Last Tap Dance in Springfield

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The Simpsons episode
"Last Tap Dance in Springfield"

Episode no.	246
Prod. code	BABF15
Orig. Airdate	May 7, 2000
Show Runner(s)	Mike Scully
Written by	Julie Thacker
Directed by	Nancy Kruse
Chalkboard	"I will not dance on anyone's grave."
Couch gag	The family appears in Tarzan-style costumes via vines, and Homer swings out the room.
SNPP capsule
Season 11 September 26, 1999 – May 21, 2000
Beyond Blunderdome Brother's Little Helper Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner? Treehouse of Horror X E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt) Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder Eight Misbehavin' Take My Wife, Sleaze Grift of the Magi Little Big Mom Faith Off The Mansion Family Saddlesore Galactica Alone Again, Natura-Diddily Missionary: Impossible Pygmoelian Bart to the Future Days of Wine and D'oh'ses Kill the Alligator and Run Last Tap Dance in Springfield It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge Behind the Laughter
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"Last Tap Dance in Springfield" is the twentieth episode of the eleventh season of The Simpsons. It aired on May 7, 2000.

1 Synopsis
2 Cultural references
3 Trivia
4 External links

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

On a trip to the mall, Homer sees an optometrist to get his eyes examined, and at the same time, Marge and Lisa find items for a camping trip Bart is going to take. Marge sees a marquee for the film Tango de La Muerte and she and Lisa decide to see it. Lisa identifies with the main female character, a bookworm named "Lisabella" whom the Tango champion asks to be his partner. This interests Lisa, who wants to take dance lessons. She eventually does, but her hopes of being a dancer are crushed when it turns out she can't dance. Worse yet, her teacher, "Little" Vicky Valentine, makes her a curtain puller in an upcoming recital.

Meanwhile, Bart and Milhouse sneak out of their camping trip to hide in the mall and spend a week there, stealing toys and filling their stomachs with candy and cookie dough. This prompts Chief Wiggum to do an investigation of the shenanigans at the mall, which Wiggum at first thinks is caused by a giant rat.

Lisa's recital is coming up, and she has a problem. That is, until Professor Frink attaches a device to her shoes, making them automatically tap at any percussive sound. She becomes a star at the show, but when the audience applauds her, her shoes go out of control. Homer saves her by simply putting his leg out and tripping her.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Cultural references

The episode title references Last Tango in Paris.
The movie Lisa and Marge see, "Tango de La Muerte", is a parody of the film Strictly Ballroom.
The "Cyborganizer" show Homer watches is an obvious spoof on RoboCop.
Vicky Valentine's line about tap-dancing in Morse code is a reference to a 1970s Saturday Night Live sketch where Shirley Temple (played by Laraine Newman) tap dances in Morse code to save a ship.
Vicky Valentine, Lisa's dance teacher, references Shirley Temple
The scene with the old people clawing to get into the shopping center is reference to the 1978 film Dawn of the Dead.

[edit] Trivia

When Bart and Milhouse are in the mall, a man is playing the piano in a music shop. Notice that when they close down the mall, and the shutters slam to the floor, the man is still sitting at the piano!