Tap Dancing Movies

[Mallory]

My 3 1/2 year old has recently become very interested in tap dancing.

What movies with a lot of dance scenes, that are also appropriate for a preschooler do you like?

I would guess that he would watch something with Fred Astaire or similar, but I have no idea where to start.

Help!

[mammastar]

I'm no expert, either! Singing in the Rain is a classic of course, and there are the Fred Astaire ones, like Cheek to Cheek, but they feature a lot of ballroomy dancing as well as tap.

Maybe something with Shirley Temple would appeal on a kid-to-kid level?

Also I remember there are a couple of compilations called That's Entertainment, that show the dance extracts from famous musicals -- if he's 3, probably cutting to the chase would be good, instead of messing around with too much plot, right?

I would also check your local library for non-fiction videos, like instructional ones (aimed at kids or grown-ups) or stuff like 'A Day in the Life' documentaries about dancers.

I guess he's a bit young to appreciate Billy Elliot, hey? Too bad

[weetzie]

I loved tap dancing movies when I was younger. The That's Entertainment compilations are good. In "Anchors Away" Gene Kelly dances with a cartoon which might appeal to a child (and it is the first time that a cartoon and human interacted on screen )

http://us.imdb.com/Sections/Genres/Musical/ is a good place to start for musicals. Then I would look under Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. I'm not sure what would be appropriate for a preschooler (I've never watched with kids in mind) but there should be summaries. Let me know if you need more help, I am a little short on time right now