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Boys have been involved in a few notable dance scenes in movies. There are not a large number of films which come to mind, in part because boys are not often used in movie dance scenes. These scenes are not from films about dance or do not involve a major type of dancing, but are rather production numbers, often from musicals. One such number is a dream sequence from "Pennies from Heaven" (US, 1981). There is also a charming Fred Ataire number in "Easter Parade" (US, 1948). And of course there is the marvelous Gene Kelley scene with the children in "Singin' in the Rain" (US, 1952). A much less well-known, but charming, scene comes from "The Girl Most Likely" (1957). The scene is a "Ten little indian" numbers with 10 boys and girls in Indian costumes. There is a humerous dance scene in the modern remake of Our Gang "The Little Raccals" (US, 1994). It involves Alfalfa and another boy trying to hide in a ballet class, but they stand out because they are so clumsey. It was apparently difficult to film the boy who played Alfalfa had ballet training and liked it and had trouble dancing badly enough for the scene. The more common depiction in American films is boys objecting to dancing. A typical depiction, although in a Renaisance setting is The Flame and Arrow (US, 1950) in which a boy objects to being taught dancing.
And of course there is the marvelous Gene Kelley scene with the children in "An American in Paris" (US, 1952). Kelly playing Joe is vey popular with the local children and the scene is set around an improtu English lesson. Kelly began his show business career working with child dancers. He had a wonderful way with children and it shows in this scene. I assume those are French boys, but I'm not positive where that scene was filmed. They look and sound like French children. The scene has a candid look about it, but I assume was carefully staged. The back and forth between Kelly and the children is quite enchanting, although Kelly does all the dancing.
There is a charming Fred Ataire number in Easter Parade (US, 1948). This is one of those films that is interesting to HBC because of one scene. At the
beginning of the film, Don is choosing Easter gifts for Nadine. He decides on a
stuffed bunny, the only problem is that a little boy has also set his sights on the bunny and is most displeased with Don tries to get t from him. Astaire, in an effort to distract the boy and interest him in toy drums, sings the Irving Berlin number "Drum Crazy" in a dance sequence. He is at first watched by the bemused youngester still clutching the contested stuffed Easter bunny. The boy later joins Astaire, marching in time and enthusiastically banging a toy drum.
The more common depiction in American films is boys objecting to dancing. A typical depiction, although in a Renaisance setting is The Flame and Arrow (US, 1950) in which a boy objects to being taught dancing.
A much less well-known, but charming, scene comes from "The Girl Most Likely" (1957). The scene is a "Ten little indian" numbers with 10 boys and girls in Indian costumes.
This version of Heidi is a Shirley Temple vehicle. There is a nice dance scene of childten dressed up in Dutch outfits doing a dance in wooden shoes. Now one might wonder whst Dutch children have to do with Heidi and Switzerland, but one must remem\ber that this Hollywood..
Perhaps the most famous child dance scenes in the movies is Shirley Temple's tap routein with Bojangles in the "Little Colonel". She did routines with Bojangles in other films as well as with others like Buddy Ebsen. We know fewer movies where boys do dance routeins.
There is a humerous dance scene in the modern remake of Our Gang The Little Raccals (US, 1994). It involves Alfalfa and another boy trying to hide in a ballet class, but they stand out because they are so clumsey. It was apparently difficult to film the boy who played Alfalfa had ballet training and liked it and had trouble dancing badly enough for the scene.
There are several musical numbers in "Marry Andrew" to go along with Kaye's slap-stick antics. Kaye and the boys have a dance scene in their form room. The image here shows the dance scene in the form room (figure 1). I thought he was pretending to be the Pied Piper of Hamlin. The image is black and white, but the movie is a color. A reader tells us that this is the Pam dance scene from Merry Andrew. Andrew was apparently singing about the Greek god Pan. Pan was the god of shepherds and flocks, of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music, as well as the companion of the nymphs. The school the film is set in was a stogy private school. But Pan apparently enters in as the classics, including mythology, was given great attention. Latin was always taught, although only the best students took Greek. As one of the songs is "Pipes of Pan", the dance scene is surely the Pan Dance as our reader suggests.
There is an elaborte dance scene in "The Music Man" (1962). The most notable dance
sequence of course is the scene in the library which features high school boys. Many of dancers, however, look more like adults than teenage boys despite the costuming.
The musdical "Oliver!" has a great dance scene. For some reason I do not recall seeing it when I first saw "Oliver!". A school party of girls and a school party of boys partiipate in the Bloomsbury Square Beautiful Morning scene. A reader writes, "The scene ends with the boys pushing the girls in the water. I have seen this film set. It was the backlot of Shepperton studios. The guy who took my friend and I around the sets explained this particular humour. Nancy and Bill Sykes are lurking in the back ground." Another readercrecalls the scene. "The scene shows school uniforms of wealthy pupils. The children are in a park. A group of girls are walking through and a class of boys push them in the water fountain." It is quite a lenthy song and dance sene famed around Oliver (Mark Lester) waking up and seeing a beaitiful morning unfold in the street beneath his balcony. He sings "Who will buy my sweet red roses" beautifully. It is quite a long scene. The children appear near the end, two groups of school children. The girls are dressed in prim yellow frocks with pantalettes. The boys wear caps with blie tunics or smocks. The proper dress at the time would be tunics, but as they button in the back, they are made mote like smocks. And yes the naughty boys do push the girls in the fointain. My guess is that the boys involved got a real kick out of that.
Boys have been involved in a few notable dance scenes in movies. There are not a large number of films which come to mind, in part because boys are not often used in movie dance scenes. These scenes are not from films about dance or do not involve a major type of dancing, but are rather production numbers, often from musicals. One such number is a dream sequence from Pennies from Heaven (US, 19??). In the scee a dowdy, bored class is transformed into a brilliant group of chold dancers and mussicins all dressed in white.
There is a good bit of ghoreograpy in Sond of Misic, such as when the children re intriduced to Maria. The mai dance scene is when the children play in their plasy suits made from curtains on the hill top.
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