Ann-Margret danced opposite Elvis Presley in Viva Las Vegas, exploded onto screens in Bye Bye Birdie, and became one of the most recognizable performers of her generation.

But her dance story has rarely been examined — let alone in full.

In this episode of The Rest of the Story on the Hey, Dancer! podcast, I trace her path from a tiny village in northern Sweden to childhood dance training outside Chicago, late-night club stages as a teenager, national television talent shows, and an unusually fast rise through Hollywood musicals.

Rather than focusing on fame, this episode follows the throughline that shaped everything: how her body moved — onstage, on camera, and under pressure — and how that physicality set her apart at a moment when screen dance was changing.

We dig into her early film musicals, her electric partnership with Elvis Presley, and the stretch of work that helped redefine movement in 1960s movies — before a devastating onstage accident nearly ended her career.

What followed was not a reinvention, but a return — through live performance, television, and film (including an Oscar nom for Tommy) — driven by discipline, resolve, and an unshakable connection to movement.

This is the untold dance journey behind a performer known for many things — and the story of how dance was always at the center.

If you enjoy this kind of deep-dive storytelling and want to help keep The Rest of the Story coming weekly — carefully researched, independently made, and quality-driven — you can support here: ⁠Buy Me a Coffee! Much appreciated!!!

Check out my ⁠⁠Return to Dance docuseries!⁠⁠

Support my Instagram — where I post daily dance inspo, insights and fun! ⁠⁠@backtogreat

Adolfo "Shabba-Doo" Quiñones became the face of street dance when it burst onto movie screens around the world — most famously through the global hit Breakin', a film that turned real street dancers into international stars.

But long before that explosion, his story began in Chicago's Cabrini-Green housing projects — a place defined by danger, instability, and fear. When his mother made a drastic decision to leave everything behind and drive her family across the country to Los Angeles, it changed the course of his life — and dance history.

In this episode of The Rest of the Story on the Hey, Dancer! podcast, I trace how a teenager searching for belonging found locking, entered a tight inner circle of era-defining street dancers, and became part of the original Soul Train movement — just as street styles were breaking onto television. From there, he joined The Lockers, the groundbreaking group that brought street dance into American living rooms for the first time.

We follow his pivotal connection with Toni Basil, the moment that pulled him onto major stages, and the path that led to Breakin' — a global hit that didn't just succeed, but helped launch street dance onto the world stage.

From television to Broadway, from documentary to film, from clubs to worldwide screens, this is the rarely told, fully contextualized dance legacy of Shabba-Doo — a performer whose talent, presence, and visibility helped define what street dance looked like when the world first saw it. Which is why he's often referred to as the Godfather of Street Dance and the Bob Fosse of the Streets.

If you enjoy this kind of deep-dive storytelling and want to help keep The Rest of the Story coming weekly — carefully researched, independently made, and quality-driven — you can support here: ⁠Buy Me a Coffee! Much appreciated!!!

Check out my ⁠⁠Return to Dance docuseries!⁠⁠

Support my Instagram — where I post daily dance inspo, insights and fun! ⁠⁠@backtogreat

John Brascia is the dancer audiences notice every year in White Christmas.

He's the one partnered with Vera-Ellen in the film's most demanding numbers — and for decades, viewers have asked the same question:
Who is that dancer?

In this episode of The Rest of the Story on the Hey, Dancer! podcast, we trace John Brascia's dance journey in full — from his athletic upbringing and early training in Hollywood, to rapid work across MGM musicals, Broadway recognition, and his unforgettable performances on screen.

You'll hear how a business deal gone wrong unexpectedly led him into dance, how he moved quickly from studio classes to films like Summer Stock and Royal Wedding, and why choreographers trusted him with increasingly complex work — including White Christmas and the physically uncompromising finale of Meet Me in Las Vegas.

We also explore his later career with Tybee — the dance team that became a major Las Vegas headliner and one of the most respected acts of its era.

Along the way, I'll share a brief personal note from my research — a conversation that helped fill in key gaps in his story.

This episode offers the most in-depth, dance-focused portrait of John Brascia to date — not a résumé, but the throughline of a dancer whose work never stopped being noticed.

And today, we finally answer why.

If you enjoy this kind of deep-dive storytelling and want to help keep The Rest of the Story coming weekly — carefully researched, independently made, and quality-driven — you can support here: ⁠Buy Me a Coffee! Much appreciated!!!

Check out my ⁠⁠Return to Dance docuseries!⁠⁠

Support my Instagram — where I post daily dance inspo, insights and fun! ⁠⁠@backtogreat