If asked to name a dance movie, films such as “Save the Last Dance,” “Stomp the Yard,” “Step Up” and “Honey” may come to mind. But what about a film following the disco craze in Singapore? Or a movie about a hit man that also traces the passion of Argentinean tango?
Because movies such as “That’s the Way I Like It” and “Assassination Tango” may not sound familiar to most of us, UCLA’s Global Dance Club has decided to show free dance movies every Wednesday in Ackerman Union at 8 p.m.
While the club has a history of putting on culturally inspired dance events for the UCLA community, this year it is also presenting lesser-known films that will help enthuse students for that week’s dance-style focus.
“Our main goal is to show students dance from different countries and different cultural backgrounds” said Jing Zhu, Global Dance Club president and electrical engineering graduate student.
“We wanted to think of a different way to help teach students how to dance,” Zhu said. “You can learn dance from a lot of different clubs on campus, but we also wanted to give them the ability to watch these inspirational films together with other dance fans.”
Besides the Wednesday night film showings, Global Dance Club also hosts Monday dance lessons with styles ranging from swing to salsa, as well as quarterly culture nights and historical ballroom dance workshops.
One of the group’s major upcoming events is this year’s eighth annual Ragtime Ball on Oct. 23 in Kerckhoff Grand Salon.
“Prior to the Ragtime Ball we’re going to be showing “˜The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle,’ which stars Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and features ragtime dances made popular just before and during World War I,” said James Zimmer, tango instructor for Global Dance Club.
“We’re also going to learn dances that were popular during the time of Rudolph Valentino,” he added. “And usually we show a few video clips at the ball as well. … We’re going to imitate the feeling of the vintage historical ballroom dance workshop.”
While the majority of films shown through the club are relatively unknown or not easily accessible, Zimmer said he hopes to give these films the exposure they deserve and use their presentations of diverse dance styles to inspire people to come to the club’s costume balls, weekly dance lessons and culture nights.
For some members of the club, dance provides a means to educate UCLA students, staff, alumni and members of the L.A. community about not only dance but culture as well.
“UCLA has such a diverse population, and through dance you have a chance to get to know other cultures that are on campus with you,” said Misha Agunos, a first-year psychobiology student and club member.
“There’s not necessarily a lot of opportunities, at UCLA or even in the L.A. area, to learn about (these) cultures in a fun way.”
So whether your favorite dance movie centers around an underground hip-hop troupe, or whether it follows the art of classical Indian folk dance, the presence of dance in movies is often accompanied by an opportunity for cultural education.
Movies, it seems, act as an introduction to this learning by allowing students to practice their dance skills inspired by the film’s cultural message.
“Global Dance Club’s mission is to promote a fun and positive environment where people can simultaneously learn about dance and other cultures,” Agunos said.