History Main / SummonBackupDancers

* ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies'' is the {{Trope Namer|s}}. The lead Dancer Zombie does this, summoning four backup dancer zombies. In the sequel, we have the Disco-Tron 3000 which summons Jetpack Dancing Zombies (fortunately, the dancers don't summon anything).

* The ''WesternAnimation/WeBareBears'' short "Panda's Dream" involves Panda having a series of {{Imagine Spot}}s about confronting a guy who cut in line at the video game store. The third and final one leads to a K-pop dance-off where two girls appear out of nowhere to dance with Panda, and two female bystanders randomly join in.

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* In ''Film/{{Leprechaun}} In The Hood'', the Leprechaun uses his powers to make the people in a night club sing and dance for him.

This trope isn't ''usually'' a magical spell that can summon dancers like a [[AWizardDidIt wizard]] can [[{{Mon}} summon monsters]] (though in a wacky enough series, it may well explicitly be one), more often it's an [[MusicalWorldHypotheses implicit rule of the cosmos]]. Anyone who goes into a musical number will get accompaniment, even if it requires the SpontaneousGeneration of said dancers from hard vacuum. Other times, it can be humorously {{justified|Trope}} by the lead in question training friends, allies or [[{{Mooks}} subordinates]] beforehand and instructing them to hide out of sight and march out on cue for their big song.

[[caption-width-right:227:TheDeadCanDance + MookMaker = [[{{Troperithmetic}} You're boned]].]]

This trope isn't ''usually'' a magical spell that can summon dancers like a [[AWizardDidIt wizard]] can [[{{Mons}} summon monsters]] (though in a wacky enough series, it may well explicitly be one), more often it's an [[MusicalWorldHypotheses implicit rule of the cosmos]]. Anyone who goes into a musical number will get accompaniment, even if it requires the SpontaneousGeneration of said dancers from hard vacuum. Other times, it can be humorously [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] by the lead in question training friends, allies or [[{{Mook}} subordinates]] beforehand and instructing them to hide out of sight and march out on cue for their big song.

If this ''is'' a magical ability of some type, the backup dancers may help out by [[DanceBattler dance battling]] alongside the summoner.

* In ''ScottPilgrim'', Evil Ex #1 Matt Patel can summon Demon Hipster Chicks to help him cast his flaming hand attack. In the videogame, these attack the player.

* In ''Film/{{North}}'' during the Texas song a group of back up singers and dancers appear out of nowhere, this is justified [[spoiler: as it was {{AllJustADream}}]].

* Happen's during [[Creator/MadhuriDixit Janki's]] [[TheItemNumber Item Number]] "Badi Mushkil" in ''Bollywood/{{Lajja}}''
* In ''Film/TheBluesBrothers'', when Creator/RayCharles plays "Shake a Tail Feather", passersby in the street start dancing, and the crowd quickly grows as people rush in from all sides. They proceed to demonstrate the different 1960s dance styles that are mentioned in the lyrics.
** You see those people on the elevated train station way in the back? They weren't involved in the shoot. They were waiting for a train, saw what was going on, and joined in.

* Nicely played with in ''Series/{{Buffy the Vampire Slayer}}'''s MusicalEpisode, "Once More With Feeling", as Buffy's confronting, via a musical number, the demon responsible for the whole mess...

-->''(Anya and Tara take [[IncrediblyLamePun backup dancer positions]] and join in)''

* Ryutaros from ''Series/KamenRiderDenO'' not only has a summonable group of breakdancers (one of whom was the VictimOfTheWeek for Ryuta's spotlight arc), but his powers include the ability to make '''everyone''' nearby dance along with his theme music.
** In TheMovie (the first one), he even summons a kick line of chorus girls.
* Almost too obvious an example is ''{{Glee}}''. They don't do it all the time, since they actually have cast that are backup dancers, but there was a scene in the outdoor cafeteria that did that, and one in a mall, where bystanders joined in the action.
** Most notable are the Troubletones dancers who appeared in Chicago without riding in the team bus (which had plenty of room to spare for them).
* {{Lampshaded}} in one RobertTownsend HBO special where they did a parody cop show with Prince and Michael Jackson as partners. When outnumbered by criminals, Michael summoned his backup dancers. They got shot and proceeded to give him a WhatTheHellHero.

* As with the TropeNamer, ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombiesPinball'' has this during the "Gotta Dance" multiball mode.

* [[AvertedTrope Averted]] in the 1993 Broadway version of ''{{Tommy}}'', in accordance with composer Pete Townshend's strict instructions to collaborator Des [=McAnuff=] that there be "no fucking dancing."
* ''{{Pippin}}'' does this most obviously in "Kind of Woman," which brings a bunch of adoring backup singers come to Catherine's side. They disappear when the song is over, leaving her alone with Pippin as before (but not really, since the show has NoFourthWall).

* ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies'' is the TropeNamer. The lead Dancer Zombie does this, summoning four backup dancer zombies. In the sequel, we have the Disco-Tron 3000 which summons Jetpack Dancing Zombies (fortunately, the dancers don't summon anything).
* In ''RatchetAndClankUpYourArsenal'', evil robot pop diva Courtney Gears does this during her boss battle.

* This makes up the first phase of the fight with Armaros in ElShaddai.
* in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2'' The first cinematic is of a concert with back-up dancers that appear via magic/hologram/goons.

* ''InkCity'': When [[WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}} Yakko]] and [[WesternAnimation/RegularShow Rigby]] break into their TheVillainSucksSong "Pretty Fly (For a Toon Guy)", the first thing Yakko does is summon some random backup singers/dancers. ([[WesternAnimation/AeonFlux Trevor]] is completely distracted by this, and tries to charm the girls into defecting to his side, to no avail.)
* On ''TheLXD'', Sp3cimen has this power. When fighting other dancers, he can summon around four backup dancers who help him power up his Ra blasts and provide cool visual effects.

* [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] in ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'', in the song [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rllzxZwN_Q Rubber Bands, Rubber Balls]], Baljeet's uncle, Sabu, summons his factory workers as backup dancers.
** Backup dancers sometimes appear if Doofenshirmitz tells Perry this week's {{backstory}} in song; he explicitly hired them at least twice. The trope is sometimes justified only by [[RuleOfCool Rule Of]] [[MST3KMantra Don't Be So Pedantic, It's A Cartoon]], such as when Baljeet sings about his fear a bad grade if he fails to make a portal to Mars - he summons not just backup dancers, but scenery and elephants too!

* {{The Music Meister}}'s superpower in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' is to hypnotize people with this singing. He thus makes backup dancers out of a horde of supervillains and superheroes.

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* ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies'' is the TropeNamer. The lead Dancer Zombie does this, summoning four backup dancer zombies.

** {{Lampshaded}} in one RobertTownsend HBO special where they did a parody cop show with Prince and Michael Jackson as partners. When outnumbered by criminals, Michael summoned his backup dancers. They got shot and proceeded to give him a WhatTheHellHero.

* There was a ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'' strip where Slick and Co. tried to face off against a G-Man in a dance-battle - but when they were done, he just snapped his fingers to summon two other, similarly-dressed guys to act as his backup-dancers for a modified rendition of [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2721 Here Come The Men In Black]].

* In most ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' platformers, Kirby clones himself and performs a HappyDance.

* ''InkCity'': When [[WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}} Yakko]] and [[RegularShow Rigby]] break into their TheVillainSucksSong "Pretty Fly (For a Toon Guy)", the first thing Yakko does is summon some random backup singers/dancers. ([[WesternAnimation/AeonFlux Trevor]] is completely distracted by this, and tries to charm the girls into defecting to his side, to no avail.)

* In ''Film/BluesBrothers'', when Creator/RayCharles plays "Shake a Tail Feather", passersby in the street start dancing, and the crowd quickly grows as people rush in from all sides. They proceed to demonstrate the different 1960s dance styles that are mentioned in the lyrics.

* In ''{{Leprechaun}} In The Hood'', the Leprechaun uses his powers to make the people in a night club sing and dance for him.

* On TheLXD, Sp3cimen has this power. When fighting other dancers, he can summon around four backup dancers who help him power up his Ra blasts and provide cool visual effects.

* ''InkCity'': When [[WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}} Yakko]] and [[RegularShow Rigby]] break into their TheVillainSucksSong "Pretty Fly (For a Toon Guy)", the first thing Yakko does is summon some random backup singers/dancers. ([[AeonFlux Trevor]] is completely distracted by this, and tries to charm the girls into defecting to his side, to no avail.)

* in ''FinalFantasyX2'' The first cinematic is of a concert with back-up dancers that appear via magic/hologram/goons.

* In VideoGame/DragonQuestIX, the ultimate Luminary skill, [[ShoutOut Disco]] [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Stew]] has your guy doing a dance routine while a bunch of backup dancers appear behind him/her. [[ItRunsOnNonsensoleum Somehow, this does damage]].

* In TheNightmareBeforeChristmasOogiesRevenge, gaining enough musical notes in a boss battle sends you into a RhythmGame [[UnexpectedGenreChange section]]. Doing well summons skeletal backup dancers.
* ''SpaceChannel5'' has any hostages you rescue join you in dance.
* In most ''{{Kirby}}'' platformers, Kirby clones himself and performs a HappyDance.
* ''WorldOfWarcraft'' features a quest where [[http://www.wowwiki.com/Lament_of_the_Highborne Sylvanas gets nostalgic and summons a backup choir of banshees]].

* Ryutaros from ''{{Kamen Rider Den-O}}'' not only has a summonable group of breakdancers (one of whom was the VictimOfTheWeek for Ryuta's spotlight arc), but his powers include the ability to make '''everyone''' nearby dance along with his theme music.

* in ''FinalFantasyX2'' The first cinematic is of a concert with back-up dancers that appear via magic/hologram/goons.