The 20 Best Dance Movies of All Time
There is nothing better than sweet melodies, sick moves and the fiery intense passion for dance that oozes through the screen. This is why dance films are a popular genre. Whether you're an amateur or a professional dancer, anyone can enjoy these top 20 best dance movies of all time.
Ready, and 5,6,7,8.
1. Swing Time (1936)
What do you get when you put Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers together?
One heck of a musical dance film. Ten to be exact.
Lucky Garnett (Astaire) is a gambler who is engaged to Margaret. However, when he shows up late for his wedding, Margaret's father sends him away to earn $25,000 to prove his love. Garnett sets off to New York City, where he meets Penny (Rogers), and they fall in love.
The Astaire-Rogers partnership is legendary and has revolutionized the musical film genre.
Swing Time is considered one of the best musical dance films between the duo. And who can ever forget the climatic 'Never Gonna Dance' number in the final scene?
2. West Side Story (1961)
West Side Story is one of the best Shakespeare adaptations to visit the big screen.
It centers around the tale of two teenage gangs; the Jets and the Sharks, trying to take control of the Upper West Side in New York. Things get complicated when one of them falls in love with the rival's sister.
Director Robert Wise and choreographers Leonard Bernstein and Jerome Robbins walk a tightrope to balance the elements of romance, drama, tragedy, dance, singing and acting in the film.
It's safe to say they made it to the other end safely as West Side Story was a critical success. The film won 10 Academy Awards and was the highest-grossing movie in 1961.
3. Saturday Night Fever (1977)
Try walking down the streets listening to the Bee Gees without adding a spring to your step. We dare you.
Saturday Night Fever is about Tony Manero (John Travolta) who works his dead-end job at a hardware store and lives for disco dancing on the weekend. He enters a competition with Stephanie (played by Karen Lynn Gorney), whom he falls in love with.
Saturday Night Fever is so popular until today because not only did it bring disco to the mainstream, it creates a demand for it too.
The movie won several awards including Best Actor while the soundtrack performed exceedingly well, with 15 million copies sold in the States alone. It was the only disco album to win a Grammy for Album of the Year.
At first glance, Saturday Night Fever looks like a feel-good movie with catchy disco music, iconic moves and dizzying lights. But underneath all that, the movie packs a punch with adult themes. It is more mature than it lets on and younger children should watch the PG13 version.
4. Dirty Dancing (1987)
Dirty Dancing opens up with Baby (Jennifer Grey), on a holiday with her middle-class family. Albeit a sheltered child, Baby is bright, aspirational and determined. She runs into the handsome dance instructor, Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze), who goes for 'dirty dance' parties after work.
Johnny's dance partner Penny gets pregnant by one of the hotel waiters and goes through an abortion. Baby gets help from her father to pay for the abortion and learns the dance moves to cover for Penny at a dance show.
Romance takes place on the dance floor as Baby and Johnny start to fall for each other.
Not only is Dirty Dancing a classic romance dance movie, but the plot also has substance by bridging the gap between abortion, class conflicts and feminism with the commercial audience. It opens up conversations about social and political messages that would end up being cut if it was shot today.
We know that everyone is privately practicing the 'Dirty Dancing Lift' after watching the film. We know we are.
5. Footloose (1984)
Footloose is one of the movies that paved the way for the storyline we all know so well; a city boy moves to a small town and falls in love with an attractive girl.
It also brought fame to the rebellious Kevin Bacon and popularized dance differently. The choreography in Footloose is fast-paced, bursting with energy and an 'in-your-face' attitude that will get your toes tapping.
The movie inspired the Broadway version called 'Footloose the Musical' that played from 1998 to 2000 and was nominated for several Tony awards.
6. Strictly Ballroom (1992)
Baz Luhrmann, the director of classics such as Moulin Rouge, Romeo & Juliet and The Great Gatsby, gives us this Australian 90s romantic comedy dance movie mash-up.
The opening scene is filled with colorful costumes and amazing ballroom dancing at a dance competition. We see Scott Hastings for the first time competing with his dance partner.
Hastings goes rogue and starts freestyling, showing off flashy non-regulatory moves. He and his partner are disqualified because the competition is... strictly ballroom.
Later on, he reluctantly partners with Fran, a beginner ballroom dancer. Fran shows promise and she is a fan of crazy, unregulated dance moves and both of them start dancing frequently together.
The best scene in this movie is the ending, when Scott and Fran join the prestigious Grand Prix Championships and the judges stop the music to disqualify the couple for yet again, dancing non-regulatory steps.
A slow clap starts in the audience. It was Scott's father trying to start a rhythm. Soon after, everyone joins in and creates a syncopation of music for the pair to dance to.
With great dancing, flashy costumes and hidden messages, Baz Luhrmann does a fantastic job bringing all dancers and non-dancers together to enjoy a great film.
7. Billy Elliot (2000)
Billy Elliot is an uplifting, exuberant coming of age drama about a young boy who pursues his dreams of being a ballet dancer.
The life of a shy 11-year-old boy is forever changed when he stumble upon a ballet class on one of his weekly boxing lessons. He demonstrates a type of raw talent that comes by only once in a blue moon, and it reignites his ballet teacher, Mrs Wilkinson's passion for teaching.
Elliot's father is furious that his son does ballet, so Elliot works even harder to prove that he has what it takes.
His ballet teacher enrolls him in an audition for the Royal Ballet School in London. When the judges ask him to describe dance, he struggles with words initially.
"Like electricity," he says eventually, which I think we all could agree!
This film will likely tug at your heartstrings and move you to tears.
8. Center Stage (2000)
One of the best dance movies of all time, it would be wrong not to include this 2000s classics in the list.
Center Stage is about a group of young ballet dancers who are trying to make it big in a cut-throat world. They train at the American Ballet Center in New York in hopes to be accepted into the company.
The authenticity of the movie is what makes it one of the best dance movies in cinema history. Three of the primary characters were played by professional ballet dancers from the American Ballet Theatre - Ethan Stiefel, Sascha Radetsky, and Julie Kent.
Although they are not professional actors, their real-life experiences in a professional dance company bring out authenticity in their acting.
The movie ends with two big ballet numbers, with the famous tear-away tutu and red pointe shoes. Truly one of the greatest dance films, make sure to add this to your to-watch list!
9. Save The Last Dance (2001)
In this romance dance drama mashup, we meet Sara, played by the queen of 2000s teen romance movies, Julia Stiles. She fails her Julliard audition and loses her mother in a car accident at the same time, crushing her soul and passion for dance. With no money for school, she moves to urban Chicago to live with her estranged father.
There she meets Derek (Sean Patrick Thomas), the smart and talented hip hop dancer from Sara's new school.
He teaches her grooves and rhythm, while she shows him posture and grace. Soon, the fire is ignited, and we're not only talking about the passion for dance.
Save the Last Dance is a passionate dance film that teaches us values about loyalty, passion and adapting to change.
Also, you might be surprised to learn that Julia Stiles did not have formal dance training up until she was cast in Save The Last Dance.
10. Honey (2003)
Jessica Alba busts some moves in this film as Honey, an aspiring hip hop dance teacher trying to make it big as a choreographer. She teaches hip hop dance at a community center in New York until one day when she was spotted by a music director.
Not long after, she is choreographing music videos for big celebrities. However, she misses her life as a dance teacher and realizes there is more to life than trying to make it big.
The film follows a formula that has been used many times but the dancing makes up for the lack of originality.
11. You Got Served (2004)
If you're in the mood for hip hop dance movies, this is the one for you.
In You Got Served, dancers battle in a dance off for the prize of $5000 and the chance to dance in a Lil' Kim music video.
Some may see familiar faces such as Steve 'Miss Universe Mix up' Harvey and Malcolm David 'WAAAALT' Kelley from Lost.
12. Shall We Dance? (2004)
Shall We Dance? is a rom-com dance movie that features Jennifer Lopez, Richard Gene and Stanley Tucci. It is based on a Japanese movie of the same name.
John Clark is a successful lawyer with a loving wife and two healthy kids. But, something is amiss in his life. On his train ride home from work, he spots Paulina gazing pensively out of a window of a dance studio. Mesmerized, he gets off the train and signs up for ballroom lessons, in hopes to meet the mysterious lady by the window.
The film does not feature flashy and explosive dancing you can find in Step Up, but it is easy on the eyes and will get you to Google 'ballroom dance classes near me' after it is over.
13. Step Up (2006)
We have seen the storyline before in Dirty Dancing, Footloose and other dance movies.
A troubled guy from the wrong side of town connects with a girl through the power of dance. However, it doesn't matter how many times they do it, nothing compares to Step Up.
It is right here in this moment where we witness the blossom love relationship (on and off screen) between heartthrob Channing Tatum and beauty Jenna Dewan.
Fans of street dance movies and ballet shows would enjoy Step Up because it is such a versatile movie with versatile dancers.
Step Up shows the world what Channing Tatum is made of, and for that, we are grateful, because, without Channing Tatum, there wouldn't be Magic Mike.
14. Fame (1980 & 2009)
Fame showcases stories of students attending New York's High School of Performing Arts.
The film is an honest portrayal of the pressure and intensity of aspiring students chasing their dreams and achieving fame in show business. The soundtrack won multiple awards and inspired the TV series and a remake in 2009.
The remake is heavily criticized for not having the same authenticity and grit as the first movie by opting for a lighter tone.
It is without a doubt that the 1980 film is the one that will live forever.
15. Black Swan (2010)
This would not be a complete list of popular dance movies without including Black Swan.
Natalie Portman plays Nina, a ballerina competing for the role in Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. Nina is an obsessed artist, aiming for perfection within her artistry. Her competitor Lily, played by Mila Kunis, embodies the character of Black Swan while Nina fits the role of White Swan perfectly.
Nina is overwhelmed by the pressure of securing the role that she plunges into darkness and hallucinations.
Black Swan reveals the intense pressure a ballerina goes through.
For non-dancers, everything about ballet is beautiful. But for those in the industry, we know that some aspects of ballet are cruel and unfair. And the movie magnifies that by ten times.
But how accurate is this movie compared to real life?
Principal ballet dancer, Isabella Boylston reminds us in an interview that "Black Swan is a horror film. It's not a documentary about the life of a dancer."
With that in mind, this is one of the best ballet films ever made.
16. Burlesque (2010)
Two divas, one stage.
Ali Rose (Christina Aguilera) moves to Los Angeles to chase her dreams and finds out how hard it is. So, Ali moves on to Plan B. She winds up in a burlesque club and immediately catches the eye of the club owner, Tess (Cher), which makes her the envy of the other dancers.
Burlesque is a run-of-the-mill dance movie with two dimensional characters and a predictable storyline. But, it's a guilty pleasure that will distract you with its glitz and glamour.
17. Magic Mike (2012)
Male strippers flash their flesh in this guilty pleasure. When you see Channing Tatum in a film, you know you're in for a treat.
Michael (Magic Mike) is a construction worker by day, and a striptease superstar by night. He works two jobs to support his life dream of owning a custom-built furniture company.
Mike meets 19 year-old Adam (Alex Pettyfer), a high school dropout at a construction site and pulls him into the fast and flashy lifestyle of stripping. He also meets Adam's sister, Brooke (Cody Horn) and promises to take good care of Adam. However, Adam falls quickly, getting hooked on alcohol, drugs and girls.
Tatum co-produced the film, and it was influenced by Tatum's early life choices. He was once a stripper working odd jobs before being discovered by a talent scout.
And the rest was history.
18. Ballerina (2016)
Ballerina is an animated tale of Félicie (voiced by Elle Fanning), a young and feisty orphan who dreams of being a prima ballerina. Together with her friend Victor, they escape to Paris.
Félicie finds her way to the Opera House and meets Camille (voiced by Maddie Ziegler). Camille insults Félicie and as revenge, Félicie disguises herself as her new-found rival and attends ballet classes at the Opera House.
At the end of the film, her secret is revealed and both girls have a dance-off. The animators did a good job as the dancing was refined, and the girls' technique is the envy of every ballerina out there.
We would say this film is on top of the list of best dance movies for kids.
19. High Strung Free Dance (2018)
High Strung Free Dance is a film for dance and music lovers. It's also a film by artists, for artists, featuring Juliet Doherty, an all-star choreography team by Tyce Diorio, Myles Thatcher and Phillip Chbeeb, as well as husband and wife team, Michael and Janeen Damian as directors.
Three young artists in New York City work together in a new Broadway show; Zander Raines (Thomas Doherty), creator of said Broadway show; Barlow (Juliet Doherty), a talented dancer trying to path her own way and Charlie (Harry Jarvis) a pianist and composer working as a delivery man.
The storyline is sub-par, involving a love triangle and fierce competition but the dancing is extraordinary.
Doherty's dancing is highly technical and she has a certain quality that makes you want to watch her dance all day long.
20. Work It (2020)
Work It is one of the best dance movies on Netflix for your jukebox high school teen drama satisfaction.
Quinn (Sabrina Carpenter) is a top performing student who wishes to attend Duke University, her late father's alma mater. Her bestfriend Jasmine (Liza Koshy) is an aspiring dancer, and together they start a dance team with unconventional, unknown dancers around the school for Quinn's application to stand out.
Work It takes inspiration from its predecessors, such as Step Up, Footloose, and High School Musical. Its light-heartedness makes it suitable for sleepovers.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoy our list of the best dance movies. Let us know which one is your favorite!