Top 20 Tap Dance Scenes in Movies

Siblings Nick, Steve, and Frank Condos were three incredible tap dancing brothers who got their start in the 1930s dancing in a few Hollywood movies. If you’re looking for some old school, remarkably fast and technically perfect tapping they’ve got you covered. Some of this family’s best work can be seen in 1944’s “Hey Rookie.” During this musical film starring Ann Miller, Steve and Nick show off their skills in this high energy number. It’s amazing the two manage to stay perfectly in sync given how fast their feet are moving. This scene is definitive proof that this family has plenty of tap talent.

The only thing better than a coming of age movie is one that’s centered around the freedom of dance. In 2000’s “Billy Elliot, a young Jamie Bell plays an 11 year old named Billy whose dreams of being a ballet dancer upset his coal mining father. Out of the many amazing tap sequences, the best tap scene comes when the boy vents his frustrations by dancing to “Town Called Malice.” The way the choreography combines classic tap moves with Billy’s utter desperation results in an extremely moving number. It perfectly encapsulates childlike frustration in a beautiful and energetic way.

Gene Kelly’s perfectionist attitude towards choreography and his habit for pushing the limits on what a dance sequence could be made every one of his scenes stunning. One of his most memorable scenes takes place in 1945’s “Anchors Aweigh.” During the story of two sailors on leave in Hollywood, Kelly tap dances with the cartoon mouse Jerry. The sequence required the utmost care to pull off. Animators had to painstakingly use rotoscoping to match the mouse’s movements with Kelly’s frame by frame. Since Kelly didn’t downplay any of his skill during the dance, we can imagine how difficult it was for the technical crew to give us this fantastic duo’s work.

One of the best tap trios of the classic Hollywood age consisted of Lois Bright and The Miller Brothers. This acrobatic group was known for performing their numbers on platforms of various heights to give audiences a breathless thrill. Thankfully, they delivered again in 1947’s “Hi-De-Ho”. During this musical featuring an all Black cast and helmed by the famed bandleader Cab Calloway, Lois and the Miller Brothers perform atop platforms that spell out the word “Miller.” It’s awe-inspiring to watch them skip and hop from letter to letter with graceful ease. As they dance to increasingly greater heights, we’re uplifted too.

If you’re in the mood for an excellent tap partner dance, we can’t recommend “White Christmas'' enough. While the movie is generally known as a Bing Crosby vehicle, Vera-Ellen and John Brascia (BRASHuh) delivered an absolutely dynamic number. Set to the song “Abraham,” tap dancing actors Vera-Ellen and John Brascia are about as jaunty and as full of pizazz as you could be. They’re perfectly in sync for every turn, move and clap. The height of their energy is only matched by the height of their talent. By the end of the scene, you’ll be grinning as widely as the duo is after pulling off such a bright and beautiful performance.

Legendary performer Fred Astaire gave us a particularly explosive sequence in 1942’s “Holiday Inn.” Astaire’s Ted is one third of a song and dance act that goes through trials and tribulations throughout the film. At one point, Ted needs to come up with a unique tap number on the spot. After spotting a bin of firecrackers, an iconic number is born. Astaire starts the routine by looking cool as a cucumber as he masterfully taps around the stage with a cigarette in his mouth. Suddenly, he takes things up a notch by throwing a firecracker to the ground in time with the music! Although the mini explosions add an element of danger, Astaire looks joyful during the entirety of this impressive routine.

Tap dancing on its own is no easy feat. So, seeing someone tap down the stairs in rhythm is a mind-blowing sight. In 1942’s “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” James Cagney stars as George M. Cohan (coHAN) a.k.a. “man who owned Broadway”. And believe us, Cagney more than lives up to that name! In this number, he swiftly and gracefully taps his way down the stairs to the film’s title song. His ability to keep rhythm and flexibility in his body is unmatched. While it’s a short number, Cagney handles the complex sequence with such ease that it demands our attention.

A star of early Hollywood and famous for her lightning speed dances, Ann Miller proves her chops in this delightful musical film from 1953. She pulls us in with enchanting singing at first. Before long, Miller is dancing to “I Gotta Hear That Beat,” and energetically tapping around as the band plays along from underground. Yes, you heard us right. Miller has no real backup in this number partner to feed off of. It’s just her, her infectious smile, and her feet moving as fast as possible. She comes alive in the spotlight and never misses a beat. It’s a truly breathtaking solo.

What happens when you take not one, but two of the best dancers of their generation and put them together in one scene? You get an incredible tap sequence for the ages. In “White Nights,” the incomparable Gregory Hines and Mikhail Baryshnikov play two dancers who start out at odds. But they end up finding chemistry through the magic of dance. In this modern and distinctive number, Hines and Baryshnikov bring their own signature styles to the table. They’re able to look past their differences and meld their styles together. The symbolism behind their willingness to learn from each other enhances this special and mesmerizing number.

An iconic sequence made the “film within a film” Lullaby of Broadway unforgettable. The number is absolutely packed with a huge crew of tap dancers. When they all move in sync, it feels and sounds like we’re in the middle of a thunderstorm. But this electrifying routine is full of smaller and more intricate choreography too. While you may see three dancers moving in sync one moment, the rest of the huge crowd is bound to follow suit a moment later. Watching this massive number takes our breath away every time. The hard work that all these dancers put in culminated in a routine that feels like the stuff of dreams.

In this musical inspired by Shakespeare's “The Taming of the Shrew,” Ann Miller shows off her tap dancing skills in a hot pink ensemble that heats up this sultry number. Throughout her career, Miller was renowned for her speed as a tap dancer and it was rumored “she could tap 500 times per minute.” This began because she had to wear rubber-soled dance shoes which would give her enough traction to dance on slippery, waxed stages. As a result, the audio of her dancing had to be separately recorded and synced to her film performances in the editing room. Miller had other spectacular tap numbers but this one is unbeatable.

This MGM film brings together Eleanor Powell and Fred Astaire, the only appearance that paired these two tap legends onscreen. Not only is this sequence considered one of the best tap dances in film history, it's said that Powell was the only female dancer who could outshine Astaire. With production beginning in 1939, the set of the “Begin the Beguine” dance number cost a whopping $120,000 to build, worth over $2 million today. The revolving mirror panels behind Powell and Astaire create an enchanting, dream-like background, and they seem to float across the stage as they dance.

In Happy Feet, Mumble is unable to sing to attract a mate, so tap dance becomes his alternative form of self-expression. As Gloria, whose singing voice is provided by Brittany Murphy, sings this Earth, Wind & Fire classic, Mumble uses his moves to express his lifelong love for her. The rhythmic beats and slides of this dance style are a perfect match for the sound of penguin feet on ice. While the film utilized the vocal talents of Robin Williams and Hugh Jackman, motion capture technology was used to animate the dancing penguins. According to director George Miller, dancer and choreographer Savion Glover and his distinct dancing style was a perfect fit for Mumble’s unique character.

In this Abbott and Costello film, the tap dancing group Tip, Tap, and Toe show off their silky smooth sliding moves. With the jazzy song “Shout Brother Shout” performed by the Ink Spots, the dancers take turns on a restaurant table with their fun and fluid routine. Throughout the 1930s and 40s, this trio delivered an entertaining blend of comedy and tap dance to a number of musical comedy films. The best description of dancer Raymond Winfield’s style comes from the Library of Congress: “Winfield slid forward, backward, sideways, and around, as if he had buttered feet on a hot stove.

We can always count on Fred Astaire for a memorable performance! While there are countless unforgettable dance numbers from Astaire throughout his career, this film was his second to be directed by George Stevens. With a cast that includes husband-and-wife comedy duo George Burns and Gracie Allen, “A Damsel in Distress” has plenty of music, dancing and laughs. In this scene, Fred Astaire shows off a wide range of his talents with a whimsical flair as Jerry. Filmed in one continuous take, the musical number features a jazz tune by George and Ira Gershwin that’s now considered a standard. Not only does he deliver a fantastic song and dance, but he also plays the drums with his feet!

Co-directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly himself, this musical has no shortage of impressive dance numbers. We know the solo in the pouring rain is a classic, but “Good Morning” takes the cake. After Don’s first talking film is an absolute disaster at its preview, Kathy and Cosmo help him find a way to save the picture. They express their excitement and relief by singing about the new day. This delightful scene sees the trio dancing around the house, jumping onto furniture, and dancing with their raincoats. Amazingly, Debbie Reynolds had no formal dance training prior to being cast in “Singin’ in the Rain,” and held her own under Kelly’s strict demands. The stars repeated takes of this scene for 15 hours straight, before Kelly decided to use the first take.

Performed by Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and a Shirley Temple between 6 and 7 years old, this beloved tap dance was the first interracial dance performance in a Hollywood film. Since 1918, Robinson had been known for this rhythmic staircase routine, and even attempted to patent it. Looking back on her film career, Temple recalled how “Robinson taught her to feel the beat, rather than count it out.” Their warm chemistry is tangible in this scene, and the two went on to co-star in several films together throughout the 1930s. With this number, Robinson and Temple showed that you don't need more than a simple song and a staircase to perform a captivating dance.

Performed by Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and a Shirley Temple between 6 and 7 years old, this beloved tap dance was the first interracial dance performance in a Hollywood film. Since 1918, Robinson had been known for this rhythmic staircase routine, and even attempted to patent it. Looking back on her film career, Temple recalled how “Robinson taught her to feel the beat, rather than count it out.” Their warm chemistry is tangible in this scene, and the two went on to co-star in several films together throughout the 1930s. With this number, Robinson and Temple showed that you don't need more than a simple song and a staircase to perform a captivating dance.

Gregory Hines had already tapped up a storm onscreen before “Tap’s” release in 1989. (x-ref) “Tap” brings together many fantastic African-American tap legends of the 20th century. In this challenge scene, Gregory Hines is pitted against Arthur Duncan, Bunny Briggs, and many other well known tap stars. Many of these dancers would have been in their 50s and 60s when this sequence was filmed, but none of them miss a beat in this energetic sequence. Ending with Hines and Sammy Davis Jr.going head to head in an intense dance battle, this scene seems to symbolize how Hines carried on the legacy of black rhythmic tap dance from his influences.

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

The Babbit & the Bromide, “Ziegfeld Follies” (1946) (ZIGfeld)
Two Masters Come Together in One Excellent Scene

Drum Dance, “Rosalie” (1937)
Eleanor Powell Beautifully Taps To the Beat Of the Drum

Dancing on the Ceiling, “Royal Wedding” (1951)
This Gravity-Defying Scene Will Leave Your Jaw on the Floor

Shakin’ the Blues Away, “Easter Parade” (1948)
Ann Miller Shakes & Taps Like No Other

Fascinatin’ Rhythm, “Lady Be Good” (1941)
Even as the Set Becomes More Impressive, We Never Take Our Eyes off Eleanor Powell

Loosely based on the life of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, “Stormy Weather” follows the dancer’s career after his service in World War I and presents the talents of various African-American performers in the 1940s. In this scene, Cab Calloway leads his band with “Jumpin’ Jive,” accompanied by the dancing Nicholas Brothers. It's hard to believe your eyes when watching this legendary routine, with the Brothers leaping over each other and landing into splits. Reportedly filmed in a single take, it’s no wonder that Fred Astaire has called this routine “the greatest movie musical number he had ever seen.”