West Side Story fits the mold of a classic movie because it reworked the traditional love story material and translated it, in a revolutionary style for a musical, to include racial tension between opposing gangs in New York and issues that arose in the mid-twentieth century. The four kinetic dance sequences that Director Robbins choreographed, communicated the passionate intensity, frustration and violence of the streets. “The film’s greatest influence was in the theatricality of its presentation—the cinematic flow of its staging—and the integration of script, song, dance, and set.,” (Library of Congress: West Side Story, Birth of a Classic). West Side Story changed the nature of American musicals and questioned the country’s view of itself.
