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Step Up To The Dance Floor

Step Up To The Dance Floor

Date: Oct 11 2006

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

If you like to watch movies, eventually you’ll probably see a couple of dance movies.

Back in the day, Fred Astaire was always dancing on the big screen. In the 1970’s John Travolta brought a different style of dancing to the cinema in Saturday Night Fever. In the 80’s, Flashdance and Dirty Dancing heated up the screen.

A decade later, Japan made their own movie about ballroom dancing called Shall We Dance? It was so good that Jennifer Lopez starred in the American re-make of that movie.

But Julia Stiles had already grooved for Hollywood in Save the Last Dance. (That’s her in the picture! She’s so cute.)

Now, yet another dance movie has been released. It’s called Step Up. So far it doesn’t seem to be living up to its predecessors.

Logan was definitely not excited about it. Listen to him talk to Toby about dance movies.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Toby

Toby

Logan

Logan

Toby:  So, um, I’ve noticed on TV lately that there are all these, like, dance competitions, and dance, I guess, is really hot, it’s really in, and… And I’ve also noticed there’s a new dance movie out, this movie called Step Up. Have you seen it?

Logan:  I’ve seen a preview for it. I’m not too pumped about it. I’m pumped up to make fun of it actually.

Toby:  Why? What bugs you about it?

Logan:  It just … it just seems so cheesy. I saw the preview. It looked like a janitor’s working at a dance school or something like that, and he comes in and says, “I’ll help out dancing,” and he’s just this master street performer slash hip hop dancer, he just comes in and just woos everybody and the girl obviously looks like she’s gonna fall in love with him ‘cause he’s a handsome devil. And she’s a young little, she’s a young princess herself.

Toby:  What was the movie that had… Oh, God, I’m not gonna be able to think of it. But it was, it was the interracial relationship, the white girl and the black boy, um, he was…

Logan:  Save the Last Dance?

Toby:  Save the Last Dance. That actually was kind of a good movie!

Logan:  It was a good movie. I als… I compare it to this too. That’s a good comparison.

Toby:  It’s the same, yeah, it’s the same genre.

Logan:  Same plot.

Toby:  Yeah. There’s… It’s funny because in movies there’s this whole dance thing. There was, like, Strictly Ballroom, um, Shall We Dance? which was the Japanese film and then, there was, like, a Richard Gere re-make. And I think that, like, the dance movie people saw that they were making money off of it and they’re like “How can we, how can we reach the younger audience?”

Logan:  They must’ve been because this movie looks horrible.

 

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Discussion

Toby says that dance is in right now.

Logan saw a preview for Step Up and thinks it looks stupid and predictable. When he talks about the dude being a “handsome devil” he is being sarcastic. It’s his way of showing how cheesy he thinks it is.

When Logan says “slash” he means that the guy is a mix of the two things. This word evolved in English from the punctuation mark ” / ”. For example, if you are a student and also a tutor, you could say, “I’m a student-slash-tutor.”

Toby points out that there always seems to be a dance movie to see. She thinks Hollywood has figured out that they make money, so they keep trying to figure out new plots. But Logan says it’s the same old story.

What’s your favorite dance movie?


Click here for a lesson on the meaning of step up

 

Comments

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princessanika

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

is that a very beautiful movie?i love that very much cause i love danceLaughing

06:28 PM Nov 20 2012 |

reemona

reemona

Oman

To say the Truth, I lovve dancing movies >> not the Dirty kind :D << But I don’t know HOW TO DANCE ! Embarassed

01:37 PM Sep 20 2011 |

Zambuka

Zambuka

United States

I think movies with a lot of dance are pretty good :) we can watch them and at the same time we can study it ! Great opportunities !

03:58 PM Feb 19 2009 |

Zambuka

Zambuka

United States

I think movies with a lot of dance are pretty good :) we can watch them and at the same time we can study it ! Great opportunities !

03:57 PM Feb 19 2009 |

farnoosh_n1986

Malaysia

I would probably like it :d b'cuz one of ma favorite movie as I mentioned is Step UP 1…I recommand this movie to those who likes dance movies ;)

06:20 PM Jan 07 2009 |

bluese

bluese

Turkey

wonderful

07:00 PM Nov 13 2008 |

Katie23

Katie23

Germany

I like dancing, so I like dance movies as well. Dirty dancing especially..:)

12:11 AM Aug 05 2008 |

ola3

ola3Super Member!

Ukraine

The best dance movie is “Flashdance”. There has been no other good dance movie to beat so far.

12:29 AM Oct 17 2006 |

sherryleio

sherryleio

China

I like dance movies, it is often joyful, lively, and sometimes erotic. Moulin Rouge starred by Nicole Kidman (I have seen twice), Dirty Dance (I love this movie, especially the erotic dancing in the club), Take the lead (Antonio Banderas, the sexy guy, who makes the classic ballroom looks great too, nice movie).

04:13 AM Oct 11 2006 |

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