For whatever reason, dogs and dancers are popular characters in this summer’s music videos. You may think to yourself, “Don’t most music videos usually have dancers anyways?” and you’re right! But troupes of ballroom and ballet dancers? Maybe not so much.
As for the dogs? They usually make appearances in the place of men who either get a little too handsy with women or can’t seem to keep their eyes at eye-level. The pups featured in two of these videos hit and miss that trend
All I want to know is…
“North Line” by Julian Lynch
Seven different dogs ride around in a car. There are no lyrics or any other suggestion as to what the actual significance behind the canines may be. “North Line” is just a short and peaceful song paired with some happy pups with their heads stuck out of a window as their cruise through the suburbs.
And yes, there’s a Corgi.
“Her Favorite Song” by Mayer Hawthorne
Remember how I mentioned that dogs sometimes portray men? Well, here you go. Mayer Hawthorne’s song tells of a woman who lacks proper attention from a dude but finds solace when she listens to her favorite song.
In this club, we have Mayer Hawthorne performing in front of a crowd of women and dogs that are far more interested in their drinks and their money than the scantily clad ladies that sway about the room. The women grow tired of being ignored and in the end, Hawthorne (dressed up as a dog, Wilfred-style) gains the affections of a pretty girl.
And now onto the dancers!
“Hold Me Forever” by MONEY
Cillian Murphy, from
Inception and
Batman Begins fame, directed this beautiful video that focuses on the grace and diligence of ballerinas. We watch these slender beauties as they lace their slippers, stretch, and warm up in their studio. It’s a purely artistic video with tight camera angles and ethereal lens flares that made me regret not sticking with ballet…
I also couldn’t help but picture Murphy sitting as Scarecrow in the director’s seat…
“All the Days” by HAERTS
HAERTS jams and this ballroom dancing group dances along in a dimly lit speakeasy-inspired bar. The troupe is made up of men and women aged 30 through 60 (and maybe on) and is impressively synchronized in their ironed button-downs and twirling dresses. There’s an older woman who kicks her leg higher than a Rockette and a man who falls face-first to the ground and manages to stand back up (with the help of his dance partner) without ever bending his legs. These guys can really dance. And the song is pretty great too.
“Big Love” – Jamie Lidell
Bring out the Q-Kids Dance Team! Somewhere in Cincinnati, Ohio a group of young girls chats and laughs with one another as they walk to their local recreation center. The girls practice their routine with their team, play around with boxing equipment in the rec center, and don their sequined costumes in preparation for a performance. The Q-Kids dance around in a market, in the street, and in their own private room filled with balloons that match their outfits.
The Q-Kids Dance Team is an afterschool program that gives underprivileged young women a creative outlet. I can’t say what exactly brought a white R&B singer from the UK to C-town to discover these girls, but it’s safe to say that their dancing totally steals the spotlight in this video.
by Sarabeth Oppliger
