Top 20 Hardest Broadway Dance Routines
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- Опубликовано: 11 дек 2021
- The hardest Broadway choreography dance routines still have us tapping our toes. For this list, we’ll be looking at the most physically complex or demanding Broadway musical numbers. Our countdown includes "West Side Story," "Newsies," "Cats," and more! Which dance routine impressed YOU the most? Let us know in the comments!
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Fun fact: Queen Letifah only rehearsed for TWO DAYS before filming You Can't Stop The Beat, while the other actors struggled to fit the many words in the right timing, Queen Latifah said it was easy for her since she is a rapper. Absolute legend
Our nickname for You Can't Stop the Beat when I did it several years ago was You Can't Stop to Breathe.
OMG we were going to do it two years ago but Covid stopped us the week before our show… anyway… we also kept saying You can’t stop to breathe whenever kids wanted to complain (because high school). This just hit so hard 😂
Accurate! 🤣
🤣
Perfect! I was in a production of Hairspray, too. Why didn't we think of that?
🤣 That is hillarious. There are those kind of numbers in a lot of shows, but this looks like a killer!
An American in Paris should be higher. Not only the dances are technically difficult, according to the backstage vlog, Robert Fairchild had a specific time and backstage location for him to pass out after dancing the number.
Wait what?''
Satisfied doesn’t need to be so high up lol. It’s intricate in positioning but it’s not hard when in comparison to chorus line and cats and newsies
Performing your choreography backwards on a moving floor isn't hard? Okay 😂
If they wanted to include Hamilton they should’ve chosen either Room Where It Happens or Yorktown.
@@liveicelive I agree as there is a lot of positioning, moving backwards and while being on a turn table on stage is quite hard and also taking into consideration the singing that they all have to do takes a lot of breath control
Imagine having to do these dance routines a few nights in a row.
@@liveicelive they never said it wasnt hard but in comparison to chours line, cats and newsies, it should be lower.
For all you dancers let me say those with leaden two-left feet know that when something looks effortless, it’s anything but. Most athletes don’t have to worry about complex movements while simultaneously looking perfect and not passing out. We SEE you and are amazed. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
American in Paris literally requires professional ballet dancers, it should be waaaaaaay higher in the list
AGREED
YUP
100% people just dont appreciate ballet anymore :( it's the toughest dance discipline you can do!
That would really be ANY Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire choreography. They were both known as extreme perfectionists.
Many of the others include technical ballet choreography while incorporating other forms as well.
"...and they make it look effortless." When I was a kid, my brother and I had to accompany my mother to some ballet rehearsals that she was involved in. I'd seen ballet dancers at a distance, elegantly flying about, but I was surprised that up close, you heard the "WHUMP'!" landings, the "OOF!" of air expelled, the "MPH!" accompanying a lift, the labored breathing, the sweat, and the pain we sometimes saw on their faces, all accompanied by "Again, again, again!" Not easy at ALL.
I do think Anything Goes should be a little higher on the list, not only for the complexity but the sheer length of that number.
Yeah, idk if people know that the Tony's performance was VERY abbreviated and the full number is much longer
but the point of the video is the hardest routines and really Anything Goes shouldn't even be here, and certainly shouldn't be behind Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk. A very odd selection in places.
Not only that but Sutton Foster sang right after the epic tap number seemingly without having lost her breath. I saw her in this in London and it was extraordinary.
Same with 42St
When our Gilbert & Sullivan group did the Chorus Line, the alto next to me wasn’t wearing “character”shoes (dance pumps with an ankle strap.) The last kick of the number her pump flew off and hit the snare drum with perfect timing!
One of my college friends worked in the workshop of A Chorus Line. A few nights after Opening on Broadway, we went back to her apartment, so excited for her. The reviews were spectacular. Chorus Line revived Broadway during an awful recession. We regular people are so excited for her. She yawns. "We are so bored with this show. The dances are so easy." It must be said, Bennett, who took their life stories and added choreography, became a very wealthy celebrity for his effort. He assigned the entire original cast jointly, a 1% cut of the action. My friend still gets residuals to this day (2023).
Movie dancing is not Broadway dancing. Once a number starts in a live show you have nowhere to go but towards the end of the number. No stops and starts. No breaks. No finish the second sequence tomorrow. You probably have a costume change and, if you're lucky, then right back out there. No dancer wants to hang around backstage, waiting for Act 2. Movie dancing is arduous to be sure. Keep in mind though, that the routines for West Side were taken from Broadway by its choreographer to Hollywood by it's director. He needed to take some Broadway boys with him too. There weren't enough good boy-dancers in Hollywood. I saw Baby John on the street for years. He was't really a blond. I think....you don't help your credibility with your choices here by naming Fiddler as "difficult." What the dancing in Fiddler is ....is boring. I would never bother to audition for that walk in the park, in black clothes. Nada me a culpa of tea. As a tapper, I would not say the routines in Forty Two Street are hard. Not even strenuous, for a tapper. The fun thing about tap dancing is the incredible adrenaline high that comes with the territory. If you face a wall, it quickly gets knocked down by the next shuffle ball. That adrenaline is what keeps dancers awake at night. My other comment is about my delight at finding out that Makarava and Baryshnikov were both chain smokers. So was I. The crappola I got from others was dull dull dull. My real problems with bounding subway steps were never more evident until after I quit my 3-pak habit. Elevator lifer now.
I’ve danced several of these numbers . Fast is not the same as technically hard. Cool is one of the toughest pieces technically, as is Seize the Day and all of the Pas from American in Paris. By far these are only for the truly trained dancer. The rest need precision and style but not on the same level of difficulty. Oh and anything Twyla Tharp is crazy hard. Movin Out was amazing!
I’m came here to say all this too. Thank you!
Thank you
Anything Gene Kelly. Moses, make em laugh, and good mornin from singing in the rain we're all extremely difficult. Stairs, jumping on and off everything, the physical beating Donald O'Connor took in the film for that number while singing is incredible.
I agree, should be in the top 3 at least
This video seems to think if it's got tap in it it's hard
I was a dancer myself in my youth, and have several dancers in my family across four generations (that I know of). We agree that Billy Elliot is by far the most demanding dancing rôle of recent times. The two-hour show sees a 12 or 13 yr old boy on stage almost continuously, in ballet, tap, street, and rock routines, gymnastics, and also singing! Elton John's music is so varied across this show that we think it nonpareil.
Exactly! That's why it took alternate dancers to portray Billy.
All are wonderful!!!
Exactly
As I’m rehearsing for a regional theater performance of Something Rotten, I feel like “A Musical” should be on this list. The very precise tapping along with the million other musical references that have portrayed is truly a killer number.
Also, side note for a show that deserves true recognition is Come From Away. 12 actors use 12 chairs to create airplanes, bars, churches and many more. The choreography lasts the entire 1 hour and 40 minute of the show. Plus, the actors are portraying multiple people with multiple accents and no lights down transitions. The choreography as a whole deserves to be noted.
As someone who's performed in Newsies, I feel like Something Rotten's "A Musical" should be on this list. One of the hardest songs I've done dance wise.
I Can't Do It Alone from Chicago is pretty strenuous. Apparently Catherine Zeta Jones had constantly bruised thighs from landing on the chair so hard.
I was expecting the final dance in Chicago to be on it. I was in a regional production of Fiddler, and we had a professional Russians mens dance troupe come in foe the bottle dance
I often think about Kinky Boots and that number on the conveyor belts. That one blew my mind from a staging perspective.
I had an opportunity to see Riverdance live, and it was an experience I'll never forget! It was amazing! Like a thunderstorm indoors!
I’m surprised “The Rich Man’s Frug” from Sweet Charity didn’t make the list.
I was in a production of Hairspray back in high school, and I can confirm that while You Can’t Stop the Beat is a super fun number, it is also EXHAUSTING.
"CAN-CAN" EN POINTE' My own teen daughter did this entire dance ENPOINTE ALL of IT! with her troupe. You have NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT! I have no idea if it was ever recorded,it was spectacular and blew everyone out of the audience every time it was performed! I could NOT keep my eyes off of those dancers as I was able to view them from all angles, including backstage!
Great list but I would have also included the barn dance from seven brides for seven brothers!
I agree!
I agree
As number 1
i was looking forward to that one - very disappointed not to see it here
Agreed! I thought it was being saved for #1
Jellicle Ball is much harder than the opening number in Cats. It is about 10 minutes of solid dance.
I was coming here JUST to comment this! I think its 11 mins (if I remember correctly) and the first time most casts perform it they're sick, because its relentless! Not only is it harder than JSFJC, its also harder than most of the top 10 (if not all of it, tbh....) - it not being there is frankly just wrong, its not even a matter of opinion at this point! lol :D
Yes it is I’m winded by the end of it the ending were all the cats drop that’s all we wanted to do by the end of it
i did a high school version of it and there were only 3 lead dancers (i was one) for the entire number and the choreographer went hard omg
I completely agree!!!
Yes, but Jellicle Ball has no singing - try being a soprano, singing Fs and Gs after 3 minutes of dancing in the opening number. That complexity is what makes it more challenging to me (plus the ball is broken down into sections, so most characters have at least a moment or so to catch their breath).
I would think Legally Blonde's Whipped Into Shape would have been on this list or at least an honorable mention
Whipped is less a dance number than a choreographed exercise class. It's definitely strenuous and difficult, but not really dancing per se.
Agreed I was low-key appalled they didn't even mention anything from Legally Blonde. I mean if not whipped into shape then at least Bend and Snap or the actual song Legally Blonde where they had this crazy huge tap number included!
27:32
@@kay-meganwashington1358 it’s absolutely dancing. They do a lot of jumping but they do a whole kick line at the end and jump rope IN sync AND sing at the same time. To say it’s not a dance number is kinda insulting to the cast. I’d say
They did I think - leading into the skippping tapping number x
Your definition of "hard" varies a lot. Numbers that are long and active may only require good cardio-vascular strength, but not much technique. There is a difference. It is really difficult for many to appreciate how much stamina it takes to dance and SING at the same time. Having danced many of these numbers, I can tell you that One from A Chorus Line and Cool from West Side Story really are hard... the hats from One are tricky, the unison is work. Anything Goes is a nightmare to get through- long and technical, requiring lots of air. But all three are so well structured and supported by the action of the shows, they are so much fun to perform. One is a sure-fire performer high every single time you finally get to it at the end of the show, but you can never stop thinking. Cool is just cool- a dance when you can pull out all the stops and leave everything on the floor... no real unison to worry about- it's a blast to dance. Want to do one on the hardest ballets? Start with Nijinsky's Rite of Spring and move to Giselle, Act II. Then there's Roland Petit's Bolero... yikes.
And Spartacus - pure circus
Totally agree! There's a big difference between something requiring high levels of technique but no singing versus the complexity of high-energy dancing while singing. The opening number from Chorus Line, while iconic, should honestly not be on this list, as it doesn't compare to many of the other listed in terms of difficulty, either technically or stamina-wise. I almost think the "One (rehearsal)" number is the most difficult in terms of complexity (trying being a swing or understudy for THAT - it's a nightmare), if not the actual finale.
I agree. Take Will Rodgers for instance. Like most big Broadway numbers there is a lot of stamina required to sing and dance but then, in the opening number alone you have the staircase both going up in the dark from the back then dancing on them, constantly changing stairs and directions but the big kicker that adds to the complicated Will-a-mania is the props!!! The hats, ropes, and tricks!!
Yes anything goes will definitely take the wind out of you! And fully agree, once the curtain goes down and you get to breathe, the high is so intense, especially after a great ending like One, you forget about how winded and tired you are!
@@meganannm Yes! Totally forgot about the One rehearsal sequence. It was probably easier for me because I was in the group that just sang the melody of the song. The other groups had a much harder time! I was a swing for a lot of other shows, but not Chorus Line- I am sure that one was really hard to do.
That number from American in Paris is always one of my faves.
The three at the back should’ve been in the top. They’re some of the most technically difficult, way more than some of the ones that were put above them
Have performed a lot of these. Great list but I find the ball more challenging in Cats.
Danced the Bottle dance in HS from Fiddler on the Roof. It wasn't easy but do-able, especially for 15 - 17 year olds. I'm stunned that nothing is mentioned from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers!
Was Seven brides originally a Broadway show?
@@juanmonge8 It was (and nominated for a Tony) but not until much later. It started a book I believe so that may be why it wasn't included.
It was definitely a movie first
Yes indeed, Russ Tamblyn then in West Side Story.
@@tuulawestra3367 He was in the film.
What happened to Seven Brides for Seven Brothers? You could have populated this entire video with Fosse and Robbins and I wouldn't have batted an eye.
I’ve done many of these. Was lucky to have a teacher and choreographer who trained with Fosse. From the list I’ve done Steam Heat, I hope I get it, bring in da noise…., Jellical ball, Anything goes, and Pippin. The hardest one not on the list was Will Rodgers Folloes.
I just...can't understand why anything from Hamilton made the list. Also...above Pippin, American In Paris, and RIVERDANCE
As good as Hamilton was….the fact that any of the numbers made it on the list is a travesty. The dances are good, just not half as complicated as most dances on broadway.
@@Potatoesop exactly, I love Hamilton, personally I think it has become overrated so a channel uses it on lists like this to get clicks even if it doesn’t belong
SAVION GLOVER 💕 SUCH a talent!!!
Satisfied should be lower down the list, or maybe even not on it at all. The numbers from West Side Story and Fidler on the Roof should be higher. Also, where is the Barn Raising from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers or anything from Starlight Express?!
Good point. I don't think people realize rare Jerome Robbins's "casual" style in WSS was as painfully specific as Fosse.
A For 7 Brides...was this ever done on stage? I think that's the difference. It's easy easier to do a spectacular dance in film, with cuts and editing.
I AADORE Hamilton but do not think Satisfied should rank so high on your list.
It is nice to see so many different dance clips-thanks!
Agreed. The only reason I can see Satisfied on this list (and it's a stretch) is that it is used as a flashback so precision is required but I don't see it as extremely difficult technically in terms of dance.
Missing the AEIOU tap from Singing in the Rain
@@margaretthomas5425 It's on a rotating platform, that's hard 😂. U try it
42nd Street is chock full of "Holy &*%* are we still dancing" numbers. Go Into Your Dance, Shuffle Off the Buffalo, and Shadow Waltz are light on the dancing and still require a butt ton of pacing and skill.
Sorce: I played Maggie and even that supporting role with "light dancing" was rough! I lost so much weight during the run. 😅
A couple of years ago, PBS aired a recent West End production of "42nd Street", in which the cast performed a bonus number during the curtain call. It was fantastic, but I couldn't help but feel for the performers. Usually you get to take your bows, head back to the dressing room to change, and go home. ☺️
I saw the Broadway version of Cats on a cruise ship. Basically any dance show done on a moving rolling ship makes it 10x more difficult, and the dancers were still amazing.
I have competed in Irish dance and teach it, so I know how difficult the dancing in Riverdance is!
What I'd like to know is: obviously a CATS number had to be included, so why wasn't it The Jellicle Ball, the 10-12 minute long dance number featuring all the dancers dancing nearly nonstop? If you really need singing as well, why wasn't it Mr Mistoffelees, in which the dancer performs consecutive fouettés en tournant? Come on, that's the conjuring turn, the first line in the song!
CATS is a DANCE SHOW above anything, why the HELL would you list the opening number??? There's nothing about it that isn't done better by different, more difficult choreography; not even the musical theme.
It definitely shouldn't have been at number 8.
I don't care that people don't like it. Do your research and give the dancers of CATS the recognition they deserve.
I’m not even through the list, yet, and I was 100% expecting the Jellicle Ball to be #1. Surely, that is THE most iconic and difficult dances in any Broadway show ever. (Btw, I’m almost 34 and I’ve been dancing along to CATS since I was 10).
People who don't like CATS literally miss the point of the show. It's cats doing cat things and patting themselves on the back for it. Mistofolees making things disappear--cats like to smack shit under couches so shit disappears. He disappears and reappears? That's what cats do! I have five cats, and yeah, that production sums up my five balls of floof.
@@Author.Noelle.Alexandria Oh thank goodness I'm not the only person with 5 cats - lol. T.S. Eliot knew every cat trait there was, and his poetry is spot on funny! I was lucky enough to see Cats on Broadway. omg. Those slow, lithe movements, the grace, the "paws" in the air, the head movements and stares. The choreographer and cast just nailed it. p.s. every so often, I get an old mop handle and fish everything out from under the fridge and furniture. Retrieved toys go into a box except for the ones I toss to them Then they're like little at kids at Christmas - much crazy floofness ensues! When the box is empty it's time to get the old mop handle out again ;-)
The musical and the movie of the musical are amazing. Unfortunately someone thought it'd be a great idea to cast Hollywood stars instead of broadway dancers in the remake. That's what gave CATS a bad rap.
Fouéttes look very impressive, but they're not all that hard to do, even a lot of them in a row. It's a big crowd pleaser but not difficult for a professional dancer. Just sayin'...
I'm surprised Sing Sing Sing from Fosse's Dancin' wasn't included on this list. One of the most amazing numbers I've seen on Broadway. I am glad they included Gwen Verdon in Can Can, she's the only actress to have ever stopped a show on Broadway! Would have loved to have seen that, at least I got to meet her years later opening night for "Fosse', and danced with her at the party opening night.
Absolutely!!!!!!
The fact that “Cool” from West Side Story is in the top 5 here is EXACTLY why I was so heartbroken that they restaged it for the 2021 movie. Such a brilliant dance number cut.
Cool in the original is IMO the best piece of film choreography of all time! The new one was so bad it was hard to watch.
I couldn't watch this glorious MASTERPIECE get butchered, so I didn't. COOL is the HEART of West Side Story. There was NOTHING like it before and there is still nothing like it today.
I also have not seen the restaged version. I keep thinking I can stand it and then change my mind. I agree with Mollasandra - nothing like it. Agree with Classic Memories - the best piece of film choreography ever. I expect they left out "Cool" because coming up to that challenge was just too much.
I detested Cool in the Steven Spielberg movie. I do recognize the placement of the number was before the fight on Broadway and was again before the fight and the reboot. No no no. It needs to be after the fight. Fabulous dancing singing and emotional acting make it a Robbins masterpiece.
I was upset about that too.
It's crazy how some of the most difficult movements can actually look so easy, but not because of the dance/choreography itself, but because of the effort of the dancers that make it look easy with their appearingly effortless execution of the moves. :)
Because I didn't care much for the original Newsies film, I was almost shocked by how much I LOVED the Broadway version. Great singing and all that wonderful athletic dancing! When I saw it on tour, Seize the Day got the longest, most enthusiastic standing ovation I've ever witnessed. I'm so glad they filmed the Broadway show with Jeremy Jordan - so fun!
Wow...Daniel Radcliffe is a remarkably good dancer and singer.
Step in Time from Mary Poppins should surely be in the top 20, not just mentioned. It is incredibly complex and difficult.
My mom did the choreo for Fiddler when I was young and she did such a great job and even did the bottle dance. It is one of my favs!
I haven't seen Brotherhood of Man, but Radcliffe looks so itty bitty in it 😅 Kind of adorable.
That was done on purpose. They hired tall chorus boys to make DR appear smaller.
Robert Morse was also short
I agree with much of this. I was in a production of Hairspray and she's right. The choreography of "You Can't Stop the Beat" isn't difficult at all but keeping up the level of physicality while singing at top volume took some getting used to. I also agree about Newsies, I once took a dance class taught by one of the dancers who did the entire Broadway run so he's in the group shown here. He taught us the opening number. Wow! The physicality was unreal! This senior citizen former dancer had to drop out but lots of much, much younger folks didn't make it to the end of the number, either! But I disagree about Fiddler on the Roof. I choreographed a production of Fiddler many years ago. The bottle dance is a cinch. The bottles aren't really balanced on the hats (they have recesses in the top so the bottles are kept steady) so as long as the guys can crawl around on their knees, it's not complicated at all. A cool, effective dance number but it's not hard.
My very first musical was in high school: Oklahoma. Learning the dream ballet was my first intro to ballet ever. I cried during the first rehearsal it was so hard. And we didn't even do the original choreography, just a simple ballet.
So glad Pippin is on here, Fossé is very very hard!!!! I’ve been in both Pippin and Cats as Fastrada and Bombalurina respectively and both were very hard for both stamina and dance!
Me too! The intricacies of Fosse’s dance are so much harder than non dancers realize!
@@Gymcoach1 exactly! Not everyone can pull off something like Rich Man’s Frug!!!!!
The 1950s seemed like an amazing experience in theatre on Broadway..there were so many hit shows, so much that was new and exciting, and stars being made right in front of audiences. So many people would go again and again to experience the energy and excitement of legends being made. There is a great biography by Slim Hawks, who married several times, but once to a huge Hollywood agent who represented a lot of big stars of stage and screen (she was no slacker herself, discovering Lauren Bacall in the 40s and convincing her then husband, Howard Hawks, to cast her, at 19, with Humphrey Bogart, 40s, in the great classic, To Have and Have Not.. her instinct paid off, making Bacall a star and Bogart and Bacall the power couple of Hollywood for years.
The Golden Age of Broadway.
I'm surprised you didn't include the crazy barn raising dance number from seven brides for seven brothers. Doing backflips, kicks, and arm wrestling while balancing on a 2x4 isn't impressive enough?
Agreed!
I thought that one would definitely be included! :)
In all fairness, although I agree that the Barn Dance number is very impressive, "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers" is Hollywood and not Broadway. Some of the other entries on this list might have started as films -- and granted, in some cases, they should have featured clips from the actual musicals instead of the films! -- but they were adapted into Broadway musicals. As far as I know, "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers" has not appeared on Broadway -- the staging requirements for the Barn Dance number would be difficult to say the least. Hollywood soundstages have always had an advantage over Broadway theaters in terms of space and perspective.
Agree!!
@@OreadNYC excellent point!
What about "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers", ax routine outdoors slow motion dancing?
Wow so Riverdance for SURE should have been higher and a different number than THAT! Where was Barn raising from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers? ANYTHING from Sweet Charity? I can't do it alone from Chicago? Not to mention what Colin Dunne choreographed with "Diarmuid drills Finn's Army" May not have been on Broadway but it should have been!!!!!!!!
The Barn Dance from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is a glaring omission. That scene was done in one take and was non- stop dance and gymnastics. I'm surprised it got no mention.
It was in the movie. Not sure it was ever performed on Broadway.
Super fun video! I realize Movin’ Out doesn’t perfectly mix with the other shows, since its essentially a full-length modern/contemporary ballet, but it should notttt be the first dance mentioned in the video, if it’s meant to introduce dance in order of difficulty from least to most challenging. Those are classically trained ballet dancers telling full stories with their bodies for two hours. No faking Twyla.
As a professional ballet dancer, thank you for this list! Well done 🙌🏻👍🏻
You're so welcome!
Have you seen their list of hardest dance moves to perform? Over half of them are ballet moves. A lot of the remaining moves are break dancing movies that evolved from ballet. I definitely think you would like the video.
Disappointed nothing from Chicago was on the list.
Velma's little act of desperation is fucking HARD.
As a 29 year old who aches from just getting up from sitting, let alone anything that's actually physically exerting, I have TREMENDOUS respect for dancers. And pretty much anyone in theatre. Being in a musical where I could sing and not really have to dance would be amazing 🥹
It may not have been the hardest by a long stretch, but my favourite is still the final closing dance of You never had a friend like me, from Aladdin the movie. I have looked at that thing probably 30+ times. LOVE IT
Several of the Will Rodgers Follies routines were crazy hard. I’d easily put them in a top ten. Especially the President one.
Omg! That’s exactly what I commented on. Out of the different shows I did and even just routines, Will Rodgers was crazy intricate!
I actually learned (and then preformed) the opening number to 42nd Street, the Taxi piece, and the piece from Anything Goes in a tap class I took part in. Those pieces are seriously, seriously hard to learn. By the way, thanks for including Pippin on the list! It's my all time favorite Broadway show (even above Hamilton) but it doesn't get a ton of credit for just how hard it is.
I saw the original cast of Pippin -- Ben Vereen, John Rubinstein, Jill Clayburgh, Leland Palmer, and all. I was 13, just the right age for Pippin's quest for something more to resonate deeply. I wore out the cast album.
Saw the Broadway touring company of the reboot a few years back, and *loved* the circus theme; it was perfect. So was Theo being drawn toward the tent at the end. I was interested to learn that the reason the Leading Player was recast as female was so no one would have to directly compete with Ben Vereen. Understandable.
Awesome list! Thank you for putting Newsies on the list. The dancing is phenomenal! I've done a less complicated version of Seize the day for a show and it was still hard!
I personally would have also included the barn raising dance from 7 Brides for 7 Brothers and Toledo Surprise from The Drowsy Chaperone. I just finished Drowsy as Kitty and we did almost the exact Broadway choreo and boy it's a lot especially when you have to sing in the middle of all the non stop fast moves and then have to all be in sync for the skipping record part. It's definitely a lot of fun though!
"Cool" from WSS? No! The prologue was the best! Gang members doing ballet on NYC streets. Hooked me immediately.
I've always admired dancers for having the body flexibility and talent to do what they do.
I danced and learned many of these numbers. Focus and passion is essential. When the audience sees a very fast number many times to the dancer it feels much slower. Because a dancer is actually flying
Years ago, Promises Promises was the first Broadway show I attended. this routine was fascinating for a 15-year-old who had never seen dancing of this quality!
You said nothing about Chicago ",All That Jazz"
Glad to see Bandstand get a mention. The choreography in that show was amazing. It's an overlooked but important show
It won a Tony, and over Holiday Inn at that
Not sure what gave Turkey Lurkey Time the top spot and only gave Electricity an honorable mention.
Jagged Little Pill being anywhere on this list is a crime.
"There's Got Tp Be Something Better Than This" (Sweet Charity); "Fame" (The Street Dance) from Fame! Two I can think of that should have made the list! And "I Can Do That" (A Chorus Line)!
My college does community theatre, and I have danced Step in Time, Seize the Day, and You Can't Stop the Beat. With Step in Time, we were allowed the follow pretty closely to the original choreography, and that one is pretty hard. Many cast members, including myself, had never done tap before doing Mary Poppins, and we killed it. With the other two, we had to create our own choreography (but we could do the newspaper portion in Seize the Day, it just looked different). Even with the different choreography, the dancing was still tricky because of the number of tricks we did and how long those numbers were. With You Can't Stop the Beat, we mixed jazz and tap dance into the song, so mid-way, everyone who was tap dancing had to change out of their tap joes and into their jazz shoes and continue dancing while singing simultaneously. Breath support is so crucial with those dance numbers.
C'mon...OUR FAVORITE SON from WILL ROGERS FOLLIES...okay, they're all seated, but they're moving their hands almost faster than one move per second, having to hit their tambourine hats in time with the music AND in synch, and kicking up their legs, as well. Let's face it, one chorus girl not focused on the routine can screw the whole thing up, lol
Cool is so underrated thanks for including it!
My is currently rehearsing a solo jazz number for the upcoming competitive dance season doing Steamed Heat, and was super excited to see it on this list! He is 8. 😊
Is disrespectful that Hamilton is higher than Cats and Newsies
Disrespectful? To whom?
I agree
Take a look at the kids dancing to It’s a Hard Luck Life in the recent live TV broadcast of Annie.
Of course Sutton executed the anything goes choreography perfectly. She's fantastic and gives 110% in everything she is in
Watching the rehersal footage. It should be higher
For everyone asking about”Seven Brides for Seven Brothers “ choreography and Michel Kidd, I believe this production was a movie first. It may have been performed on Broadway I am not an expert to know every. It is a fabulous stance but I would consider it to be in the category of dance and film. Similar to any dance numbers from singing in the rain.
When it comes to dancing, me and my dad loves the tap dance in Bullets Over Broadway
Whoever has put this list and the commentary together really knows their stuff. Thank you for this. Its a fantastic series of clips and you absolutely have nailed it. And thank you for including pieces that look simple (Pippin, Pyjama Game) when they are really difficult and intricate. Thank you!
We're so glad you love it!
Sorry, but as a dancer…I completely disagree.
It would be awesome to see a little background included in these lists, even if it's only in the description list? (Who suggests the inclusions? Is the list put together using input from actual dancers or choreographers? Based on listicles put together elsewhere on the net?)
As a dancer and Broadway enthusiast spanning three decades, this list is garbage
@@marilyns_mole Yep.The list compilers have absolutely no idea of what is "hard" in dance. Some of these routines are leagues of difficulty away from others. There are routines that cannot be performed at all without years of training, and others that can be put on by school productions.
Although I've dabbled in Community theatre, myself you really have to appreciate the complex choreography that goes into professional shows. They make it look effortlessly easy, and one of my favourites is "Cool" from "West Side Story." 💖
West side story and Oklahoma are two of my favorites. The precision and energy was incredible and I love Agnes DeMille's choreography for the original stage production of Oklahoma...she and Martha Graham were complete pioneers in their fields, way, way ahead of their time, and I think, an inspiration to Bob Fosse's amazing experiments in dance.
Thanks for sharing!
Newsies needs to be higher. That was incredible!
Can’t believe there was nothing from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Maybe that never was on Broadway?
It was on Broadway in the 80’s, but it was based on the film from the 50’s
Great list, even though so many others could have been included. I want to give a shout-out, though, to the many choreographers who have adapted some of these for amateur productions in which they need to make the level of talent that they have available look good. I've done the Crapshooters Dance in two productions and Anything Goes once.
Umm as someone who tapped in 42nd street may I add original choreography. Everyone had taps on and was required to take tap lessons. And learned every dance. 42nd street needs to be higher up like 5th
Been in some of these, directed/choreographed some...and agree with some on this list. But where in the world are The Waiters' Gallop, anything from Starlight Express, or more demanding numbers from some of the shows represented? On a positive note: SO glad to see the amount of tap happening here, Pippin, & Newsies.
Oh gosh, Starlight Express would take the cake.
I was wondering about The Waiter's Gallop!
I got to admit, I love the dance scene, Angry Dance in Billy Elliot. I was a teen at that time and he killed it!
Absolutely loved this gem of a movie, and the very final scene of the movie made me gasp, and then tear up.
@@deborahmazza8123 I love the movie as well, but hated the musical on Broadway so much, I've managed to block most of it out of my memory.
not having seen the new staging of "How to Suceed in Business" i can't fault youir choice of
"Brotherhood of Man" but when i sae the movie what stuck in my mind was "A Secretary is not a Toy" where the dancers are lined up back to front, on toes and inching forward giving the impression of typewriter keys. that impressed me at the time
This just reinforces what I have long said -- that Broadway chorus members are the fittest people on the planet.
I cannot believe you have not included James Cagney dancing in Yankee Doodle Dandy!
The Dream Ballet in An American in Paris is crazy hard and the reason they had to hire principal ballet dancers for these parts. There is no reason why it is so low on that list. It should be in the top 3. When you watch their performance on Colbert's show you can see them be absolutely drenched in sweat after just 3 min. And the full sequence is closer to 30 min in the show... Just astounding what they did there night after night.
Dang I was kinda expecting Mr. Mistoffelees's number to be here
I would have loved to see "Our Favorite Son" from The Will Rogers Follies on this list, at least an honorable mention. That was some intricate and unique choreography.
Absolutely agree. It's astonishing.
“Shoeless Joe” from Damn Yankees should be on here for athleticism and stamina!
Not sure how you passed over The Rich Man's Frug from Sweet Charity. Maybe the best and most complex number ever choreographed.
Barn raising dance in 7 brides for 7 brothers!
Saw Fiddler in 1965 in NYC. Zero Mostel and a young Bette Midler as Tevye’s daughter.
2:31 Irish dancer here. Been dancing since 2 years old. Definitely need a lot of stamina for it
of course. It HAD to be Turkey Lurkey time... that one gets me every time