Gnumoon's Stuff: This is the time on gnumoon's stuff where we DANCE!

I'm taking a small break from the costuming posts to bring you this lovely bit of randomness. I love ballroom dancing. I don't watch those shows about it, but I dearly love dancing scenes in movies, and in college my best friend and I wore out my VHS copy of Strictly Ballroom, which is one of the best dance movies out there (and one of the best movies out there in general). I also don't ballroom dance; my personal dancing is limited to Zumba class and bopping about the house with my daughter. If any of you can convince my husband it would be fun to try, I'll bake you some cookies. He's a good sport, but I don't know if he'd be willing to give that a go.

L (aforementioned best friend) and I were discussing over IM this morning how dance scenes just make us happy, and impress us with their amazing footwork and whatnot. So we decided to share some favorites. The criteria were: no big dresses impeding footwork (sorry, dance scene in Beauty and the Beast), no dance scenes-turned-into-raves (sorry, dance scene in that one Harry Potter movie), no dance scenes focusing on a troupe instead of a couple (sorry, all of West Side Story), and they had to make us smile (sorry, dance scene in Gone with the Wind). We reserve the right to break any or all of these rules at our whim.

So, watch these, and smile.

Dirty Dancing - Final Dance scene

The dance scene to end all dance scenes, although to get the proper amount of titular Dirtiness, I'd suggest the Loverboy dance scene instead.

Take the Lead, Tango Scene

That Antonio Banderas, he can, how you say, Dance!

Moulin Rouge

This is another Baz Luhmann film, and another of my favorites. I was going to post the Roxanne scene, but it breaks the "happy" rule, since it's basically a choreographed rape. This movie is spectacular (spectacular) from a dancing perspective, and also if you happen to be a big Ewan MacGregor fan (raises hand). Botox or surgery or whatever she's done to herself since, Nicole Kidman is at her most gorgeous in this film.

Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers

Not technical ballroom dancing, of course. But my list, my rules.

Doctor Who - The Doctor Dances

Again, my list, my rules. Here's a great clip of the Ninth Doctor dancing in the Tardis 1940s-style with Rose Tyler as Captain Jack looks on in amusement.

Shall We Dance

Seguing into the paso doble section with Stanley Tucci's awesome permagrin.

Final Scene, Strictly Ballroom

Just the best. Scott's dad makes me tear up every time. The whole movie is excellent.

And my new very favorite dance scene in a movie is:

Toy Story 3 - Paso Doble

After Buzz is reset from Spanish mode, he retains some of his moves, and I'm impressed that Jessie never loses her hat.