20 Greatest Dance Scenes In Movie History

A pioneer in musical choreography, Busby Berkeley produced elaborate production numbers that no other director had dared to try before. What made his work so striking is how he could turn literal human beings into moving art, effortlessly resembling geometric patterns and kaleidoscopic movement, to the point where you forget it was real people moving on screen.

Whilst it can be greatly argued what his ultimate best work was in cinema, the human waterfall in Footlight Parade is undoubtably impressive and well-crafted. It’s hard to imagine what rehearsals were like in order to nail such a grand performance because there was such precision in the movement and timing of the showgirls. Furthermore, the human waterfall naturally required a lot of stamina and strength to be swimming with such flawless motions.

No camera tricks, no CGI, it doesn’t get more monumental than this.