Top 10: Fred Astaire dances

I'm not going to be obvious and make everything on this list, an Astaire-Rogers top 10 list as many people would do when they think Fred Astaire. To me, Fred Astaire's dances are one of a kind, whether or not, he is dancing with Ginger Rogers or someone like Debbie Reynolds in a non-musical film. Fred Astaire's talents in dance will always make anyone smile. No matter who you are and what you're in to.

Top 10 Fred Astaire Dances

#10 He Loves And She Loves with Audrey Hepburn from Funny Face. This dance is a very romantic one because the scene starts off with with Audrey's character confessing to Fred's character. She tells him that she doesn't want to leave Paris because she loves the place. She also tells him that she loves him. Fred responds to her confession by overcoming his fear and singing He Loves And She Loves to her. The pair then engages in a romantic dance duet as Fred realizes that he is starting to fall for Audrey's character. -Liana Sheridan

"And they love so won't you

love me as I love you?"

#9 The Shorty George with Rita Hayworth from You Were Never Lovelier. This dance is a fun and up beat, up tempoed that made me laugh. Both Rita Hayworth and Fred Astaire doing a tap dance together, makes my day get brighter. I love these two together in their two films together. It also makes me wonder if they treat each other as siblings off-screen because of who Rita was to Fred, and they are also quite different in style. -Liana Sheridan

"A dance for a man

about so big."

#8 Baby Doll with Vera-Ellen from The Belle Of New York. This song is the essence of romance. I think that the song is one of the most romantic dances that Fred Astaire has ever done. Both Fred and Vera-Ellen looked like they were into each other during the dance. This dance is one of the reasons why I'm in love with Fred Astaire's talents. -Sophie Leigh

"You beautiful baby doll."

#7 This Heart Of Mine with Lucille Bremer from Ziegfeld Follies is Fred's most romantic dances that he has ever done. I believe that it was this particular dance that made me think that they have done it right and that they were carefree with love. The dance, itself, is romantic enough as a stand alone musical short; however, one chorus girl missed her queue but was quickly covered up by a stage hand, but that was only one mistake and it happened in the background. -Liana Sheridan

"This heart of mine

is gayly dancing now."

#6 The Babbitt And The Bromide with Gene Kelly from Ziegfeld Follies. The Babbitt And The Bromide is the next dance on our countdown. This dance begins with a humorous sketch between Fred and Gene calling each other "Rita Hayworth" and "Ginger Rogers" as well as Fred not being able to place Gene in any profession. A little fan fact about this dance: Fred Astaire did something quite similar with his sister, Adele Astaire in The Gershwin's Funny Face.  -Liana Sheridan

"Gotta fly."

#5 Sluefoot with Leslie Caron from Daddy Long Legs. The Sluefoot was one of those dances that always makes me smile. I love how much faith Fred Astaire had for the dance and how he wanted to make the dance succeed, though learning that his wife of twenty or so years passed during the filming of the film. If you look closely at his face, you might catch his eyes being swollen or red from crying over the lost of Phyllis Potter. -Sophie Leigh

Astaire with first wife, Phyllis Potter in front
of their Los Angeles home.

#4 When That Midnight Choo-Choo Leaves For Alabam with Judy Garland from Easter Parade. When I first saw this film, I loved every moment of it; however, the most memorable moment of the film that I enjoyed the most is this particular scene. Both Judy and Fred looked like they were having fun. Yet, I keep on calling Judy, Dorothy throughout the film, itself. -Sophie Leigh

Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz (1939)

#3 The Jukebox Duet with Eleanor Powell from The Broadway Melody of 1940.  Eleanor Powell danced like a man is what Fred Astaire said about Eleanor. In 1981, Eleanor Powell would later say that they would rehearse over and over again, just to make every step perfect and well done. She also stated that she wanted to it one more time. Both Ellie and Freddie were Hollywood's biggest hoofing perfectionists. And perfect they were! -Liana Sheridan

Astaire with Eleanor Powell, 1940.

"I have tried it but I don't

quite get the same thing."

#2 Dancing In the Dark with Cyd Charisse from The Band Wagon. This number is one of those dances that Fred done or saw being done during his Broadway days with his sister, Adele in 1931. And both Liana and I agreed that this dance would have been different during the 1930s, or has been replicated if any documented footage of rehearsal had been leaked to the public. -Sophie Leigh

"Cyd Charisse is a terrific dancer, a wonderful partner,"

[Fred] Astaire would admit later. "She had precision

plus -- beautiful dynamite, I call it. When you

danced with her, you stayed danced with her."

#1 A Couple Of Song And Dance Men with Bing Crosby from Blue Skies and Together. This number is one of our favorites of Astaire's. It was this dance that I thought that Fred nailed it, and that he proved to everyone that he could dance and teach at the same time on-screen. -Sophie Leigh

"I couldn't even reach the steps he throws away."

~Adele Astaire

"Come on, Fred, I'm not your sister, you know."

~ Claire Luce