Put on your dancing shoes as we shimmy through the most spectacular choreography from the disco decade! From dazzling tap numbers to sultry Fosse routines, these unforgettable performances changed Broadway forever. Our selection showcases legendary choreographers and performers who defined an era of musical theater.
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00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo and today we're counting down our picks for the most impressive or
00:08enduring dance numbers from musicals that debuted during the 1970s.
00:20Number 10.
00:21Hot Feet, Eubie.
00:31This musical review, celebrating jazz and ragtime composer Eubie Blake, features a few
00:36numbers that make the most out of some fancy footwork.
00:39Tap legend Gregory Hines and his brother Maurice absolutely dazzled audiences with performances
00:44of the tune Hot Feet.
00:56The song is the penultimate number for Eubie, and programming from the era showcases just
01:00how impressive the dancing was for this often forgotten 70s musical.
01:05The Hines brothers' performances from the 1979 Tony Awards, for example, seem smooth
01:10and effortless.
01:11The pair glides across the stage with true beauty and grace, proving that their esteemed
01:16reputation is definitely well earned.
01:26Number 9.
01:27Superstar, Jesus Christ Superstar.
01:37The original production of Jesus Christ Superstar was an important part of the 70s cultural
01:42zeitgeist.
01:43Classic songs like I Don't Know How to Love Him, Heaven on Their Minds, and particularly
01:47Superstar, are still thrilling to watch in revival after revival.
01:58The latter song in particular makes the most out of Judas Iscariot, Angels, and the Soul
02:12Sisters to create an atmosphere that feels more cut from a righteous rock concert than
02:16a biblical reading.
02:18This is by design, of course, since Superstar also juxtaposes this energy and electricity
02:23with the climactic crucifixion of Christ.
02:25The numbers, choreography may vary, but the rock concert feel remains the same.
02:42Number 8.
02:43Born to Hand Jive, Grease Believe it or not, Born to Hand Jive actually
03:00wasn't a part of the original Chicago production of Grease.
03:03The iconic number would be added for the subsequent Broadway presentation, however, going on to
03:07become one closely associated with Grease's meteoric success.
03:11The choreography here has a lot of moving parts, requiring coordination from the cast
03:16together with precision timing.
03:26It's difficult today to separate Born to Hand Jive from the 1978 film adaptation, but this
03:31dance routine is honestly a great time no matter which production or revival sets it
03:36up.
03:48Number 7.
03:49Everybody Rejoice, A Brand New Day, The Wiz.
04:04In the 1970s, soul and funk gained a lot of prominence on radio and on the pop charts.
04:10This didn't go unnoticed by the creators of the 1974 The Wiz, which updated the classic
04:15story of Dorothy and Oz for a new generation.
04:18This super soul musical is perhaps best known for its film adaptation starring Michael Jackson
04:22and Diana Ross, but songs like Everybody Rejoice, A Brand New Day stand out in every production.
04:36This number occurs after Dorothy has vanquished Eveline and freed the Winkies from her spell.
04:41The jubilant dancing that follows is a group effort that's impossible to resist, an expression
04:46of relief and freedom from oppression.
04:48Every choreographer seems inspired by this number to do exceptional work.
05:04Number 6.
05:05Magic To Do, Pippin.
05:17The magical Ben Vereen is a certified Broadway icon, having won and been nominated for Tony
05:23Awards for his work on both the original Jesus Christ Superstar as well as 1972's Pippin.
05:29Magic To Do opens up the show, as the cast begins the first of numerous breaks of the
05:33fourth wall.
05:46Magic To Do peels back the layers slowly, with voices joining what will be an expansive
05:50musical number incorporating nothing short of a Broadway circus.
05:54The dancing is all glorious, as are the wondrous costumes and makeup.
05:59It all does a great job at wowing the audience, getting them ready for the fantastic show
06:03that awaits them.
06:14Number 5.
06:15The Time Warp, The Rocky Horror Show.
06:27It may be the 1975 film adaptation of The Rocky Horror Show that made The Time Warp
06:31an audience participation sensation, but a good song's a good song, right?
06:36Richard O'Brien's ode to B-movies, rock and roll, and sexual freedom continues to live
06:40on with revival after revival.
06:43With generations of performers taking their turn at The Time Warp,
06:56you all know the moves.
06:58It's just a jump to the left, and then a step to the right.
07:01Simple, but oh so effective.
07:04Easily replicable too, but dance routines don't necessarily need to be super complicated
07:08to be a classic, and The Time Warp is most definitely that.
07:24Number 4.
07:26Take Off With Us and Take Off With Us Erotica, All That Jazz.
07:39There is an innate coolness to these dance numbers that's frankly impossible to resist.
07:43We admit that we're cheating a bit with regards to both Take Off With Us and Take Off With
07:47Us Erotica, since they're taken from the musical film All That Jazz.
08:03Yet when the subject of said film is Bob Friggin' Fosse, can you honestly blame us?
08:07The slow and sensual movements of the latter seem designed with the deliberate intention
08:12to titillate, and they definitely succeed in that department.
08:15It's the sort of randiness that was part and parcel of Fosse's complicated life and
08:19behavior.
08:20The end results speak for themselves, however, and remain one in a million.
08:29Number 3.
08:30Nowadays, Hot Honey Rag, Chicago.
08:46Speaking of Bob Fosse, no list such as this would be complete without a number of tunes
08:51from the man's magnum opus, Chicago.
08:53Cell Block Tango certainly requires singling out for greatness and storytelling.
08:58It's the iconic Hot Honey Rag that takes the proverbial cake, however.
09:01A classic slice of magic featuring the characters of Velma and Roxy.
09:15The duo's magical chemistry on stage serves as the penultimate musical number for Chicago,
09:20before a reprise of All That Jazz closes things out.
09:23It's a bright and glittering bit of glam that never gets old.
09:27No matter how many times we watch.
09:44Number 2.
09:45Glory, Pippin.
09:59The combined power of Ben Vereen and Bob Fosse compels us to once again reference the mighty
10:04Pippin in our list, specifically with regards to Glory.
10:07This dance number is one that highlights Vereen's solo skills as a dancer, while also incorporating
10:12Bob Fosse's Manson Trio setup.
10:15The combination of beautiful dancing juxtaposed against the bloodshed going on behind Vereen
10:19is powerful.
10:23Meanwhile, the Manson Trio bit is super surreal, as still more gory violence occurs throughout
10:32the scene.
10:33It's quirky and honestly unlike much else going on in musicals at the time, and definitely
10:38bears some discovery, if you've never seen it.
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11:10Number 1.
11:12One Reprise Finale – A Chorus Line
11:29Sometimes the easiest answers are also the correct ones.
11:31Number 1, taken from 1975's A Chorus Line, seemed as if it was destined to take our number
11:371 spot.
11:38Possessing both emotional pathos and elegant beauty, 1 takes place during a point in the
11:42show where a lot of realizations take place with regard to careers, lives, and romances.
11:54The symbiosis of the chorus line takes over as the group's movements become one, synchronizing
12:00in glorious harmony.
12:01The audience, however, knows better, and can individualize the dancers' stories, hanging
12:06on through every kick, stretch, and smile to the very end.
12:22Which dance routine from the 70's do you feel is the most underrated?
12:26Let us know in the comments!