The Best Dance Movies Ever Made

Originally by Ranker Community

Updated June 22, 2020 16.7k votes 3.0k voters 323.7k views94 items

List RulesWhether they make you want to shake it or you're just mesmerized watching others shake it, vote up all of your favorite movies featuring dancing.

Dance movies have been around since the inception of film: the best dance movies manage to make the audience care about the characters and the art of dance. From the can-can films on Nickelodeons, the exciting breakdancing movies that show street style moves, to the modern dance movies that fuse every style, the best dancing movies are only as good as the dancers that perform in them.

What are the greatest dance movies ever made? From classics like Dirty Dancing (1987) to more recent favorites like Magic Mike (2012), movies about dancing are always fun and inspiring to watch. These are the best dance movies as decided by you, whether you want to contribute your own list to include that ballet movie you love or you just want to vote up the super popular breakdance movie from last year, it's up to you. You can't have a great dance movie without a great soundtrack, so also check out our Greatest Soundtracks of All Time List.

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Dirty Dancing
Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey
Released: 1987
Directed by: Emile Ardolino
Dirty Dancing is a 1987 American romantic drama film. Written by Eleanor Bergstein and... more on Wikipedia
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477
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Footloose
Sarah Jessica Parker, Kevin Bacon
Released: 1984
Directed by: Herbert Ross
Footloose is a 1984 American musical-drama directed by Herbert Ross. It tells the story of Ren... more on Wikipedia
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505
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Step Up
Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan
Released: 2006
Directed by: Anne Fletcher
Step Up is a 2006 American romantic dance film directed by Anne Fletcher starring Channing... more on Wikipedia
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419
153
Singin' in the Rain
Debbie Reynolds, Gene Kelly
Released: 1952
Directed by: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly
Singin' in the Rain is a 1952 American musical comedy film directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley... more on Wikipedia
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Grease
John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John
Released: 1978
Directed by: Randal Kleiser
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West Side Story
Natalie Wood, Rita Moreno
Released: 1961
Directed by: Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise
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Save the Last Dance
Kerry Washington, Julia Stiles
Released: 2001
Directed by: Thomas Carter
Save the Last Dance is a 2001 American film produced by MTV Films, directed by Thomas Carter... more on Wikipedia

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Flashdance
Jennifer Beals, Lee Ving
Released: 1983
Directed by: Adrian Lyne
Flashdance is a 1983 American romantic drama film directed by Adrian Lyne. It was the first... more on Wikipedia
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Saturday Night Fever
John Travolta, Fran Drescher
Released: 1977
Directed by: John Badham
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Step Up 2: The Streets
Channing Tatum, Cassie Ventura
Released: 2008
Directed by: Jon M. Chu
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Bring It On
Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku
Released: 2000
Directed by: Peyton Reed
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Fame
Debbie Allen, Irene Cara
Released: 1980
Directed by: Alan Parker
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Step Up 3D
Sharni Vinson, Kathy Najimy
Released: 2010
Directed by: Jon M. Chu
Step Up 3D is a 2010 American 3D dance film written by Amy Andelson and Emily Meyer and... more on Wikipedia
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247
107
Hairspray
John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer
Released: 2007
Directed by: Adam Shankman
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15
247
137
Center Stage
Zoe Saldana, Amanda Schull
Released: 2000
Directed by: Nicholas Hytner
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Chicago
Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lucy Liu
Released: 2002
Directed by: Rob Marshall
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Mary Poppins
Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke
Released: 1964
Directed by: Robert Stevenson
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Black Swan
Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis
Released: 2010
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
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The King and I
Deborah Kerr, Yul Brynner
Released: 1956
Directed by: Walter Lang
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An American in Paris
Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron
Released: 1951
Directed by: Vincente Minnelli
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Honey
Jessica Alba, Missy Elliott
Released: 2003
Directed by: Bille Woodruff
Honey is a 2003 dance film released by Universal Pictures. Featuring music produced by Rodney... more on Wikipedia
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Billy Elliot
Jamie Bell, Julie Walters
Released: 2000
Directed by: Stephen Daldry
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Stomp the Yard
Chris Brown, Meagan Good
Released: 2007
Directed by: Sylvain White
Stomp the Yard is a 2007 drama and dance film produced by Rainforest Films and released... more on Wikipedia
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Burlesque
Christina Aguilera, Kristen Bell
Released: 2010
Directed by: Steve Antin
Starring Cher and Christina Aquilera.
Burlesque is a 2010 American backstage musical drama film directed by Steve Antin. A... more on Wikipedia
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Step Up Revolution
Megan Boone, Ryan Guzman
Released: 2012
Directed by: Scott Speer
Step Up Revolution is a 2012 American 3D dance film and the fourth installment in the Step Up... more on Wikipedia