The swivel of Elvis’ hips, Audrey’s zany bohemian dance in a Parisian café, Travolta’s uber-confident stroll through ’70s Brooklyn. Film has long played a part in shaping our definition of cool, and its efforts go far beyond the rebel without a cause and the yuppie, free-wheeling teen playing hooky from school. Music and dance in the movies—whether it’s the frustrated angst of teens, the aloof gait of hip aristocrats, or the sexy saunter of a private detective—have helped to communicate to generations various understandings of what it means to be hip.
For further viewing:
Cabin in the Sky
Jailhouse Rock
Silk Stockings
Funny Face
West Side Story
Band of Outsiders
Sweet Charity
Shaft
Saturday Night Fever
Grease
Pulp Fiction
Save the Last Dance
Step Up
