GREAT PERFORMANCES: DANCE IN AMERICA: EVERYBODY DANCE NOW (TV)
Summary
One in this dance series presented under the umbrella of "Great Performances." Through footage, interviews, and video clips, this documentary explores the phenomenon and impact of dance in music videos. Numerous choreographers and performers offer comments on creating music videos out of the melting pot of today's dance styles, as well as the concepts behind their work. Included are interviews with choreographers Vincent Paterson, Michael Peters, Rosie Perez, Barry Lather, Cholly Atkins, Anthony Thomas, Michael Kidd, and Jamale Graves; director Martin Scorsese (who worked on Michael Jackson's video "Bad"); pop star Paula Abdul; James Brown, "the godfather of soul"; music critic Nelson George; street dancers Mr. Wiggles and Crazy Legs; voguer Willi Ninja; and rapper M.C. Hammer. Incorporated throughout is dance footage of performers and music groups, including such pioneering stars of the 1950s and 1960s as Jackie Wilson, Chuck Berry, Chubby Checker, Elvis Presley, Atkins and tap dancer Honi Coles, The Flamingos, Ike and Tina Turner, James Brown, The Cadillacs, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Supremes, and the Jackson Five. A segment on pop superstars of the 1980s and 1990s includes Michael Jackson in clips from the hit music videos "Thriller," "Bad," "Beat It," and "Smooth Criminal"; Janet Jackson in clips from the videos "Pleasure Principle," "Rhythm Nation," "Alright," and "Nasty"; Abdul in clips from "Opposites Attract," "Cold Hearted," and "Straight Up"; M.C. Hammer in clips from the videos "U Can't Touch This," "They Put Me in the Mix," "Turn This Mutha Out," and "Pray"; and C+C Music Factory in clips from "Here We Go" and "Gonna Make You Sweat." Also shown are video clips of New Edition, New Kids on the Block, En Vogue, Gene Kelly (in a clip from the film "Anchors Aweigh"), Queen Latifah, Madonna, Herb Alpert, and the Fly Girls (from the TV series "In Living Color").
Details
- NETWORK: PBS WNET New York, NY
- DATE: October 2, 1991 Wednesday 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:57:28
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:26505
- GENRE: Arts documentaries; Dance
- SUBJECT HEADING: Choreography; Dance; Dance, tap; Dance - Analysis, appreciation; Music videos; Music, popular (songs, etc.); Rap music; Rock music; Women's Collection - Music
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series run, 1976-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Jac Venza … Executive Producer
- Judy Kinberg … Series Producer
- Margaret Selby … Producer, Director
- Karen Y. Rosen … Associate Producer
- Jennifer Dunning … Writer
- Paula Abdul
- Herb Alpert
- Cholly Atkins
- Chuck Berry
- James Brown
- C+C Music Factory (music group)
- The Cadillacs
- Chubby Checker
- Honi Coles
- En Vogue
- The Flamingos
- Fly Girls, The
- Four Tops, The
- Nelson George
- Jamale Graves
- M.C. Hammer
- Jackson Five, The
- Janet Jackson
- Michael Jackson
- Gene Kelly
- Michael Kidd
- Barry Lather
- Madonna (perfomer)
- New Edition (music group)
- New Kids on the Block (music group)
- Willi Ninja
- Vincent Paterson
- Rosie Perez
- Michael Peters
- Elvis Presley
- Prince (performer)
- Queen Latifah (performer)
- Robinson, Smokey, and the Miracles
- Martin Scorsese
- The Supremes
- The Temptations
- Anthony Thomas
- Ike Turner
- Tina Turner
- Jackie Wilson