Human harps, massive bananas and dogging: the 20 best Busby Berkeley dance routines
To mark 50 years since the director and choreographer’s death, we count down his best fantastical, kaleidoscopic numbers, from erotic silhouettes to sinister tap dancers
TL;DR
- The article presents a countdown of Busby Berkeley's top 20 dance numbers.
- Notable routines include 'Sittin’ on a Back Yard Fence' (Footlight Parade), 'The Girl at the Ironing Board' (Dames), and 'Shadow Waltz' (Gold Diggers of 1933).
- Berkeley's signature style involves kaleidoscopic patterns, innovative camera angles, and surreal or fantastical elements.
- The countdown spans films from the early 1930s through the 1940s.
- Themes explored include eroticism, surrealism, social commentary, and elaborate visual spectacles.