Top 20 Hardest Broadway Dance Routines

This show is about as dance heavy as any you’ll find on Broadway. In fact, it’s not so much a musical as a concert that’s been conceptualized and choreographed by modern dance legend Twyla Tharp. The production, based on the music of Billy Joel, stars one singer who essentially impersonates Joel while accompanying himself on the piano. All the other cast members are dancers, who tell the fictional story through movement. This medley is packed with difficult, physically demanding, and relentless steps. The dancers jump, leap, stretch, and lift each other for the better part of the thrilling number — and they make it all look effortless!

You may be wondering why this international blockbuster is on our list. Well, it technically played on Broadway at Radio City Music Hall in 1996, and at the Gershwin Theatre for over a year from 2000 to 2001. The show started as interval entertainment during 1994’s Eurovision Song Contest in Ireland. But it quickly became a worldwide phenomenon, and recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. The title song features Irish step-dancing, an extremely stylized form of traditional dance that demands precision, strength, and years of study. Combining graceful movements with strong, percussive steps, the method requires unison and crystal-clear execution. It’s athletic, energetic, sharp, and endlessly exciting.

The classic 1951 film starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron was finally turned into a Broadway show in 2014. Starring ballet dancers Leanne Cope and Robert Fairchild, it was choreographed by the New York City Ballet’s Christopher Wheeldon. The dancing in this moment is beautiful, George Gershwin’s score is timeless, and the professionals hide just how complicated the moves are. Cope and Fairchild’s partner work is exquisite, as they effortlessly execute difficult lifts. Plus, the duo is about more than just fancy tricks. They show excellent technique, dance with strong and graceful conviction, and utilize musicality and emotion. Did we mention Cope is en pointe for much of the number?

This 50th-anniversary revival of the classic 1961 Frank Loesser musical featured the one and only Daniel Radcliffe. Indeed, Harry Potter himself played J. Pierrepont Finch, an ambitious man trying to climb the corporate ladder. That includes assembling his coworkers, allies, and opponents alike into a big group number celebrating the “Brotherhood of Man” — and one woman. This number, choreographed by Rob Ashford in the revival, is inventive and energetic, featuring lots of acrobatic ballet and jazz. Starting slowly and building up to its exciting conclusion, the performers shake hands and legs, and crawl on their knees while singing. The tight formations, with members entwined and moving together, is much more complicated than it appears.

This exciting group number closes out the show on such a high note that it makes us want to sing and dance too. Adapted from the 1988 cult film of the same name by John Waters, “Hairspray” tells a story of individualism, inclusion, and acceptance. The rousing closing number takes place on a 1962 “American Bandstand”-like television program. It’s complete with retro fads and fashions, but doesn’t look too hard on the surface. The movements are mostly pantomimic, but there are lots of little pieces to memorize. What makes this number deceivingly difficult is that it’s non-stop. The choreography is fast, vigorous, and lengthy. Of course, the cast is also singing for much of the number. We’re exhausted just watching this routine!

This definitive musical tells the story of a small-town girl in a big city chorus who gets her big break after the lead suffers an injury. The exciting show opens on a huge cattle call audition with numerous dancers learning a classic Broadway tap routine in close synchronization. Granted, it’s not the only challenging routine in “42nd Street”. The title number features dancers on a large staircase, and “We’re in the Money” has tappers on coin-shaped pedestals. But “Audition” starts with the curtains raised just enough to see the dancers’ feet, emphasizing their specific movements, crystal-clear sounds, and the unison of their taps. As the number increases in speed, it sets the stage for the exciting showcase that follows.

This early classic comes from the mind of the great Bob Fosse while he was developing his style. He thought up this number’s routine for the 1954 musical about union workers in a pajama factory. His first production as a choreographer, this trio shows glimmers of the look Fosse later became famous for. There are small, specific movements in perfect unison, in-turned knees, minimized isolations, and spread-out fingers. As a bonus, the bowler hats are also flawlessly incorporated into the routine. The dancers execute steps big and small, crawling, sliding, and jumping around. It’s no wonder this was a star-making turn for Carol Haney!

Get ready for another epic trio from famed choreographer Bob Fosse. This time, his iconic style appears to be fully formed. It’s much more risqué, trading in suits for spandex and high-cut leotards. The emphasis is on angular, exact movements, like tiny hip circles and thrusts, small sideways shuffling steps, and wide fingers turning to limp wrists. With the inimitable Ben Vereen dressed all in black, this routine from the song “Glory” is deceptively difficult because the movements are so precise. Fosse’s fascination with famed cult-leader Charles Manson reportedly led to the number’s name, and is reflected in the Leading Player’s persona. And though the show was reimagined for the revival, they kept the “Manson Trio” largely as Fosse had choreographed it.

Choreographer Savion Glover brought hip-hop and funk — combined with hard-hitting rhythmic tap— to Broadway. This type of tapping uses every part of the shoe in a slappin’, hittin’, toe-standin’ style that’s fierce and low to the ground. Glover first dipped his toes in the Broadway pool by participating in classic tap shows. These included the “The Tap Dance Kid” and “Black and Blue” — whose “That Rhythm Man” was another contender for this list. With “Taxi”, he put together a dynamic, fast-paced, and stylized number that entertains, while also providing important social commentary.

This incredible Alanis Morissette musical closed due to the pandemic after only a few months on Broadway. And excited doesn’t even begin to describe how we feel about its return. This devastating number painfully illustrates the “all is lost” moment of the play. Choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s routine exemplifies how dance can be used to tell a story. In this case, it’s that of a woman in the throes of addiction. It’s reminiscent of the unforgettable Mia Michaels’ choreography on “So You Think You Can Dance.” “Uninvited” is an “unconventional pas de deux” that’s physically demanding and emotionally raw for both the character singing and her dance doppelgänger. The latter acts as a sort of ragdoll, moving with vulnerability. The routine powerfully personifies the struggle at the heart of the story.

This 1934 musical is a favorite on Broadway and among school productions. It’s easy to see why when you consider its eccentric story of romance aboard an ocean liner and the fun and memorable Cole Porter score. The production is full of hits, including “Blow, Gabriel, Blow”, another number full of complex moves. But it’s the title song’s choreography that blows us away. The 2011 revival featured an exciting show-style tap routine from the mind of Kathleen Marshall. It was executed perfectly by Sutton Foster, with timeless steps and inventive formations that travel across the whole stage. The number is lengthy, demanding energy, stamina, precision, and crisp, clean sounds.

Choosing only one routine from this seminal Michael Bennett musical is nearly impossible, as there are many extremely difficult numbers in the show. There’s the deceptively complex “One”, which demands uniform movements in close proximity. Or the solo showcase “The Music and the Mirror,” with its repeated turns and layouts across the line. But we had to go with the iconic and technically demanding opening number. It’s the audition that puts all the Broadway hopefuls through their paces, setting the story in motion. With its relentless pace and exacting precision, it requires huge flexibility, extraordinary technique, boundless energy, and endless stamina. Paired with the singing and acting, this is nearly as good as it gets.

“Cats” may be widely ridiculed now, but it was groundbreaking at the time. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s massive musical based on the feline poetry of T.S. Eliot had dancers crawling around costumed and acting like ballerina cats. It was like nothing seen on Broadway before, and people couldn’t get enough of it. Gillian Lynne’s choreography for “Jellicle Songs For Jellicle Cats” involves lots of stalking and prancing, with the ribs and back contracting and releasing. It requires excellent technique, balance, grace, and flexibility. We see these skills at play through the big kicks and leaps, partnering work, tumbling, and flipping. And the cast did all this while singing, requiring tremendous breath support. What’s more, this opening number also kicks off a fully-formed dance show!

Adapted and expanded for Broadway in 2012, this star vehicle for Jeremy Jordan saw new life on the stage after the 1992 film’s initial flop. The flashy “King of New York” gave this routine a run for its money, with its detailed tapping and jumping on furniture. But ultimately, we had to choose the show-stopping “Seize the Day”. Like Kenny Ortega’s original choreography, Christopher Gattelli puts his dancers through the ringer. There’s extremely energetic movements, leaps, jumps, tricks, flips, and people practically flying across the stage. Adding a bit more danger, they then dance on sheets of newspaper. Needless to say, this number demands perfect balance, coordination, precision, and timing.

We’d be totally remiss if we left this worldwide phenomenon off our list. After all, Andy Blankenbuehler’s choreography is the epitome of excitement. Combining lots of different dance styles, like jazz, musical theatre, hip-hop, and ballet, it was difficult to choose the hardest routine. Though “Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)” made a big impression with its relentless pace, hip-hop moves in quick succession, and slides across the floor, we chose “Satisfied.” Its clever staging takes the same motions from “A Winter’s Ball” and “Helpless” to make us feel like we’re moving back in time. With the added difficulty of the spinning turntable, this number uses movement to tell a poignant story.

This Jerome Robbins blockbuster is full of so many outstanding, complicated routines that it’s almost impossible to choose just one. “The Dance at the Gym”’s energetic moves to a Latin rhythm and the Prologue’s iconic leaps both had us mesmerized. But at the end of the day, nothing beats “Cool’s” elaborate and iconic movements. This athletic and vigorous dance combines exquisite ballet technique with pedestrian street movements, and is set against an emotional backdrop. By playing with levels and formations, Robbins juxtaposes moments of stillness with bursts of adrenaline, mirroring the gang’s intense feelings.

This classic musical was composed by the great Cole Porter. The original 1948 production starred Alfred Drake and Patricia Morison in the play within a play’s retelling of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.” The Roundabout Theatre’s limited-engagement 2019 revival starred Kelli O’Hara, Will Chase, and “High School Musical”’s Corbin Bleu. Warren Carlyle provided the exciting choreography, and he didn’t disappoint. “Too Darn Hot” features big, acrobatic jazz and ballet tricks, lightning-fast tapping, sliding, jumping, and classic swing-dance steps. It’s a dynamic, super memorable, and technically intricate number that we can simply never get enough of.

This is arguably one of the most iconic dances in musical theatre history. Though he was inspired by men’s dancing at Orthodox Jewish festivals and weddings, this show-stopping number came from Jerome Robbins’ imagination—and it’s incredibly difficult to master. Much of the routine involves crawling on your knees in a truncated chorus line while intertwined with other dancers and sliding across the floor. As if that wasn’t complicated enough on it’s own, you also have to balance a glass bottle on your hat. Taking place during the wedding celebration that closes Act I, the “Bottle Dance’s” breathtaking choreography is further brought to life by Jerry Bock’s exhilarating music.

The coordination and timing required for this amazing Denis Jones routine is mind-boggling. As if tap wasn’t already intricate enough, these dancers have to do it while jumping rope! Unlike Legally Blonde’s cardio-heavy “Whipped Into Shape,” this routine’s moves are quite precise. More than that, they require impeccable timing and synchronization to match the turning of the ropes with the landings. The dancers also leap incredibly high before each tap step, bringing their knees up before reaching the ground in perfect rhythm. This only begins to cover how involved this show-stopping routine is, yet we never see the company sweat!

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

“Electricity”, “Billy Elliot: The Musical”
A Relentless Ballet Solo for a Young Dancer & Tumbler

“Can-Can”, “Can-Can”
The Show That Made Gwen Verdon a Star Through Its Exhausting Kicks & Splits

“Nobody”, “Bandstand”
An Underrated Musical About PTSD That Blends Ballet & Jazz in This Uplifting Number

“Crapshooters Ballet/Luck Be a Lady”,“Guys and Dolls”
Choreographer Michael Kidd Is Known for Energetic, Acrobatic Routines, & This Is No Exception

“Step in Time”, “Mary Poppins”
A Technically Complex Routine with a Little Stage Magic Thrown In

Michael Bennett choreographed this Burt Bacharach musical based on the Billy Wilder film “The Apartment.” “Turkey Lurkey Time”, featuring Donna McKechnie and her extremely flexible back, is deceptive because it initially looks like 1960s-flavored fluff. But as it takes off—and gets faster—the deep backbends and crisp head flips make it downright dangerous — especially at that relentless pace. There’s no doubt that the moves put real physical strain on the dancer’s bodies. In her memoir, McKechnie actually said that the routine was so rigorous that she felt like going “directly into an oxygen tent” afterward. That tells you everything you need to know!