Top 10 Dance Movies
#10 – “Step Up” (2006)
Top 10 Most Influential Dance Movies
Kicking off our list is the first film in a blockbuster dance franchise, and the flick that gave Channing Tatum his break. The chemistry between this real-life couple is palpable, the music is hot, and the moves are slick. When Tatum's working-class character accidentally realizes he's got the moves, he's practically forced into a partnership with a snobby dancer. Problems ensue, but they're able to dance it out.
#9 – “White Nights” (1985)
Top 20 Dance Scenes in '80s Movies
Tap legend Gregory Hines and ballet icon Mikhail Baryshnikov showcase their completely different styles in a story that hits close to home for the defected Russian dancer. But the narrative isn't why this movie is worth seeing, and it's not why the movie is on this list: “White Nights” features some of the most perfect dance sequences ever put to film. Cheesy '80s music included!
#8 – “Billy Elliot” (2000)
Top 10 Dance Numbers in 2000s Movies
This British film takes a tired story, and adds enough heart and great dancing to make a hit. Billy is a coal miner's son who discovers his love and talent for ballet. He comes up against the challenges you'd expect, but his dancing helps him rise above expectations. We see ugly duckling Billy struggle to find his inner dancer, until he finally emerges a graceful swan.
#7 – “Save the Last Dance” (2001)
Top 10 Greatest Dance Movies
A suburban white girl moves to a primarily black neighborhood after her mother's death. That is the basic story, but then there's the dancing. As this ballerina falls in love with one of her classmates, she expands her outlook and her dance training by participating in his urban culture. Okay, sounds like a cliche, but what can we say: we love a good dance montage!
#6 – “Top Hat” (1935)
Top 10 Best Dance Numbers in Animated Movies
Any dance movie list would be incomplete without Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The plot to this film may be ridiculous, but the dancing sets it high above most and makes it one of the pair's most famous outings. Astaire insisted his dance sequences be filmed in one unedited take, so it's a wonder their routines didn't leave them breathless – though they definitely do that for audiences!
#5 – “Singin' in the Rain” (1952)
Top 20 Greatest Dance Scenes in Dance Movies
If there's anyone who comes close to Fred Astaire, it's Gene Kelly. This flick has held up well over the years, and many of its songs are iconic, making it one of the most beloved films of all time. Despite the high fever he was suffering through while filming it, Kelly's famous rain dance sequence is easily one of the most memorable movie dances in history.
#4 – “Flashdance” (1983)
Top 10 Dance Scenes in Dance Movies
What a feeling this movie gives us! Critics hate it, it's typical '80s, and it has lotsa legwarmers, but “Flashdance” has to be on a list of great dance movies. Welder-by-day, exotic-dancer-by-night, our star dreams of being a ballerina. Critically acclaimed music sets the stage for iconic dances that are enough to get even the stuffiest of stuffed shirts movin'. Plus, this maniac has been parodied by everyone from Spice Girl Geri Halliwell to Fly Girl J-Lo.
#3 – “Saturday Night Fever” (1977)
Top 10 Best Dance Scenes in '70s Movies
This movie is a disco inferno set to a Bee Gees soundtrack. John Travolta shows off his hottest dance moves in his whitest leisure suit. Deep characters help the story stand on its own, but this is a legendary dance movie because pretty much every disco move you think you know you learned from this film. No wonder it's “Stayin' Alive” after all these years...
#2 – “Footloose” (1984)
Top 10 Best Dance Party Scenes in Movies
City boy moves to a small town where dancing and rock and roll is outlawed. So obviously, there's tons of dancing and rock and roll in this flick! John Lithgow is the bad-guy behind the ban, but his daughter is the apple of our hero's eye. Kevin Bacon manages to save the town from its humdrum future in time for prom, and by the end, everyone is dancing.
#1 – “Dirty Dancing” (1987)
Top 10 BEST Dance Scenes in Dance Movies
Taking the top spot on our list is a movie filled with dirty dancing, clean dancing, and everything in between. Characters from different backgrounds come together again to bring us all the things we love about this type of movie: nostalgia, great songs, montages, and a sexy star to tie everything together. I mean, who wouldn't fall for their dance teacher if it was Patrick Swayze circa 1987? There are so many beloved dance movies, we could never get all of them on one list. Let us know which of your favorites we've forgotten by subscribing to WatchMojo.com.
