Top 10 Best Dance Scenes in Rom-Coms

Hey, we're with Katherine Heigl on this one – Elton John totally said “walrus sound!” In this adorable rom-com, Heigl plays Jane, a woman who has been a bridesmaid 27 times, and James Marsden plays her love interest Kevin, a cynic who doesn’t believe in marriage. Match made in heaven, right? One night when the two get way too drunk, the classic Elton John tune “Bennie and the Jets” comes on at the bar. In their drunken state, Kevin and Jane start to enthusiastically sing along – while getting pretty much all of the words wildly wrong. They end up dancing on the bar, screaming at the top of their lungs. Not the most choreographed of dances, but fun nonetheless!

If you didn’t do a perfectly choreographed dance to Fatboy Slim at prom, did you even GO to prom? 1999’s “She’s All That” probably hasn’t aged the best in terms of gender dynamics and toxic masculinity, but one thing it still does have going for it is this absolutely iconic flash mob/dance-off. Out of nowhere at prom, the characters begin dancing their tails off to “The Rockafeller Skank” all in perfect unison. There’s high kicks, booty-shaking, and even a dance-off between the boys and girls –all emceed by Usher, of course.

Here’s a tip – if you want your love life to be like a movie, hire a flash mob. “Friends with Benefits” is memorable for many reasons – whether it be the great comedic chemistry between Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake, or the hilariously awkward sex scenes – but we honestly don’t think it gets enough credit for having not one, but TWO great flash mob sequences. And while the Times Square sequence is great, we’ve got to go with “Closing Time” at Grand Central Station. We mean, come on – who hasn’t dreamed of a flash mob love confession in the middle of New York?

On the surface, “500 Days of Summer” might seem like your typical romantic comedy, but it certainly has some sequences that set it apart – one being the post-coital dance sequence to Hall & Oates. After Tom has sex with Summer for the first time, he’s so overjoyed at the notion that he starts grooving his way through the streets of New York – but he’s not the only one. Passersby dance with him, give him high fives, and even lift him up into the air, shouting his praises. Heck, a marching band and a little animated bird even show up to join in the fun. We get it – who wouldn’t want to have a Hall and Oates dance party after getting some?

High school reunions can be tough – comparisons abound, and you’re always bound to feel worse about yourself when it’s over. Luckily for Romy and Michele, they’ve got someone to face the music with – and an actual billionaire who has their back. When said billionaire, Sandy Frink, shows up to the reunion, things haven’t been going so well for Romy and Michele. But, when Sandy confesses he’s been in love with Michele since high school, that changes. He asks Michele for a dance, and she agrees - but only if Romy can join in. The three do a weird interpretive dance to “Time After Time” – and it’s just as silly and strange as you could hope.

When you’re in a movie with dancing pro Fred Astaire, you’ve got to find a way to make yourself stand out – and Audrey Hepburn has never had a problem with that. As Jo, a young woman who inadvertently finds herself swept up in the modeling industry, Hepburn not only shows off her dancing shoes, but her comedic chops as well. Both of those qualities are ever-present in this impromptu, Bohemian dance sequence. “Dancing’s nothing more than a form of expression,” she says before leaping up from her seat and expressing herself with high kicks, exaggerated faces, and jazz hands. And what an expression it is!

We’ve got to give Amy Schumer her due for this one – this dance looks HARD, and Amy hangs right in there with the best of them. In “Trainwreck,” Schumer’s character – also named Amy – decides to get her life together after meeting Aaron, a guy she finally thinks is worth it. Unfortunately for her, she messes things up a bit before she realizes he might be the one. In one last desperate attempt to get Aaron back, she performs a dance with Knicks City Dancers to impress him. When Aaron’s favorite song, “Uptown Girl,” plays, the look on Aaron’s face says it all – she’s won him over.

For a movie with so many elaborate dance sequences, you might think this one is a bit of a left-field choice. We could have gone with “That’s How You Know,” or even the gorgeously animated “True Love’s Kiss.” But, when you watch Giselle and Robert dance at the ball to “So Close,” you can’t help but get a little teary-eyed. By the time this scene rolls around in 2007’s “Enchanted,” Robert and Giselle have realized they have feelings for each other, but are both in other relationships. When they dance to this song, there’s so much yearning and love that’s palpable between them – even if this isn’t the most extravagant dance, it’s the most beautiful.

Okay, we have to admit – we had a lot to choose from for this one. “Grease” is chock-full of incredibly choreographed and gorgeously filmed dance sequences. But to this day, “Born to Hand Jive” stands out from the rest. During the school dance, the students all compete in the hand-jive contest. As the camera pans around, it’s a delight to see not only how talented all the cast members are, but how they’re easily able to incorporate their characters into their dance moves. As the song goes on, things get wilder and wilder, with splits, lifts, and leaps galore. Seriously, have you ever seen a school dance contest look THAT impressive?

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

I Wanna Dance with Somebody, “Isn’t It Romantic” (2019)
The Song That Brings Everyone Together

I Wanna Dance with Somebody… Again, “Love, Simon” (2018)
It’s Simon’s Coming Out Song

Jump (For My Love), “Love Actually” (2003)
Who Knew the Prime Minister Had Moves?

Post-Credits Scene, “New Year's Eve” (2011)
We Love a Holiday Dance Party

Two to Tango, “The Wedding Planner” (2001)
It Takes Two to Tango, Indeed

If you can keep yourself from smiling while watching Jennifer Garner have an absolute BALL out on the dance floor in “13 Going on 30,” do you even have a soul? When 13-year-old Jenna Rink makes a wish that propels her into the future, she tries to navigate her newly 30-year-old body and the world that comes with it. While things usually don’t go too well, Jenna’s 13-year-old sensibilities come in handy when it comes to livening up a boring office party. In perfect 80s kid fashion, she starts a dance party to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” pulling everyone out on the dance floor with her and reeling them in with her infectious attitude.