The Guardian Ranks Busby Berkeley's Top Dance Routines to Mark 50 Years Since His Death

The Guardian has published a retrospective ranking of 20 dance routines choreographed and directed by Busby Berkeley, timed to mark 50 years since his death, according to the publication.

The list, compiled by the newspaper's culture desk, revisits sequences from Berkeley's films that the outlet describes as fantastical and kaleidoscopic, spanning styles from erotic silhouette work to what it calls sinister tap dancing.

Among the examples cited in the piece is a sequence featuring actor Ruby Keeler, known also as Mrs Al Jolson, appearing as a fluffy white feline being courted by another performer dressed as a tomcat, while chasing child actor Billy Barty, who has dwarfism, costumed as a mouse.

The Guardian's headline references other routines included in the countdown, such as formations resembling human harps, a number involving oversized bananas, and a sequence the outlet labels as depicting dogging, though further detail on these specific numbers was not included in the excerpt reviewed.

Berkeley, an American film director and choreographer, is widely credited with pioneering elaborate, geometrically patterned dance sequences in Hollywood musicals during the 1930s and beyond. The Guardian's article frames the ranking as a tribute to his influence on cinematic choreography, half a century after his death.

The full list and accompanying commentary are available on The Guardian's website.