Dance Scenes in Historically-Set Movies – February - Shall We Dance? #prairierosepubs #moviedancescenes

Join me here for a year of movie trivia fun as I post dance scenes from movies set in historical time periods. I will give a brief summary of the movie’s plot and an equally brief set-up to the scene.

Each month on the second Wednesday, I will post a movie clip and link back to previous movie scene articles here on the blog.

 This is the criteria by which I'm choosing movie scenes:

• In a non-musical movie, the dance scene is important to the storyline and not just visual and auditory filler.
• In a musical drama, the characters in the dance scene don’t sing to each other.
• In a musical drama, the dance scene is important to the storyline and not just visual and auditory filler.
• The historical cut-off is 1960, because that date works for me. ;-)

Side note:  The article “Classic Literature is Not Necessarily Historical Fiction” on the BookRiot website offers an interesting explanation on what constitutes historical fiction and where various historical date lines are drawn.

Onward to the Febuary movie scene.

Name of Movie: The King and I
Historical Time Period: 1860s
Location: Siam
Occasion: Formal government dinner and social activity
Type of Dance: Polka

Background from Wikipedia:

 “The King and I is a 1956 American musical film made by 20th Century-Fox, directed by Walter Lang and produced by Charles Brackett and Darryl F. Zanuck. The screenplay by Ernest Lehman is based on the 1951 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I, based on the 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon. That novel in turn was based on memoirs written by Anna Leonowens, who became school teacher to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in the early 1860s. Leonowens' stories were autobiographical, although various elements of them have been called into question. The film stars Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner.”

Warning – Spoilers ahead

Scene Set-Up

 Anna, a widowed school teacher from England along with her young son, Louis, arrive in Bangkok where Anna will tutor King Mongkut’s many children. Anna is given living quarters in the palace despite the King's promise to provide her a house. This remains a conflict between the King and Anna for quite some time.

 The King concedes to provide her a house if she will help him appear less 'barbaric' to the British delegation there to assess his kingdom for possible protectorate status.

 During this official State business evening, Anna dances with an old friend. The King is intrigued and a bit jealous. After the evening's festivities are over, the Kink encounters Anna as she remembers how much she enjoyed the dancing and socializing. The King demands she teach him how to dance.

This is the polka from the movie – Shall We Dance?

It is subtly obvious that this dance scene’s purpose is to reveal that the King and Anna have fallen in love. It’s while dancing that they admit it to each other through facial expressions and touch. They also realize absolutely nothing can come of their mutual feelings of love.

At 1:47 in this clip, Anna and the Kink grasp hands to prepare to dance. There is a 'respectable' space between their bodies. They move apart as Anna explains the dance steps. The King watches and makes the foot movements. Anna swirls about singing of love. She and the King say 'romance' at the same time. Anna slowly turns to the King as she has the first glimmer of acknowledgement of their mutual attraction.

They take hold of each other's hands again (2:36). They dance and prance around, but the King is dissatisfied. At 3:15, the King cuts through the social politeness and calls a spade a spade – holding hands at a distance isn't what he saw her doing with that European earlier in the evening.

He moves in slowly, his hand extended to touch her, partially embrace her. Anna's breath hitches. Her cheeks flush. Their gazes lock in mutual understanding that if he touches her…if she allows him to touch her…it will be an unspoken declaration of love between them.

The dance finishes. They gaze longingly at each other from across the ballroom. The King slowly moves toward Anna, his arm outstretched to touch her again. She anticipates his touch.

 He slips his hand along her corseted side. She allows him to move in, body to body. That moment of gone too far arrives. The kiss is imminent.

In the space of a breath, the King remembers who he is, while also truly respecting Anna (maybe for the first time in the story), and he goes for another dance instead of the forbidden kiss.

This dance was their only moment to share their love that will forever remain locked in their hearts.

The costumes for the time period are simply lovely in this movie.

 Until next time,

Kaye Spencer
Writing through history one romance upon a time
www.kayespencer.com