Since the 1980’s classical dance in America has declined in substance significantly. With the development of music videos and specifically MTV, it seems classical dance has finally lost the entertainment battle to over sexualized, exotic dancing in music videos. By first giving a brief history of classical dance in America and then actually watching a number on music videos, I will irrefutably prove this point. I will use Billboard’s Hot 100 charts to examine the top music videos from the last thirty years to compare and contrast the dancing and dancers in them. My results will show the slow decline of classical dance in music videos from the year 1980 to 2010. While the quantitative data from the Billboard charts will be significant, I will also utilize the visual and material culture in the music videos to explain what the decease of such a lovely art form in popular culture tells us about American culture. The fact the American is a credulous, profit driven, image based culture is painfully obvious through the observance of music videos. American popular culture constantly looks to identify with the ostentatious, demeaning, and idealistic values in music videos only to gain an impractical and undignified image of themselves and their lifestyle. (221)
