MovieChat Forums > The Heiress (1949) Discussion > Catherine's clumsy dancing?

Catherine's clumsy dancing?

posted 14 years ago by bron-tay
4 replies | jump to latest

Is there a ballroom fan out there? I can't tell clumsy dancing from graceful dancing, even though Catherine apparently kicked Morris. Was she off-time or hopping madly when she danced with that older guy that Aunt Lavinia set her up with?

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Think cynical thoughts.

[–] nutsberryfarm 8 years ago

she had some solid moves. 

🌴"I'm not making art, I'm making sushi." Masaharu Morimoto🌴

[–] butaneggbert 8 years ago

Interestingly, her smoothest moves were when she caught sight of Morris alongside the dance floor, holding the two cups of punch. Her partner put quite a swing on her and she was right there with it.

A lot of us perform better on a task that we feel inadequate about when we're distracted (I'm one of those). Catherine for that moment wasn't focused on rhythm or footing, and it freed her up to really dance at that moment.

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[–] mdonln 8 years ago

butaneggbert says > A lot of us perform better on a task that we feel inadequate about when we're distracted (I'm one of those). Catherine for that moment wasn't focused on rhythm or footing, and it freed her up to really dance at that moment.

Maybe, but Catherine's problem was she lacked grace and kept getting in her own way. According to her father, she had been given the finest education and training in music and dance but it didn't really do her any good.

She would have known the steps of the various dances but she was still running into other couples, kicking Morris, and apparently caused the older man, Mr. Abel, to get a nose bleed. From what I recall she was bouncing around uncontrollably and trying to lead when her partner should have been leading.

Any semblance of good dancing was probably a mini goof on de Havilland's part. Clearly Ms. de Havilland had rhythm and could dance. If she was dancing well in that scene it may have been because she was focused on the facial expressions and interactions with Clift and forgot to for a moment to dance badly.

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]

[–] Jes' Sayin' (6398) 4 years ago

I thought he got the nosebleed because he had been dancing every dance and too vigorously for his age.