In What Ways Does Dance Transgress Racial and Social Norms Through Films Save The Last Dance and Hairspray?

In what ways does dance transgress racial and social norms through Save the Last Dance and Hairspray? This is the question being posed throughout the essay. The two films being compared are Thomas Carter’s 2001 dance flick, Save The Last Dance, and the 1960s inspired Adam Shankman film, Hairspray (2007). By definition, transgression is an act that goes against law, rule, or code of conduct. Although these films take place decades apart, one in the early 2000s, while the latter in the early 60s, such topics and themes such as racism and the identification of social classes is prominent in both movies. Through not only the films mentioned above, but also different sources from film studies that discuss the styles of dance presented in the films that shape the society of that time, and historical pieces that give a background on the different dance styles and how they came to become such giant influences of not only that time but also in present day. Based on the information that will be provided through this essay, both films do show how these different styles of dance can transgress racial and social norms.

To fully understand how the different styles of dance shape the society around it in each film, one must take into consideration the history behind these different dances and how they began and inspired the stories of these films. In, Save The Last Dance (2001) the prominent dance style is Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop originated in the 1970s Bronx, New York, and was heavily focused on emceeing over different beats and was the most popular at house parties and different outdoor block parties. The best example of this is written in an article from The History Channel stating,

“…in 1973, at a birthday party in the recreation room of an apartment building in the west Bronx, New York City…the man who presided over that historic party was the birthday girl’s brother, Clive Campbell—better known to history as DJ Kool Herc, founding father of hip hop, (History.com)."

It was a popular cultural movement amongst the black and latino community, which means that in that time it was given the reputation of being for the lower class. This new wave of dance was such a cultural shift because it was not only a style of dance, it came with a series of different elements to it that created a whole atmosphere. There are four different practices that come along with Hip-Hop which are, Breaking, Culture, Aerosol Art, and Rapping. In a time where popular dances were “The Hustle”, “The Bump”, and “The Funky Chicken Dance”, Breaking became such culture shock to everybody. As most dances of that time, many were created as a response to the song of that time, for example, “The Hustle” was made popular from the song by Van McCoy of the same title. The first hip hop record is regarded to be The Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight", from 1979. Although this song does not have a specific dance attached to it, it is the first song that introduced rap and was a game changer for Hip-Hop. In the film, Hairspray (2007), the majority of the dance moves are taken straight for the 1960s for an accurate representation of that time. In history, it was a continuation of the 1950s which was all about enjoying your life after the second world war ended. Some of the popular dances of that time are, The Mashed Potato, The Pony, and The Hitch-Hike. One of the more controversial dances for that time is The Twist. During this time, many parents did not want their child dancing like that because it involved a lot of movement from the lower half of their bodies, which just like the way Elvis Presley danced in the 1950s, who gained most of his inspiration in the way he moved from growing up in the ghettos. Many adults of that time were disgusted by him, and his movements which caused a divide between the adult and child. Shortly after that in the beginning of the 1960s, it was also the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement, which inspired many African Americans to stand up for their rights as not only humans, but as Americans. In the article, Revisiting the Roots of 1960s Civil Rights Activism: Class and Gender in "Up South”, Lisa Levenstein describes the movement to be,

“ African Americans’ efforts to claim their “Americanness” and achieve equality under the law as well as their attempts to celebrate their distinct heritage and control independent institutions (Levenstein. “388”).”

Knowing that this political shift was taking place in that time, shows that there might have been even more of a separation between what was considered “black culture”, and why such dance moves of that time were only associated with them and frowned upon to others. So, both Hip-Hop and dances from the 1960s created major cultural shifts and have inspired todays society immensely, including the films that will be discussed in the following paragraphs.

Each style of dance portrayed in these two films have distinctly created not only a stereotype for who dances each style but has also conducted a whole setting around it and an atmosphere that is so specific to each style. In Save The Last Dance, Sara Johnson, played by Julia Stiles, is an experienced Ballet dancer living in suburban Chicago auditioning for the Prestige New York City Arts School, Juliard. Once her mother passes away, she moves to the south side of Chicago with her father and things are very different around her. The new school Johnson is now attending appears to be predominantly people of colour with only a few white people, which is something she was not used to from her old high school. Chenille, a single mother who happens to be another girl in Johnson’s grade, befriends her. Chenille loves hip-hop as do all of the other students from their school. Johnson then meets Derek, Chenille’s brother, who teaches Sara how to dance hip-hop and shed the preciseness of Ballet. Throughout the movie, the characters go to night clubs and practice their hip-hop dancing while getting into physical fights and others judging Johnson for being there immersing herself in their culture. Evident here, each style of dance has its own stereotypes and social standards attached to it. Ballet is given the persona of a high end style of dance with predominately white upper class dancers taking it. This style of dance is precise and is usually taught through a dance studio in a step-follow format. Hip-Hop is shown as a dance for the lower class and can be performed in night clubs and under ground scenes usually by people perceived to be lower class. This style of dance is very different from Ballet as it contains elements of free styling and using more expression through their movements. Hairspray is another film that shows how one’s style of dance can inform others where they are from and who they are as a person. Tracy Turnblad, played by Nikki Blonsky, lives in Baltimore and goes to high school with other white people. Every day after school she and her best friend, Penny Pinglton, played by Amanda Bynes, rush home to watch The Corny Collins Show. This show is something that regular students can audition for and if one gets chosen then they become regulars on the show. The program, again, is all white. Everyone from in front and behind the screen, that is of course when ever month they hav “Negro Day”. Most of the dances Turnblad was familiar with prior to meeting Seaweed, an African American, were The Twist and the Mashpotatoe, which were popular moves for the common folk of that time. That is until Turnblad gets sent to definition which is where she meets Seaweed and all of his other friends. While in there, she learns how to dance from Seaweed, learning all of their steps, and Tracy never felt more alive. Once Turnblad tries to imitate their style of dance on television, the style becomes overtly sexual for the audience. This causes a huge uproar but also a giant cultural shift, because no one from the program has ever suggested combining black and white culture and as Tracy Turnblad says, “Making everyday Negro day!”.

Each of these films have different styles of dance and different social classes which are major themes in both storylines. In Save The Last Dance, Johnson is scrutinized for learning the style of breakdancing and culture that comes along with hip-hop because it is something that she is unfamiliar with. Her peers also find this to be jarring because it is rare for white people to go to those nightclubs with them and dance amongst them, also the fact that Johnson has come from an upper class neighbourhood and a background in Ballet which is seen as a high-class style of dance. This film is breaking boundaries because it is showing how someone can be skilled at both styles of dance and through the interracial relationship of Sarah and Derek. Many characters in the film are against their relationship which is quite similar to people who love ballet being against hip-hop or vice versa. Through trying to find her identity, she realizes that the best way to achieve her goals and make her satisfied with herself is if she embraces her past but also takes inspiration from her present. As stated in, Oxford Handbook of Dance and the Popular Screen by Melissa Blanco Borelli,

“…Save the Last Dance both trades on the promise of transgression and simultaneously removes its political possibility […] By virtue of aggressively breaking with the refined, restrained movements attributed to properly disciplined ballet bodies, and especially female bodies, hip-hop can offer dancing transgression (Borelli. “170”).”

This is shown most prominently at the end of the film when Sarah re-auditions for Juilliard mixing both ballet and hip-hop creating a diverse routine and in the end, helps her to get into the program. This is also a nod to her relationship with Derek saying that even though they are opposites with different upbringings, they will still succeed together. In Hairspray, transgression is shown specifically at the end of the film. Throughout the movie, Turnblad is an advocate for the people of colour who do not have a proper voice to stand up for themselves. Since first meeting Seaweed in detention, she realizes that him and the rest of the dancers that are black should be getting more than just one day a month because they are just as talented as everybody else. Tracy Turnblad starts causing a lot of controversy on The Corny Collins show because she wants to integrate the black and white culture, which results into Negro Day being cancelled all together. She then turns to protesting in the streets for their rights and receives a warrant sent out for her arrest from assaulting a police officer. Knowing that the civil rights movement was happening in the 1960s, makes perfect sense why they would include this in the film. By the end of the film, Turnblad sneaks into the Miss. Teen Baltimore Competition and brings seaweed and all of his friends and family along as well and for the first time on television, The Corny Collins Show is integrated. This winner of Miss. Teen Baltimore is Inez Stubbs, the first black girl to ever win. Although transgression is shown in different ways with both films, they still show that sometimes all it takes is that one person to break the social norm and change for the good can happen.

In the end, both of these films do show that dance transgresses race and what the society of those times believes to be normal. Hairspray, a film that is set in the 1960s, shows Tracy Turnblad becoming inspired by the black culture and their way of dancing which leads to her protesting for their rights as a community towards the end of the film. They also all end up on the Corny Collins Show which had never happened before because the program used to only have "Negro Day" once a month when the black community could go on the show. Since Tracy created such a strong movement, they were all able to dance together. In Save The Last Dance, Sarah infuses ballet and hip-hop, two very different styles, into her final performance which shows that she is pushing boundaries in the dance world and showing that hip-hop is not just a dance for a certain type of person or culture, the same way that Tracy Turnblad does in Hairspray.