From December 2014

Our top 10 dancers of all time: #6 – Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson at Number 6 in SK Dance Studio Top 10 dancers of all time list

When it comes to performance values, Michael Jackson really did have the art of showmanship all sewn up – little wonder given he’d been headlining with the Jackson Five since he was knee-high to a grass-hopper.

Whilst always a groover, his talent as a dancer really came into its own during his solo career, with infectious disco-inspired tracks like “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” giving audiences a taste of what was to come.

It was Jackson’s 1982 album “Thriller” that really changed things. Thriller broke all records for album sales and spent over two years in the charts, crowning Michael the undisputed King of Pop. But his legacy didn’t end there. With compelling plots, eye-popping routines, amazing costumes and armies of supporting dancers, Michael Jackson turned the concept of the music video completely on its head.

I was about ten when the video for the Thriller single was released in 1983 and I still remember the mania that surrounded it. It was even launched with a prime-time ‘premiere’ on national TV… a MASSIVE deal given we only had four telly channels to choose from back then! Half petrified, half amazed, I watched open-mouthed as a zombified Jackson and his corps-de-undead made shapes like I’d never seen before, nor since.

Click here to watch Michael Jackson in the video for Thriller.

Michael Jackson wowed the world with his cutting edge dance style in lots of other videos like Smooth Criminal, Billie Jean and Beat It, not to mention his explosive live stage-shows. So for his breath-taking choreography peppered by signature moves such as the famous moon-walk, crotch-grab and gravity defying leans, Michael Jackson makes it onto the SK Dance Studio Top 10 Dancers of All Time list.

Our top 10 dancers of all time: #7 – Ginger Rogers

Ginger Rogers at Number 7 in SK Dance Studio Top 10 dancers of all time list

Born Virginia McMath in 1911, Ginger Rogers was best known as the beautiful and graceful dance partner of Fred Astaire. Alongside Fred, she demonstrated her versatility in 10 smash hit Hollywood movies, showing us everything from the romance and liquidity of a perfectly executed waltz, to the highest of high energy tap routines.

Ginger was an accomplished dancer in her own right long before she ever met Astaire. She’d been a state champion Flapper dancer, had a very successful Vaudeville act, achieved critical acclaim as a Broadway performer and appeared in several Hollywood movies in the pre-Fred years. But it was the pairing with Astaire that gave Ginger the platform to show the world her dancing mettle.

Although Astaire was the creative force behind the pairing and commanded control over the choreography, Ginger did often contribute to the process. And when it came to the performance, she proved herself more than a match for Fred’s technical brilliance and that’s no mean feat given she was dancing his steps, backwards – and usually in high heels!

The thing I most love about Ginger was her ability to make the complex, look really easy – and that’s the mark of a truly accomplished dancer. And because she was a great actress too, she helped to boost the appeal of her famous dance partner. Dance critic John Mueller once said that “the reason so many women have fantasised about dancing with Fred Astaire is that Ginger Rogers conveyed the impression that dancing with him is the most thrilling experience imaginable”.

Click here to watch Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire in Swing Time.

Ginger earns her place on the SK Dance Studio Top 10 Dancers of All Time list because behind every great man, there’s a great woman. And in Fred Astaire’s case, it’s certainly true.

Our top 10 dancers of all time: #8 – Michael Flatley

Michael Flatley at Number 8 in SK Dance Studio Top 10 dancers of all time list

Thanks to a Eurovision win in 1993 by Niamh Kavanagh, Ireland got to play host to the famous song contest in 1994 and in line with tradition, was expected to put on the ‘half-time’ entertainment. Keen to impress, the organisers wanted to create a show that people would really remember, incorporating the very best of Ireland’s musical and cultural heritage.

Enter Michael Flatley. Although born and raised in Chicago, Flatley had already made a big name for himself in Irish Dance circles, having become the first non-European ever to win the Irish Dance World Championships in 1975. He even broke a Guinness World Record in 1989 having knocked out an incomprehensible 28 taps per second.

The seven minute Irish dance spectacular created for Eurovision was the catalyst to global success for Flatley, showcasing his undoubted talent as both a choreographer and dancer. Audiences simply couldn’t get enough and flocked in their droves to see the full length Riverdance show that spawned from the Eurovision number. Flatley went on to create and star in many other amazing shows including Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames. These shows were so big that in many cities, they played in arenas instead of theatres to meet the demand. All this made Flatley a multi-millionaire who reportedly insured his dancer’s legs for a whopping forty million dollars.

Flatley’s brilliance completely re-invented Irish dancing, taking it from the twee domain of mop-haired little girls, to the hottest, most exciting ticket in town.

Click here to watch Michael Flatley in the Riverdance Finale.

And for that, Michael Flatley well deserves his place in the SK Dance Studio Top 10 Dancers of All Time list.