171941 was a war comedy directed by steven spielberg near the beginning of his rise to
09:23superstardom this hilariously wild scene starts out as a typical night of partying at the uso
09:28but when rivals chuck and wally spot each other inside they break into a fight that's as much
09:33dancing as it is punching
09:43yeah the two men cavort around the other patrons and wally somehow manages to win a dance contest
09:52in the middle of it all their fight soon escalates to an all-out brawl between the
09:56soldiers and the sailors but the real winners are the audience
10:00uh
10:22spike lee's deeply serious biopic takes a break from the intensity to give us a gorgeously filmed
10:27swing dance scene the bright clothes the zoot suits and the dance moves are all impeccable
10:32in this portrait of a boston swing club in the 1940s
10:46you might have seen these acrobatic feats in dozens of other movies but you've never seen
10:50them done better than this swing dances like the lindy hop were innovated by african-american
10:55communities after all and we love to see this film give credit where it's due
11:13number 10 stage aerials love and dancing you would be amazed at what so-called disabled people can do
11:20what can you do funny you should ask this scene from love and dancing shows viewers
11:26the fun of swinging rocking out to a great tune the characters provide a great example
11:31of the high energy that goes into the dance
11:41in the movie the male lead who is deaf is visiting a middle school to discuss disability awareness
11:46and he decides to make things interesting with a routine and he definitely demonstrates the
11:51expertise and passion needed to pull off such complex moves he and his partner soon have the
11:57audience on their feet clapping along as he lifts spins twirls and dips her with classic maneuvers
12:04number nine an evening at the suds bucket a league of their own
12:17a league of their own is a baseball movie but our heroines have skills on the field
12:21and the dance floor during a night out they can do a lot more than they can do on the dance floor
12:26a league of their own is a baseball movie but our heroines have skills on the field
12:31and the dance floor during a night out they treat viewers to a routine in a more
12:35casual carefree setting which adds an interesting dynamic to the affair
12:47while these dancers don't perform all the more high octane tricks their energetic moves leave
12:52nothing to be desired watching everyone having so much fun inspires us to want to get off the couch
12:58and join in after all one doesn't have to be a professional acrobat to take part in swing
13:03as long as you're having fun and don't mind a little dizziness it's something that everyone
13:08can learn
13:24number eight excited conductor sensations of 1945 this black and white pick proves you don't need
13:31color to be enthralled by swing its liveliness and a stellar tune is enough look at that
13:36everybody's jitterbug in my opinion it's complete full formal wear won't stop these
13:41party goers from performing aerials and tricks to big band music even the conductor the famous
13:46cab calloway is caught up in the fun singing with his baton and hair flying pianist dorothy donagan
13:53also kills it on the piano showing just how speedy and active the music needs to be
14:07so
14:12what we love most here however is watching these folks cut loose literally dancing in
14:16the street they execute some beautiful flips and spins and make us want to join them
14:25so
14:34number seven diggin and jive twice blessed that's what's called digging the jack really
14:41why why that's just like my morning setting up exercises let's try it it's the jitterbug
14:48contest finals in twice blessed and everyone is bringing their a-game
14:59even the leads get in on the stunts with the men twisting and dipping alongside the women
15:04there's a lot going on here with more couples than we can count giving it their all but that's what
15:10makes it so exciting to watch no matter where you look there's a stunt or fancy maneuver on display
15:15that'll leave you impressed and it's not just about the tricks either this scene also earns
15:21its spot by showing off the complex footwork required as well as the strength and balance
15:26that goes into executing an effective swing routine hey you're okay number six mr zoot
15:37suit blast from the past the much beloved actor brendan fraser graces the dance floor in the scene
15:42and the result is delightful after being underground for decades fraser's character
15:48adam emerges in 1999 but gets to do a little metaphorical time traveling to the era of swing
16:03he shows off his skills with not one but two partners it's a great display of the showmanship
16:08and charisma that goes into the dance as the star enchants the crowd with his arm work and charming
16:14smile
16:25with dips and a candlestick this routine sticks the landing and then some
16:30honestly is there anything brendan fraser can't do
16:39ah number five one girl and two boys swing fever from two follows to two leads we're coming in hot
16:48with jean veloz putting her impressive abilities on display while dancing with two gentlemen
17:00oh
17:05in this scene we see plenty of excellent footwork as she's passed between her two partners
17:10her swivels and hip movement steal the show on their own
17:13making the extra tricks were treated to feel like a bonus
17:16yes
17:26we notably get to see another example of the candlestick move which is far from easy to pull
17:31off on top of that the star keeps her upper body fully engaged while bopping to the music
17:37put simply it's a great show from great dancers
17:46number four aerial swing let's make music
17:57this performance contains the perfect combination of mid-air moves and precise
18:01intricate foot movements the dancers appear to keep their balance through pure velocity
18:05alone as they spin and kick holding on to each other to stay upright
18:10as professional performers they keep us enthralled with their commitment and dexterity
18:20their goofy over-the-top entry and exit are the cherry on top of this swing and sunday
18:26while their talent and hard work shine through stellar over-the-back aerials
18:30while let's make music wasn't necessarily everyone's favorite film at the time
18:34we can't imagine this dance scene had anything to do with the criticism
18:40number three all god's children got rhythm a day at the races the performers in this scene from a
18:48day at the races tackle the elaborate tenets of swing dancing with absolute ease both on the
18:54floor and in the air they're known as whitey's lindy hoppers a group of swing dancers who toured
19:08the world entertaining everyone with their amazing showings luckily for us they also
19:13performed in movies like this one they became renowned for their exceptional talent and
19:18exploits which are clearly on display throughout this lindy hop segment the speed and acrobatics
19:24alone are jaw-dropping and don't even get us started on that three-person trick
19:29number two sing sing sing with a swing swing kids
19:45swing kids takes viewers into the secret world of germany's youth in the late 1930s
19:50exploring the swing movement that was born the party is well underway in this scene and we're
19:55even treated to a jam circle where couples get the chance to show everyone what they've got to
20:00offer for the most part though the segment is about the crowd and the joyful madness they're
20:15caught up in it really captures the fun of the swing like many things popularized by young people
20:21it was once considered rebellious and lesser than for dance though it was revolutionary
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20:52number one whitey's lindy hoppers hell's a-popping oh man don't stop now we're jumping
20:59keep everything to lord now this thing might turn into something i'm mistaken here comes something
21:06now whitey's lindy hoppers are back but given how insanely gifted they are are you even surprised to
21:12see them here these amazing performers go full throttle in 1941's hell's a-popping each couple
21:18takes a turn on the floor dancing as fast as they can while tackling some of the most impressive
21:23steps and aerials ever captured on film perhaps the most mind-blowingly formidable part of all
21:40besides the unbeatable technique is how effortless they make it look after all anyone who's ever
21:46tried their hand at such a routine knows firsthand just how difficult it is the acrobatics and
21:51training we see here are proof that whitey's lindy hoppers rank high among the greatest
21:56swingers of all time which scene makes you want to get up and dance let us know in the comments
22:13i'm gonna come get you
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