Dance in Film · 1936
Born to Dance (1936)
Eleanor Powell's star-making MGM musical, in which a Broadway hopeful's dancing is both the subject of the plot and the engine of it. Powell's precision tap carries three major numbers, from her first hoofer entrance to the battleship-scale "Swingin' the Jinx Away" finale, against a Cole Porter score and a young James Stewart singing "Easy to Love".
Born to Dance is a 1936 dance feature film centred on Tap Dance, Musical Theatre Dance. For dancers, it's a chance to see these styles performed on screen — the phrasing, partnering, and musicality that the same dances carry onto a real floor.
Jump to the 3 indexed dance sequences ↓
Dance styles featured
The dance sequences in Born to Dance
3 sequences — what is danced, by whom, and where to find it.
“Easy to Love” park dance
Screen-musical soloDanced by Eleanor Powell; James Stewart · Choreography Eleanor Powell
The unlikely charm of James Stewart singing while Powell dances their falling-in-love number.
The park setting lets Stewart’s sung courtship and Powell’s movement carry the romance without interrupting the musical flow.
Open the film at this point · Stream or rental only — the timestamp is for when you have it playing. No edition-specific timestamp used. TCM explicitly identifies the park-set falling-in-love number but does not name a codified dance style, so the style remains outside the supplied taxonomy. Current-access conflict noted as in the first row.
“Swingin’ the Jinx Away” battleship finale
Screen-musical production danceDanced by Eleanor Powell · Choreography Eleanor Powell; Dave Gould
Powell dancing her way to stardom across a naval spectacle built as the film’s huge finale.
The enormous battleship staging scales Nora’s individual virtuosity into a career-making production climax.
Open the film at this point · Stream or rental only — the timestamp is for when you have it playing. No edition-specific timestamp used. TCM says Powell choreographed her own numbers; AFI separately credits Dave Gould for dance ensembles and notes the battleship choreography’s later reuse. Current-access conflict noted as in the first row.
First Lonely Hearts Club hoofer number
Tap danceDanced by Eleanor Powell · Choreography Eleanor Powell
The dazzlingly precise hoofer entrance that announces Nora as the film’s star dancer.
Powell’s first number turns virtuoso footwork into instant character exposition: Nora’s skill is visible before Broadway discovers her.
Open the film at this point · Stream or rental only — the timestamp is for when you have it playing. No edition-specific timestamp used. TCM identifies Powell as a tap dancer who choreographed her own numbers. Roku listed Apple and Prime rentals on 2026-08-13, while Prime’s direct page said unavailable; Apple’s 1h45 title page was opened.
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