Top 10 Solo Female Dance Scenes in Classic Hollywood Movies

In France in the 1920s and ‘30s, you couldn’t get by without knowing Josephine Baker’s name. Baker became a huge star in Paris, and later became the very first Black woman to star as the protagonist in a big feature film. She was a wonderful dancer, something she also showed off to great measure in 1935’s “Princess Tam Tam”. But today, we want to highlight her brilliant solo performance in “Zouzou.” In the film, Baker performs a partner dance of sorts, but with her shadow instead of another person. Her incredible flexibility and agility bring a sense of joy and playfulness to the dance, making it a delight to watch.

If there’s one thing we remember Bob Fosse for, it’s his strange, angular, and altogether fascinating choreography. While there are plenty of ensemble numbers in “Sweet Charity” that prove his prowess at designing movement, it’s a smaller number that has us absolutely gripped. In the “If My Friends Could See Me Now” bit, Shirley MacLaine dances herself ragged all over the room. There are a ton of knocking knees, hips, and elbows, as Fosse requires. MacLaine’s sense of frivolity combined with Fosse’s expert direction creates a solo performance for the ages.

If there’s one classic Hollywood dancer we wish got a little more of her due, it’s Vera-Ellen. With her crisp movements, wacky personality, and million-watt smile, she was one of the best. She proved that tenfold during her “Miss Turnstiles” dance in “On the Town.” While Gene Kelly gives her an illustrious introduction via voiceover, Vera-Ellen dances her way through numerous sets and genres. While there are a few other participants in this routine, the way she makes this a solo feat is undeniable. From ballet, to the arts, to football and hurdling, Miss Turnstiles can do it all!

We guess you could make the argument that Ann Miller is not dancing by herself here. If you consider disembodied hands playing instruments as good dance partners, that is. In “Small Town Girl,” Miller plays a Broadway diva named Lisa. During the singular performance of “I’ve Gotta Hear That Beat,” she starts off onstage alone, bathed by a spotlight. As the music picks up, she begins to tap her way down the stage at breakneck speed. Then, the camera retracts a little so you can see that she’s actually dancing her way through the band. The band of hands, if you will. This is such an innovative dance, and one that Miller performs perfectly.

“Ship Ahoy” has one of the more … inventive plots of the 1940s musical genre. It stars Eleanor Powell as Tallulah, a dancer moonlighting as a smuggler on a cruise ship. While she thinks she’s working for the United States, the audience learns that she’s actually been recruited by … um, Nazis. Yeah, you heard us right. It’s definitely a strange turn of plot for a musical comedy, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its moments. In one of the best dance numbers in the film, Powell shows us all how she really was one of the best tap dancers of her time. She’s smooth and powerful, yet manages to inject light humor wherever she goes.

Cyd Charisse was one of the most captivating dancers to ever grace the silver screen. Through numerous partner dances with the likes of Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, she won our hearts over and over again. Also worthy of immense praise are her solo outings, including one in “Silk Stockings.” Charisse played a Soviet operative who falls in love with dancing, and also with Astaire’s Steve Canfield. In one scene, she begins to lightly dance around her room as she changes from her drab, government-issued clothing into a beautiful gown. Charisse doesn’t speak, but she doesn’t have to. She imbues each movement with life and happiness, telling us so much without saying a word.

Ann Miller got her start when she was just a teenager, performing a spunky solo dance in “Radio City Revels.” However, as she matured as a performer, her talent only became more scintillating. From a sultry start, Miller gradually ratchets up the temperature in this number, with smoke practically rising from under her furiously tapping shoes. Moving all around the apartment set as the nightclub performer Lois, Miller is all dazzling charisma and red-hot rhythm. No corner of the stage remains unscorched by her virtuosic dancing, and even during her brief cool down, her feet keep up their blistering pace out of frame. By the end, we’ve all got a fever, and the only cure is more Ann Miller.

With the 2019 series “Fosse/Verdon,” musical star Gwen Verdon has had a bit of a resurgence in popularity lately. That’s just as well, because Verdon, with her unique approach to dance, deserves all the hype she can get. One of our favorite Verdon performances came in 1958, where she played the devil’s right-hand woman in “Damn Yankees.” Lola is such a lively, sensual character, qualities Verdon brings to life in the number “Whatever Lola Wants.” That signature Fosse choreography, with all the sharpness and weirdness that entails, makes this seduction all the stranger. Verdon commits to the bit, and delivered a performance that absolutely went down in history.

When it comes to cool, Eleanor Powell had it in spades. In 1941’s “Lady Be Good,” she wasn’t even the star of the movie and she still got top billing! In one of the film’s signature dance sequences, “Fascinatin’ Rhythm,” Powell takes her tapping skills to the next level. She starts off slow, but the dance quickly takes off as she shows us everything she’s got in her repertoire. Throughout most of the dance, it’s just Powell onstage with a piano. It takes true confidence to take to the stage alone, and Powell had the chops to keep us begging for more.

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

Leslie Caron in “An American in Paris” (1951)
Leslie Caron Dances Her Way Through a Rainbow of Color

Cyd Charisse in “Party Girl” (1958)
A Party Girl, Indeed!

Ruby Keeler in “42nd Street” (1933)
Everything Ruby Keeler Did Was Indelible

“Let Yourself Go,” “Follow the Fleet” (1936)
Rogers Doesn’t Need Astaire to Shine

Rita Hayworth in “Down to Earth” (1947)
Rita Is the Star of This Audition

In 1948’s “Easter Parade,” Fred Astaire and Judy Garland are ostensibly the stars of the show. But, Ann Miller, despite not having as much screen time as that main duo, isn’t going down without a fight. In a one-woman number called “Shakin’ the Blues Away,” Miller shows off her singing and dancing prowess in equal measure. She doesn’t start off tapping, but when she does get to it? She doesn’t stop! Miller taps so quickly it sounds almost impossible to our ears. At one point, the music cuts out entirely, letting her fill the room with the satisfying rush of her lightning-fast feet.