Top 10 Dance Scenes That Feel Like a Fever Dream

Jim Henson’s fantasy adventure “Labyrinth” is full of bizarre creatures. And yet, one of the most bizarre sequences involves humans impersonating such creatures. An enchanted peach transports Sarah to a masquerade ball, with visions of Jareth the Goblin King amid the dancers’ own ghoulish disguises. David Bowie’s disembodied voice performing “As the World Falls Down” is almost as entrancing as the elaborate camerawork and editing around a crowded group dance. Inspired by Jim Henson Studios’ own annual masquerade balls, this sequence had as much cult impact as “Labyrinth” altogether. Sarah’s stunning dress is particularly considered iconic. Of course, the goblin wardrobes and Henson’s aesthetic set this “Cinderella” daydream apart with a sinister flair.

Todd Phillips’s “Joker” creatively delves into the psychology of a supervillain origin story. Arthur Fleck’s fall from grace is first cued when he shoots three businessmen in a panic while still wearing clown makeup. After retreating to a bathroom, he breaks the tension by slowly swaying around a stall. It’s all lit by broken fluorescent lights, and chillingly scored by cellist Hildur Guðnadóttir. The script originally had Arthur dispose of all evidence of the killings. Actor Joaquin Phoenix actually improvised the dance to formally express the Joker’s descent into psychopathy. The scene became subject to deep critical analysis, and representative of Phoenix and Guðnadóttir’s Oscar-winning performances. It may even be synonymous with comic book movies’ transition into experimental drama.

Really, any Gaspar Noé film feels like a fever dream throughout. “Climax” gets particularly intense after the sangria bowl at a dance troupe party is drugged. The rising action begins with each dancer displaying modernist solos while the DJ blasts Marc Cerrone’s “Supernature”. The five-minute routine is captured in a single, floating shot, with a giant French flag hanging in the back of a deeply red studio. This visual dynamic sets the tone for the film’s experimental style and a diverse ensemble’s inevitable breakdown. To be sure, nothing can fully prepare the audience for how insane this party gets. But “Climax”’s opening sequence showcases Noé’s foreboding craft as much as his cast’s physical prowess.

Tap-dancer Layla embraces what agency she finds as Billy Brown’s captive fake wife. When the kidnapper takes a break from a stellar game at a bowling alley, the young woman impersonates his skills. In the dimmed lights, she drifts around a support beam, lyrically tapping to King Crimson’s ethereal ballad “Moonchild”. Christina Ricci’s self-choreographed solo comes out of nowhere, even for a film as eccentric as Vincent Gallo’s “Buffalo ‘66”. The hauntingly earnest daydream has still been praised for showing Layla literally take the spotlight after being a pawn in Billy’s criminal exploits. Whatever further interpretation one can make, a ‘90s teen idol tap-dancing to prog rock is hard to forget.

The sci-fi psychodrama “Ex Machina” is a quietly intense study in artificial intelligence and humanity. …And then, Nathan Bateman disco dances with an android to Oliver Cheatham’s “Get Down Saturday Night”. The eccentric tech genius wanted to show Turin tester Caleb that his robots can do more than hold philosophical conversations. Writer-director Alex Garland says he wanted to wake up the audience with a drastic tonal shift. And yet, the sheer randomness of this sequence and its red neon lighting epitomize “Ex Machina”’s subversiveness. It was the perfect meme moment in an otherwise seriously thought-provoking thriller. Though fans probably didn’t need any waking up, Garland’s playful side and Oscar Isaac’s dance moves were themselves mind-blowing.

Legendary musician and model Grace Jones shows two frat boys a bloody good time when they enter a vampire’s strip club. Their introduction to Katrina is alluring and unsettling enough. She takes the stage for an exotic dance with a headless, seated mannequin painted in black-and-white patterns. Katrina wears white makeup and some scarlet to foreshadow her ghoulish true form. This also complements her modest red dress, until it comes off to reveal patterned body paint and metallic, spiraled undergarments. The visual is hypnotic regardless of Jones’s wild gyrating and her funky song “Vamp”. The film of the same name may be considered a camp classic, but Katrina’s seductive debut is a genuinely iconic moment for Jones.

David Lynch dumped all of his avant-garde hallmarks into “Inland Empire”. That includes juxtaposition of pop music with sinister imagery. At one point, Sarah observes a group of women lounging around a house and singing the Little Eva classic “The Loco-Motion”. The quietness is suddenly shattered by a coordinated dance to the song and flashing lights. Then, just that quickly, the dancers disappear as the house falls silent. Even Sarah looks totally confused. It’s as bizarre as any scene in “Inland Empire”, but it’s a refreshing break from Lynch's darker surrealism. This dance has prompted much discussion, especially regarding female bonding and distant train sounds throughout the film. At the least, it’s a lively reprieve that still enhances the epic’s uncompromising weirdness.

When he isn’t bowling, Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski is conducting an amateur missing person investigation. He finally makes a breakthrough with an adult film magnate when the suspect knocks him unconscious with a spiked drink. The Dude then dreams of being in his own sleazy video, cheekily titled “Gutterballs”. In it, he bowls through an elaborately produced dance number set to the First Edition’s Kenny Rogers-sung “Just Dropped In”. As much as “The Big Lebowski” revels in quirky vignettes, this film-within-a-film blew the budget in the best way. The Dude’s Freudian fantasy stands out among fans for its bold artistry and weirdness. It’s now a cult classic independent of the movie, a trippy triumph for any fan to flashback to.

Bob Fosse’s semi-autobiographical “All That Jazz” consistently pushes the boundaries of cinematic dance. The jazziest moment comes as choreographer Joe Gideon lays dying, his life flashing before his eyes in the form of a gaudy variety show revue. Throughout his and Ben Vereen’s 10-minute metaphysical spoof of the Everly Brothers’ “Bye Bye Love”, Joe grooves with a massive ensemble and reconciles with peers. Somehow, the celestial production values go even more over-the-top. It’s one last tongue-in-cheek showstopper on Joe’s way to the afterlife. And it was the last musical set piece in Fosse’s innovative work in that film genre. Altogether, “Bye Bye Life” sends his meta masterpiece off with all the bang of a dazzling life.

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

“Everybody Rejoice”, “The Wiz” (1978)
The Liberation of the Wicked Witch’s Sweatshop is a Colorful, Iconic Symbol of Joyous Freedom

“Love My Way”, “Call Me by Your Name” (2017)
Oliver & the Psychedelic Furs Enchant Elio on a Colorfully Lit Dance Floor

“Day-O”, “Beetlejuice” (1988)
The Deetz’s Dinner Party is Livened Up by Supernatural Possession & Harry Belafonte

Pennywise's Dance, “It” (2017)
The Demonic Clown Makes a Fitting Entrance Jigging Out of an Inferno

“The Rhythm of the Night”, “Beau Travail” (1999)
Claire Denis’s Masterpiece & Galoup’s Life End with a Heavenly Jam to Corona’s Signature Track

Powell and Pressburger’s masterpiece balances brutal honesty about the ballet world with cinematic expression of its beauty. It all comes down to an original production of “The Ballet of the Red Shoe”, choreographed by Ivan Boleslawsky. The 15-minute-long set piece enhances already breathtaking moves with experimental editing and whimsical special effects scenery. The camerawork also frequently concentrates on Victoria Page’s intensity throughout her solo. It’s a stunning climax to her journey, as well as “The Red Shoes”’ artistic odyssey. This basically synched wins for Best Original Score and Best Art Direction at the Academy Awards. Even now, many consider the film’s epic ballet to be the pinnacle in using the film medium to raise dance as the highest, dreamiest art form.

What do you think are the strangest and most artfully made dance scenes in film? Dream it up in the comments.