Elvis Presley is famously known as the King of Roll and Roll, but this man made an impact in the fields of film and dance as well. If you are not aware of its influence on dance, then you definitely need to keep reading. It’s hard to imagine that when Elvis first appeared on television, his appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, shaking his hips because of his music, pissed off so many people. They felt his moves were too sexual in nature and also thought he was a white guy trying to dance as if he was black.
For a while it became quite controversial for him to be in the shows. In fact, many producers just wanted to show it from the waist up so as not to offend their viewers. However, there was no stopping the following that Elvis developed in part due to his amazing dancing abilities. It seems that people around the world just couldn’t get enough of it.
His concerts in Las Vegas and other places around the world were always sold out. Many of those who came to see him explained that while they loved his voice they were there for many other reasons. Among them was the fact that they loved his style of dancing and it was great to see him bring something new and energetic to the crowd that accepted him.
Many teens loved this rock and roll man, and he also gave them a way to rebel freely against their parents. They also found that his style of dancing gave them something new to work with that was not a rehash of what their parents used to dance to. The fact that they could name this themselves was magical and really allowed him to take over. There aren’t many people who were teenagers in that era who don’t remember dancing to and loving Elvis’ music.
Many of the films Elvis has played in have included music and dance roles as well. These roles set new boundaries for what can be seen on the big screen. It helped pave the way for the public to take an interest in dance on a new level as well. They were willing to take those moves they saw from Elvis and try them out on their own in many cases as well.
Unfortunately, a great deal of Elvis’ dancing was not appreciated until after his death. Many believe he was decades ahead of his time with the visions he had. He was not a rebel, as many critics of the time described him. Instead he was an artistic genius. If you ask any of the great dancers or musicians today, many of them will tell you that one of their sources of inspiration has always been Elvis.
Today there are many people who are trying to successfully imitate the sounds and dance moves of Elvis. You can find many of them in Las Vegas at shows as well as being served at weddings. Of course it takes a great deal of skill to be able to be successful. Critics are very strict with these imitators so only the best of the best are hired.
There’s no denying that Elvis’ legacy is alive and well today. There are so many amazing things that he was able to achieve in his life. History will always remember him though as a man who was able to balance music with dance, and was creative enough not to let society or industry limit his talents.