Photos

Forget Astaire and Rogers: We prepare for 'Step Up 2 the Streets ' with this celebration of films that aren't your grandma's dance movies

By Martha Brockenbrough
Special to MSN Movies

There are two kinds of dance movies: those with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and those ... morewithout.

Anyone who has clod-hopped through ballroom dance classes knows Fred and Ginger were remarkable. They even tap-danced and sang -- something the average American can't do, if "American Idol" and "So You Think You Can Dance" are any indication.

But Fred and Ginger are dead. And their movies? While the dancing remains divine, the plots are balder than Fred. Also: Fred has the sex appeal of a goldfish.

Are we shallow? Of course! But, just as the human race depends on sex, dance movies depend on sex appeal. "Step Up" wasn't a hit because of its fresh plot or groundbreaking acting. And now Disney is looking to repeat the success with "Step Up 2 the Streets ."

The winning dance-movie formula, which produces "surprise" hit after surprise hit, goes like this: Take two hotties. Add conflict. Any will do, whether it's class, racial or generational. Make stars dance together. Zing! It's a primal thrill, and a severely guilty pleasure to anyone who knows she should probably be watching a foreign documentary or PBS special, but simply cannot resist the spectacle of limber young things united against the world ... at the pelvis.

So here are 10 favorite dance flicks: six picture-perfect classics, and four that break the mold. (Artisan Entertainment / Courtesy Everett Collection/Walt Disney Pictures)