A potent blend of elfin charm and seductive moves, the smile in her eyes and litheness in her steps were far more intoxicating than the numerous whisky bottles she pranced around.

Every performance of hers in any movie, big or small, was, perhaps, the most-awaited segment -- a magnificent, lavish show guaranteed to thrill the audience and reaffirm their faith in the iconic dancing queen.

Time hasn't dulled the memory of Helen's shimmering sexiness, whose memories continue to beguile the viewer. A picture of refined elegance and gentle grace, Bollywood's beloved Ms Chin Chin Choo turns 69 today.

On her birthday, rediff.com showcases the legendary performer's Ten Best Dance Numbers of All Time, in no particular order:

Piya tu ab to aaja, Caravan

Sensuality dripped in every moment as Helen played the unforgettable Monica to Caravan's memorable cabaret ditty, Piya tu ab to aaja in Caravan.

No one quite winked as she meaningfully ran her slender fingers around those long, fish-stocking clad legs, breathing heavily and super sexily only to promptly free herself off a frilly red- black skirt and top and sashay in a glittering gold number.

It's unusual to utter striptease and tasteful in the same breath. Helen, of course, wouldn't have it any other way.

Text: Sukanya Verma

In that pretty get-up --oriental dress, slanted eyes, a paper fan, Helen resembled a Chinese porcelain doll. Ditto for her spectacular dance, high on vivacity and joie de vivre.

One could witness this characteristic in her feverish on-the-floor duet, O haseena zulfonwali with the eternally effervescent Shammi Kapoor.

R D Burman's zingy creation looked every bit of a dream as Helen, in the middle of a frantic wardrobe changes, oozed flamboyance and charisma.

And so, she pouts, preens, growls and purrs, employing her fire-breathing eyes to explosive results making wild suggestions to an unrelenting Amitabh Bachchan whilst gyrating steamily against partner-in-crime Asha Bhosle's equally stirring rendition of Yeh mera dil.

Almost two decades later, a hot Kareena Kapoor's attempt to re-write history in Don's remake failed to match the legend's flair for seduction.

Dressed in a bright yellow and blue koli-styled sari, the accomplished dancer shows off her perfect curves and filmi jhatkas with aplomb even as a bunch of salacious extras gawk and gape.

Not too surprisingly, Helen's song 'n' dance session is the only memorable factor about this otherwise long-forgotten Vinod Khanna-Vidya Sinha starrer.

Her mesmerising display of Kathak, detailed with nuances and adas in Ganga Jumna's Tora mann bada paapi, is a case in the point.

It bears no resemblance to the larger-than-life showiness associated with her usual stuff. And for a true-blue Helen admirer, all her on-screen facets are more than welcome.

True to these elements, Helen performs to the hilt, doing her own brand of ballet in a slow and sensual fashion with breathtaking perfection for Inteqam's winning composition, Aa jaane jaan.

Sophisticated and sexy as always, her inventive make-up and bizarre clothes contribute to the surreal aura she carefully builds around her dances.

Carefree and cheerfully unmoved by the medical condition of her object of affection, Helen dances in gay abandon, showering lust-heavy attention, more than once, on the hapless hero.

Going by the wide-mouth expression of Kaka alone, we can safely tell the seductress it's a job well-done.