Top 20 Dance Scenes from the Step Up Franchise

This was the “Step Up” movie that started it all and it still stands out from the crowd. The chemistry between the leads was plain to see and the dancing was dynamic. But it’s the storytelling that really sets this installment apart. In this scene, Jenna Dewan’s senior dance student, Nora, takes Channing Tatum’s Tyler to her favorite place in the city. She explains how she really envisioned the dance for her showcase - with a whole troop of dancers, moving as part of a canon. He asks her to show him and they practice together on the rooftop as the sun sets. The atmosphere created is intimate and romantic. Is this the moment they fall in love or is it all about the dancing? Either way, it’s something special.

“Step Up 2” throws us straight into the action with a thrilling flash mob on the subway. Andie, the protagonist, begins this movie as part of a dance crew called the 410 - which she’s later kicked out of. The opening scene sets them up as an exciting, innovative dance group, so when friend becomes foe, we already understand that they’re going to be tough competition.
There’s something a bit sinister about the masked dancers, who begin the scene as unsuspecting commuters and are suddenly part of the flash mob. The claustrophobia of the cramped train carriage and the cold electric lighting all add to the effect while the crew show off their skills. They definitely leave an impression.

“Step Up: All In” sees the return of some of our favorite characters and an increase in the scope and ambition of the dance routines. Our heroes are now trying to make it in LA and the set pieces are bigger and more elaborate than ever before. One of the stand-out moments is the dance in the lab. Sean has pulled together a new crew who call themselves the LMNTRIX and this routine is their audition to get a place in prodigious dance competition “The Vortex.” After watching the performance, it’s easy to believe that the crew made the finals. There are props, costumes and some great storytelling. It’s all very different from the stripped back world of “The Streets” but still loads of fun.

“Step Up 3” is the moment where Moose - an incidental character in the second movie - really gets his place in the sun. At the beginning of the film, the fan-favorite has sworn off dance to major in electrical engineering at NYU. But when he follows someone wearing a limited edition pair of Nike’s into the park, he walks straight into a dance battle and the rest is history. Moose is usually painted as an underdog, so it’s always great to see him show off his skills and take the competition by surprise. There’s an originality to his dance style that makes us laugh as well as cheer and he’s never boring to watch. The balloon release is a nice touch too.

Some dance steps are so entrenched in popular culture that it’s almost impossible to perform them un-ironically - but “Step Up 3D” makes the robot cool again. It’s not just the main characters of the “Step Up” franchise that need to impress us. The rival crews and competing dancers have to provide them with some proper competition. In this scene we’re treated to a mesmerizing animatronic-style dance routine. The lead dancer in the group, played by professional robotic dancer, “Madd Chadd” Smith, later joins forces with Moose and co. for the final dance off. Blink and you’ll miss Vlad and Moose’s segment, but it’s one of the number’s most memorable moments.

Here’s another flash-mob for the list, this time from the fourth installment in the franchise, “Step Up Revolution.” The restaurant scene is leading lady Emily’s first dance with rebel dance crew “The Mob” and serves as an audition for her entry into the group. As a test, she’s given the lead role, but the other dancers don’t think she can pull it off. She proves them wrong with a vengeance. From the beginning she doesn’t hold back, getting up onto a table in the crowded, high-end restaurant and strutting her stuff. Her confident performance includes some gorgeous ballet shaping and a spectacular leap of trust. But when the mob come together to dance in unison she fits in seamlessly too. Not bad for a beginner.

The dance scenes in “Step Up All In” are all about the spectacle and the final showdown doesn’t disappoint. The LMNTRIX crew make it to the finals of “The Vortex” but after a journey fraught with tension and in-fighting, their main aim is just to have fun and give the audience one hell of a show. The gang’s final performance is a theatrical, atmospheric routine with a steampunk theme and some great storytelling. From Moose’s dance in the sand to the use of light-up carts, the choreography is endlessly creative and the dancers really sell it. But the real showstopper is the fire dance, led by Andie. The performance ends with one final, astonishing trick that leaves the audience stunned.

“Step Up Revolution” is full of dynamic, large-scale dance numbers intended to cause a scene. It’s about a flash mob after all. But one of our favorite moments is much quieter. At the end of the movie, Emily and Sean dance together in front of a triumphant crowd that includes her once disapproving dad. It’s a romantic, contemporary partner dance and even though they’re surrounded by their friends, the dancers feel like they could be the only two people in the world. Set against the Miami skyline, the dance calls back to the Roof-top scene in the first “Step Up” movie. The dance itself is simply and beautifully choreographed, reminding us that you don’t always need a cast of thousands to make magic through dance.

“Step Up 3D” gives us the first tango of the series and it’s infused with all the drama and passion befitting the famous dance style. When Luke crashes Natalie’s birthday party they both join a group tango to Jazmine Sullivan’s “Bust Your Windows”. In this scene, Luke is in the enemy camp and Emily is terrified that he’ll find out her secret - that her brother is the leader of the House of Samurai, Luke’s biggest dance rival. There are definitely some “Romeo and Juliet” vibes going on here and the underlying tension adds to the drama of the dance. But it’s the combination of the iconic track and the dancers moving in unison that really gives us chills.

From the very first moments of “Step Up Revolution” we know we’re in for an exciting ride. The movie kicks off with the shut down of Ocean Drive, Miami, as dance crew “The Mob” make their presence known. The dancers dive out of their convertibles as DJ Penelope gets the music going. The next thing we know they’re up on top of the cars giving us a show. It’s loud and feel-good and the sun’s shining. We’re in Florida now and the dancers let us know it - if the bemused tourists in sun-visors and Hawaiian shirts hadn’t already given it away. Everyone loves a flash-mob and this one leaves us with no doubt that they’re a force to be reckoned with.

Adam Sevani’s Moose may have become the heart and soul of the franchise, but when we first met the character we didn’t know he was a dancer at all. When Andie starts at Maryland School of the Arts she feels like an outsider - until she meets Moose, a lighting-design student who makes her laugh. When he finally shows off his skills she’s super impressed. His freestyle dance on the stairs is classic Moose - entertaining, irreverent and effortless. He’s obviously talented but even when he’s showing off he manages to be humble and down to earth about it. No wonder Andie wants him in her crew.

Talking of showing off, who can forget the iconic moment where Channing Tatum’s Tyler dances in the parking lot, catching the attention of dance student Nora. At first he’s just having a laugh with his friends, but when he catches Nora watching him from an upstairs window, he takes it up a notch, obviously trying to impress her. It seems like it’s working too, and why wouldn’t it? Of all the talented dancers in the “Step Up” series, Tatum is still one of the best. The contrast between the character’s style of street dance with Nora’s formal ballet training is striking, but despite their differences, both are impressed by the skills of the other. Opposites really do attract.

With so many “Step Up” movies, there was a danger that the dance routines would start to become, well, routine. But the later installments in the franchise really make the effort to mix it up, with creative new themes and concepts. One of the most striking numbers is the office mob in “Step Up Revolution”. It takes place in the crowded lobby of an office building, where suddenly, a handful of suits stop stock-still. The ensuing dance routine begins on the descending escalator and is perfectly synchronized and completely mesmerizing. The uniform look, clever use of props and the dancers’ sharp robotic movements combine to make a really dramatic image. The moment when the money starts falling is the icing on the cake.

In this eye-catching scene from the fourth “Step Up” movie, Sean takes Emily to an art show to give her some inspiration. But this isn’t any old gallery date. When the art-work begins to come to life Emily realizes that “The Mob” has struck again. One by one, the dancers emerge from the paintings and human sculptures break their poses, heralded by a surreal, tinkling background music. The piece de resistance comes when the lights go down. A smack of giant, light-up jellyfish dominate the next room we come to. From behind their tentacles, illuminated ballet dancers appear, moving elegantly to a contrasting soundtrack of techno music. This is modern art at its most alive.

Sometimes to give you the edge in a competition you just need something to make you stand out from the crowd. In “Step Up 3D” our crew hit on a simple but effective gimmick for their final dance at World Jam. Light up costumes! And they change color! Moose is a electrical engineer, remember? It’s kind of a corny move but you can’t deny that it’s effective. And obviously the dancing is great too. Moose takes center stage, and the fun-factor of the light-up outfits suits his style perfectly. We also get some child dancers who really bring it, putting the rest of the room to shame.

Here’s another dance that stands out from the crowd - albeit on a smaller scale. It’s not big or daring, but what it lacks in spectacle it makes up for in charm. In this sweet little scene, Moose and Camille dance through the streets of New York to a re-mixed version of Fred Astaire’s “I Don’t Dance.” The pair have great chemistry and whatever the song says they really do dance - Camille even shows off her tap skills. The routine is shot in one continuous take and is visually interesting throughout, making great use of the surroundings. Eagle-eyed fans may even spot some call-backs to classic movie musicals, which are lovingly referenced throughout the routine.

We love to see characters from previous “Step Up” movies pop up in later installments, and Channing Tatum was the first to make a cameo appearance. At the beginning of “Step Up 2” Tatum’s Tyler, a friend from Andie’s past, encourages her to apply to Maryland School of the Arts. She’s reluctant, so he suggests a dance battle, to see who gets their way. The following dance-off is one of the most epic in the franchise - not just because it has trampolines, but because it reminds us that Channing Tatum is an insanely good dancer. Both dancers bring it, but his win is totally deserved. From the way he negotiates that trampoline to the shirt trick at the end, it’s hard to look away.

There are umpteen competition scenes in these movies and some are more memorable than others. One that really sticks in the mind is “The Battle of Gwai” from “Step Up 3D”. Although you probably remember it as ‘that one with Moose and the water’. This is the moment where Moose makes his choice - dance, or school? We all know what his decision will be, but it’s still a relief to see him drop that paper and come flying into the battle just in time. Disaster strikes when his bike knocks a pipe, flooding the arena. It totally works to his advantage though, giving the dancers an accidental prop and creating some striking visuals as the crew kick and splash their way to a beautiful victory.

As final dance scenes go, it’s hard to beat the original “Step Up.” The whole movie has been building to Nora’s senior showcase. We’ve seen the big lift and we’ve watched the routine take shape in rehearsals. We’ve also witnessed how it’s grown and changed, thanks to Tyler’s influence and encouragement and Nora’s inspiration and hard work. Will the culmination of all their efforts make a worthy finale? The answer is a resounding yes. The dance is a cocktail of contemporary, street and classical dance and transitions effortlessly between sections. It’s beautiful to look at and never boring, without relying on costumes, props or gimmicks to do the work. The chemistry sizzles and the dancing itself is flawless. What a way to end a movie.

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

Tyler & Camille, “Step Up” (2006)
Tyler’s Fellow Foster Kid Shows Him Some Moves

Dance in the Club, “Step Up” (2006)
Tyler Dances With the MSA Kids

Dance at the BBQ, “Step Up 2: The Streets” (2008)
Andie Salsas the Night Away

Sean & Andie at the Fairground, “Step Up: All In” (2014)
They Dance as the Waltzers Spin

“Step Up 2” had some big dancing shoes to fill, but by taking street dance back to the streets, it really did manage to step things up. The final dance battle takes place between Andie’s old crew, the 410, and the kids from MSA. After watching the competition perform an outstanding street dance routine, it’s hard to believe that Andie’s collected bunch of misfits can pull off something anywhere close to that standard. But then she plays her winning hand, taking the fight out into the driving rain. The following performance is heart-in-the-mouth stuff. The atmosphere is electric, the choreography is fierce and the dancers give it everything. Plus, the rain makes everything look so much cooler.