Top 10 Moments We Found a Dancer Was a Great Singer
These dancers/singers/actors can do it all! Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for those breakout moments when a dancer proved their pitch was as perfect as the rhythm in their feet.
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00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for those breakout moments
00:10when a dancer proved their pitch was as perfect as the rhythm in their feet.
00:21Number 10.
00:22Patrick Swayze – Dirty Dancing
00:24Oh, Dirty Dancing.
00:26The film that made us all dream about finding our own Patrick Swayze to lift us high like
00:31baby.
00:32While most know him as an actor, did you know he was putting the sway in Swayze long before
00:37the 1987 movie?
00:39His mother was a dance teacher and choreographer, who many believe nudged him towards this unforgettable
00:44role.
00:53For many, Dirty Dancing was our introduction to his smooth moves and beautiful, soulful
00:58voice.
00:59Swayze co-penned She's Like the Wind for Grandview USA, starring Jamie Lee Curtis.
01:05But when it wasn't used, he proposed it for Dirty Dancing.
01:17The song became a global sensation, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100.
01:29Number 9.
01:30Mikhail Baryshnikov – Baryshnikov on Broadway
01:42This world-renowned ballet dancer started his career in his native Latvia, then part
01:47of the Soviet Union, before deciding to explore new horizons in Canada and later in the U.S.
01:53There, he joined the New York City Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre.
01:58Over the years, he has shown that he's not just a versatile dancer, but also an all-around
02:03talented performer.
02:17If you were around in 1980 and caught him in Baryshnikov on Broadway, a tribute to musicals,
02:23you might have been surprised by his impressive singing skills, especially when he teamed
02:27up with the legendary Liza Minnelli.
02:30His dance moves are iconic, and his singing is totally on point, too.
02:34One for you ballet dancers!
02:48Number 8.
02:49Julianne Hough – Rock of Ages Julianne Hough spent five seasons on Dancing
02:54with the Stars, winning twice back-to-back.
02:57She left the show to chase her music dreams after releasing her debut single,
03:01Will You Dance With Me?, in 2007.
03:03In 2008, she followed up with her eponymous first album.
03:09However, it wasn't until she starred in the movie-musical adaptation of Rock of Ages
03:18that many recognized her as a true triple threat.
03:22Playing Sherry, a small-town girl with big dreams of becoming a singer, Hough belted
03:26out some of the greatest 80s rock hits.
03:43Talent runs in her family.
03:45Her brother Derek showcased his singing in Hairspray Live.
03:57Plus their Dancing with the Stars co-star Mark Ballas has rocked the Broadway stage
04:02in Kinky Boots and Jersey Boys.
04:10Number 7.
04:12Gregory Hines – There's Nothing Better Than Love
04:15Hines was one of the most influential tap dancers of the modern age.
04:26He was known for his freestyling skills and for often ripping up and rewriting the book
04:30on usual tap rhythms.
04:32In the mid-70s, he also fronted a rock group called Severance.
04:36However, his vocal talents came to light with the 1986 hit There's Nothing Better Than
04:41Love, a collaboration with Luther Vandross that topped the Billboard R&B chart and sat
04:47comfortably at number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100.
04:56Propelled by the positive reception, Hines released his debut album featuring That Girl
05:01Wants to Dance With Me, also written by Vandross.
05:04It also performed well, hitting number 6 on the R&B chart.
05:15Number 6.
05:16Heather Morris – Glee
05:17Fans of So You Think You Can Dance might remember Heather Morris from season 2, where she just
05:22missed making the top 20.
05:24But this setback didn't stop her.
05:26Her career skyrocketed when she danced as a backup on the Beyonce Experience World Tour
05:32and joined B for the Single Ladies release campaign.
05:35By a stroke of luck, Morris was asked to teach the Glee cast Beyonce's iconic moves.
05:45Coincidentally, they were still casting for one of their cheerleaders, and she landed
05:49the role of Britney S. Pierce.
05:51Initially a small part, she quickly charmed fans and got more time in the spotlight.
06:05She even got two episodes that put her wide-ranging talent front and center.
06:16Number 5.
06:17Gene Kelly – For Me and My Gal
06:20We know what you're thinking.
06:21We've seen Singin' in the Rain.
06:23Of course we knew he could sing.
06:37Granted, that might be his most famous role today, but it wasn't necessarily the one
06:42that first put him on the map.
06:43Kelly's first movie musical was actually For Me and My Gal, where he starred alongside
06:48Judy Garland.
06:49Surprisingly, Kelly wasn't too thrilled with his performance, and feared he'd be
07:06a, quote, tremendous flop, but he couldn't have been more mistaken.
07:10The film turned out to be one of the biggest blockbusters of the year, launching Kelly's
07:14career as a singing and dancing sensation.
07:27With his reputation solidified, he later ventured into choreography and directing, too.
07:33Number 4.
07:34Bill Bojangles Robinson – Stormy Weather
07:45Can you even discuss tap dance without mentioning Bill Bojangles Robinson?
07:49No, you absolutely cannot.
07:50He's a modern tap trailblazer famous for popularizing the iconic Stair Dance.
07:56Robinson's legacy is huge.
07:58He broke down racial barriers on the silver screen, especially with his groundbreaking
08:03dance partnership with a young Shirley Temple.
08:05While we love watching him dance, it wasn't until his last movie, Stormy Weather, a largely
08:11fictionalized account of his life, that we found out that he could sing.
08:15In it, he sings classics like I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby, and My My Ain't
08:20That Somethin', as well as its reprise.
08:33We only wish his singing voice had received more limelight.
08:45Number 3.
08:46Ariana DeBose – The Prom
08:48DeBose got her start on Season 6 of So You Think You Can Dance, making it to the Top
08:5320.
08:54After that, Broadway came calling.
08:56Her credits include Bring It On The Musical, Motown The Musical, and a standout role in
09:01Hamilton.
09:02However, it was Ryan Murphy's film adaptation of The Prom where many first heard her sing
09:07off the stage.
09:19She captivated audiences as Alyssa Green, a cheerleader grappling with her identity.
09:35From there, her star soared.
09:37She landed roles in the musical parody series Schmegadoon and played Anita in the acclaimed
09:44remake of West Side Story, where she scooped up a slew of awards, including an Oscar.
09:50She also voiced Asha in Disney's centennial celebration movie Wish.
10:02Number 2.
10:03Robbie Fairchild – An American in Paris
10:06In 2005, Fairchild started training with the New York City Ballet before joining their
10:11professional ensemble a year later.
10:13Fast forward a few years, and enter the legendary choreographer Christopher Wealdon.
10:19He asked Fairchild if he could sing, to which he replied, quote,
10:22"'Who's listening?'
10:23Well, everyone was soon listening when Fairchild wowed audiences as Jerry Mulligan in the Broadway
10:38smash An American in Paris, following in the footsteps of Gene Kelly."
10:42Meanwhile, Leanne Cope was several years into her tenure with the Royal Ballet when Wealdon
10:58recalled her lovely singing voice.
11:01After singing The Man I Love for him, she landed the role of Lise.
11:13Both stars later took the show to the West End, too.
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11:41Number 1.
11:42Fred Astaire – Flying Down to Rio
11:44In an incredibly nearly eight decades-long career, Fred Astaire danced his way into 31
11:51movie musicals and countless hearts.
11:53Raised in a family that nurtured his and his sister's talents, he began his stage career
11:57alongside her.
11:59When they eventually went their separate ways, Astaire set his sights on Hollywood.
12:11Legend has it that after his audition for RKO, someone noted, quote,
12:15"'Can't act, slightly bald, also dances.'"
12:18Despite this now laughable critique, they still cast Astaire, most notably in Flying
12:23Down to Rio with Ginger Rogers.
12:26We can only imagine that the note's author might have eaten their words upon realizing
12:29they had a triple-threat superstar.
12:32Today, Astaire is celebrated as one of the most legendary entertainers of all time.
12:46Did you know these dancers could sing?
13:00Who surprised you the most?
13:02Let us know in the comments.