What Makes a Great Dance Movie?
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Let’s make one thing clear: A great Dance Movie™️ is a movie about dance, not merely one that features dance. La La Land has dance sequences; it is not a Dance Movie™️. Singin’ in the Rain, much as it pains me to admit it, is not a Dance Movie™️. Silver Linings Playbook is a Dance Movie™️, but only on a technicality. A Dance Movie™️ features dance as a central fulcrum upon which the plot pivots; without dance, the story wouldn’t work. The movie might not even exist! In the best Dance Movies™️, tap, ballet, hip-hop, jazz, contemporary, and erotic dances are treated not as garnish to a scene but as the whole reason for butts in the theater. We come to see the people move.
That doesn’t mean these films can’t also tell a fantastic story. (Indeed, many are cult classics because fans so love the plot, absurdist or otherwise.) And so we arrive at this venture: summarizing 21 of the best dance movies ever made. If you’re looking for a film to groove with, to choreograph alongside at a sleepover, or—no shame—to spur yourself into the nearest barre class, here’s where to start. As Kevin Bacon once instructed, “Let’s dance!”
Dirty Dancing (1987)
One of the finest examples of a Dance Movie™️, given that it is both entirely about dance and not really about dance at all, the 1987 classic Dirty Dancing follows Patrick Swayze’s Johnny and Jennifer Grey’s Baby as they prepare for the summer dance show at a Catskills resort. Their explosive chemistry both on and off the floor is what lends this coming-of-age tale its credibility and timelessness. Their dance itself—set, of course, to “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”—is the perfect encapsulation of Baby’s growing understanding of her own sexuality, and Johnny’s search for personal and financial freedom.
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Suspiria (2018)
Dance is eternally fertile ground for horror. If the sight of tangled limbs in a web of red thread doesn’t already set you on edge, it won’t take more than a few scenes into Suspiria for the blood to chill. Set at an acclaimed Berlin dance company and featuring a talented cast—including Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Mia Goth—the horror remake is gory, outrageous, and occasionally brilliant.
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Tap (1989)
Tap great Gregory Hines stars as ex-convict Max Washington in this energetic ’80s gem, which follows Max’s post-prison journey as he prepares for one more great dance show—this one involving the legend Sammy Davis Jr.
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Hustlers (2019)
Based on Jessica Pressler’s New York Magazine article “The Hustlers at Scores,” Hustlers stars Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu as strip club employees scheming against their Wall Street-loaded clientele in post-crash America. A poignant look at financial inequality underlined by some truly fantastic dances by the likes of Lopez and her co-stars, it’s a must-watch—even if Lopez was ultimately robbed of her Oscar nom.
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Stomp the Yard (2007)
In this street dance classic, a Los Angeles teenager enrolls in Atlanta’s Truth University, where two campus fraternities attempt to woo him for the upcoming national step show competition. Joyful and rollicking, Stomp the Yard accomplishes the Dance Movie™️ ideal: a guaranteed good time.
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Black Swan (2010)
Iconic for its role in making ballet seem even more terrifying than it is in reality, the acclaimed horror film Black Swan stars Natalie Portman as a ballerina preparing for the role of swan queen—a role that ultimately bends both her body and mind.
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Step Up (2006)
Arguably one of the most recognizable Dance Movies™️ ever made—and one that launched a dozen follow-ups—Step Up features the breakout of Dance Movie™️ king Channing Tatum as the underestimated Baltimore dancer Tyler Gage, who falls for Jenna Dewan’s elite ballerina Nora.
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Footloose (1984)
There isn’t as much actual dancing in Footloose as one might expect, but the ’80s classic makes our list thanks to its focus on dancing (as a mortal sin, but whatever). Kevin Bacon stars as local hero Ren, who finally convinces an uptight town of the truth: God will still love you if you move your feet!
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Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
A film about second chances, mental illness, sex, and compassion that is also about a dance competition? You bet—Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper’s romantic dramedy makes the list.
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Billy Elliot (2000)
Jamie Bell stars as the titular Billy in this big-hearted coming-of-age film set amidst the British miners’ strike of 1984. As Billy discovers his love for ballet, he faces off against the sexist assumptions of his father, out on strike as the country—and world—changes around him.
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Magic Mike (2012)
One word: “Pony.” Featuring one of Channing Tatum’s best dance sequences of all time—and based loosely on his own history as a male stripper—Magic Mike follows Tatum’s Mike Lane as he tutors 19-year-old Adam in the art of ... well, “Pony”ing.
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Mao’s Last Dancer (2009)
Based on real-life dancer Li Cunxin’s 2003 memoir, this inspiring Australian film depicts the career of a young Chinese boy amidst Mao’s Cultural Revolution in the 1960s-70s, from which he moves to America, falls in love, and becomes a star in the Houston Ballet.
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Climax (2018)
Be warned: Climax is a weird one. But if you can stick through the hallucinogenics and the abrasive sights and sounds, watching all the way through is a weirdly rewarding experience, as the film’s many fans can attest. The story is straightforward enough, even if the cinematography is anything but: A group of young dancers rehearse in an empty school, where they party long enough to discover their drinks are laced with LSD.
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Saturday Night Fever (1977)
Featuring John Travolta and co-star John Travolta’s Hips, Saturday Night Fever centers the dancing dreams of Brooklynite Tony, a paint store clerk moonlighting as a disco star. The film certainly isn’t the most substantive of the bunch, but it’s a great argument for listening to more Bee Gees.
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Breakin’ (1984)
Outgrossing even Sixteen Candles in 1984, the hit Breakin’ now has its own cult following, thanks to its corniness as well as its rhythm. The story follows Californian dancer Kelly, who starts a troupe with two street dancers she meets along Venice Beach: the memorably named Ozone and Turbo.
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Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Best described as a pleasurable fever dream, Baz Luhrmann’s turn-of-the-millenium musical makes the Dance Movie™️ list because its about Nicole Kidman’s Parisian dancer Satine and her tumultuous reign at the legendary 20th-century club The Moulin Rouge. But it’s really about Ewan McGregor’s unending love for her! A love that never dies!!
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You Got Served (2004)
Listen, You Got Served is not going to win any awards for narrative inventiveness. What it will win is your tapping feet and bobbing head, thanks to the inherent fun of its hip-hop dance competitions, in which a cast of Los Angelenos battle for cash, clout, and their rightful position as street-dance sensations.
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Save the Last Dance (2001)
Okay, so Julia Stiles’ dancing is bad! We can all admit it! But never underestimate the power of millennial nostalgia when watching a film like Save the Last Dance, a textbook early-aughts teen romance that follows Juilliard hopeful Sara as she moves to the South Side of Chicago, where she meets (and falls in love with) the hip-hop dancer Derek.
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Strictly Ballroom (1992)
Another Baz Luhrmann romantic comedy, Strictly Ballroom is one of the few films on this list to put the spotlight on ballroom dancing, as opposed to the more widely appreciated ballet or hip-hop. It stars Paul Mercurio as dancer Scott Hastings, eager to earn respect for his decidedly unorthodox moves.
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Beat Street (1984)
Although it debuted the same year as Breakin’, Beat Street is considered one of the more important entries in the hip-hop film canon thanks to its treatment of the young Black and Puerto Rican dancers at its center. Following their struggle for exposure and legitimacy in the South Bronx, Beat Street is an electric and influential film even decades after its release.
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Fame (1980)
Although it’s as much about acting and music as it is about dance, the movie musical Fame would be nothing without dance, the imagery of which has helped propel the 1980s classic into a full-blown franchise name that still has legs in 2023. Surprisingly poignant even at its most energetic, the film remains a teen classic...especially for those with their eyes on showbiz.
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