Gaga Dancing*

"Lady Gaga is not a dancer." Not my words, but those of choreographer, Laurianne Gibson, speaking on BBC Three's 50 Greatest Dance Crazes a few nights ago.

"Like millions of young girls, she took dance classes," Laurianne continued. "You learn a few things very early - a pas de bourrée, a kickball change. So I put these classic dance steps in her choreography and I said, 'well, I know that I'll make you a dancer'".

So You Think You Can Dance judge Sisco Gomez was more direct: "She's not the best dancer, but she has a very specific way of moving, so her choreographer captures those really awkward moments and turns them into dance moves."

So maybe it wasn't the best idea to stitch the Edge Of Glory video together from six minutes of Gaga improvising her own dance steps. For the technically-minded, I've listed some of the moves she uses below:

:: Walking forwards a little bit
:: Walking backwards a little bit
:: Swinging around a lamp post
:: Dry humping a fire escape
:: Kissing the pavement
:: Lying down for a quick rest

But the absolute best moment comes at about 4'30", when Gaga spies a stone column and can't resist the urge to incorporate it into her routine. She's aiming for an exuberant, graceful launch into the air á la Gene Kelly in Singing In The Rain. Instead, we get this.

As a song, Edge Of Glory is the one that resurrected the promo campaign for Born This Way, and finally pushed Lady Gaga back on to Radio One's A-list. The inspiration was the death of Lady Gaga's grandfather in late 2010 - he's standing on the edge of glory as he passes from this life into the next.

Imagine having this as your introduction music as you arrived at the pearly gates. The other guys from the care home would be well jealous.

Lady Gaga - Edge Of Glory


* This was supposed to be a pun on Go-go dancing. It was not entirely successful. Apols.

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