Let's Dance

"Let's dance, Bozo."
—Terry McGinnis, Batman Beyond, to The Joker.

A Stock Phrase most often heard right before an action scene and used as a Pre-Ass-Kicking One-Liner. The Hero comes across a random Big Bad, or one of his Mooks. When the Hero announces his intention to fight/kill said Bad Guy, he might laugh a little sadistically before a replay of "Let's Dance". Sometimes this is accompanied by a cracking of knuckles, or even of the victim's neck.

Compare Bring It. Dance Battler also takes this literally.

Examples of Let's Dance include:

Animation

  • The Penguins of Madagascar: As Skipper prepares to fight the Rat King, he says, "Let's dance. I'll lead."
  • One of the Spammers from Bender's Big Score says, "You've got no code, no porn, and you're ugly. Let's dance!" just before attacking our heroes.
  • In Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Alex has to fight another lion as part of a rite of passage. When the other lion says, "Let's dance," Alex takes it literally and does a dance routine out of West Side Story. He gets clobbered.
  • American Dragon: Jake Long gives us this right before Jake's final battle with the Huntsclan.

The Huntsman: Before I wish for your annihilation, any last words?
Jake: Well, considering the occasion, I have just two: Let's dance!

Film

  • Predator 2. When police officer Jerry Lambert confronts the title creature in the subway car, his last words are "Let's dance!"
  • Antonio Banderes in Desperado.

(neck crack) "Let's play."

  • Aliens. Just before the Marines fight the xenomorphs for the first time:

Vasquez: "Let's rock!" (opens fire with machine gun)

Ron Burgundy: Let's dance, dickweed.
Wes Mantooth: You wanna dance, Burgundy?" (whips out a knife) I wanna polka.

Danny: God dammit Ronnie!
Ronnie Shields: What? Because I'm black you think I did it?
Danny: No, because you did it is why I think you did it. Let me tell you something, I'll hit you. I will hit a child. I've never done that before, but I will punch you in the face.
Ronnie Shields: Let's dance, Ben Affleck!

  • In Van Wilder, one of the antagonists challenges the titular slacker with "Let's Dance", only to have Wilder respond with "It's a good day to die".
  • Die Hard With a Vengeance, bomb squad technician Charlie Veiss says this to a bomb he's attempting to defuse:

"Six booby traps, four dead ends, "and a Partridge in a pear tree." Okay, honey. Let's dance."

  • Apocalypse Now. Colonel Kilgore "turning on the music" as his helicopters are about to attack.

"Eagle Thrust, put on psy war op. Make it loud. This is a Romeo Foxtrot. Shall we dance?"

Literature

  • In The Wheel of Time book The Dragon Reborn a small group of battle-ready Aiel taunt a Myrddraal with the phrase "Dance with me, Eyeless." The Aiel use the term 'dance' as a metaphor for fighting; they will often say 'dance the spears.'
  • John Ringo's A Hymn Before Battle:

"This is what I promise, nothing more. We are going to stick this operation up the Posleen's ass, sideways. I guaran-fuckin'-tee that. I don't guarantee that any of us will be around to see it. That is not part of the bargain," he hissed.
"So, to do that, we are going to get up on our damn feet and go out and dance with the devil. We may lead, or we may follow. But we are gonna do the damn dance, am I understood?" he whispered.
"Yes, sir."
"God dammit, quit sounding off like a bunch of fuckin' hairdressers!" he shouted.
"Yessir!"
"What are we gonna do?"
"Fight?" "Get our asses kicked?" "Kick some butt?"
"We're gonna dance, sir," said Wiznowski, disconnecting from the power system.
"We are gonna dance. Now, what are we gonna do?"
"We're gonna dance, sir."
"Dammit . . ."
"WE'RE GONNA DANCE, SIR!" they sounded off.
"WHO'RE WE GONNA DANCE WITH?"
"THE DEVIL!"
"WE GONNA LEAD OR FOLLOW?"
"WE'RE GONNA LEAD!"
"DAMN STRAIGHT! SCOUTS OUT!"

Live Action TV

  • Al Bundy's version was "Let's rock."
  • Lampshaded in "Fool for Love" for a typical Spuffy Foe Yay moment. Spike is telling Buffy how he killed two previous Slayers.

Spike: The first was all business but the second, she had a touch of your style. She was cunning, resourceful... oh, did I mention? Hot. I could have danced all night with that one.
Buffy: You think we're dancing?
Spike: That's all we've ever done.

Music

Take your partners for our civil war dance

Newspaper Comics

  • Julius, owner of the Liberty Meadows animal sanctuary, when he prepares to catch his nemesis, Khan the giant catfish: "Let's dance, Khan."

Video Games

  • Seraphim01/Serah from Silhouette Mirage says this when her health is reduces to about two thirds.
  • Shinobu Jacobs, the perky ninja assassin sidekick to Travis Touchdown says a few variations of this in No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle.
  • A variation appears in The Witcher saga, with a Psycho for Hire calling for music before starting a fight. Geralt himself uses the same phrase in the game.
  • Dimitri in Sly 2 says "Let's Dance!" right before the boss battle after Sly insults his taste in clothing.
  • This is one of Raphael's opening lines in Soulcalibur 2.
  • Tieger to zombie!Grissom as a You Shall Not Pass, in the ending of Vagrant Story.

"And now the slowest dance begins, partner. 'Tis a fine tomb we shall share."

Nnnnnggggaaaahhhhh!!!!!! It is *dancing*!!!!

Melfice: Dance with me, brother.

Web Comics

Western Animation

Real Life

  • Todd Beamer, on the ill-fated flight 93. "Let's roll."
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