The 20 most iconic dance films in cinema history

What more can be said about Dirty Dancing? The dancing movie to end all dancing movies, this film is the ultimate. The blueprint. The apex. Just about everybody on planet Earth is familiar with the catch and the “Nobody puts Baby in the corner” quote. 

Julia Stiles will always be best known for her work in Save the Last Dance. But is that really such a bad thing? The film also featured Kerry Washington in her pre-Scandal era, so no one can complain about the cast. 

Sure, Step Up leaves much to be desired plot-wise, but the dancing is solid. And storyline issues aside, it’s a genuinely entertaining watch with an uplifting message, as most dancing movies should be. 

Few movie moments have been parodied as much as the iconic chair scene from Flashdance. Are parodies the most sincere form of flattery? Perhaps not. But they signal something much more important: Cultural relevance. And Flashdance still has that. 

Why doesn’t Jessica Alba star in dancing films anymore? Honey is still one of her most iconic projects. Another reason the film is so iconic is that it was based on someone’s real-life: Choreographer Laurieann Gibson. Fittingly, Gibson choreographed the film herself. 

Few dancing films in history have warranted sequels, but Bring It On has a total of six — yes, six — films in its series. Granted, they aren’t connected, but it speaks to the power of their theme. The best one, of course, is the first, but there’s a real argument to be had that it’s the third, Bring It On: All or Nothing. 

Both the original and the remake of Footloose are entertaining (and the remake actually fared better among critics), but the original is iconic. Kevin Bacon dancing in the warehouse is about as quintessentially ‘80s as it gets. 

Stomp the Yard is a peak 2000s film. Everyone in that cast was in their best era. It even features Chris Brown. And say what you want about him, but he can dance. 

While it wasn’t deemed the best film of 2016 (that honor went to Moonlight despite a valiant effort from someone at the Academy to thwart it), La La Land is still one of the best dance movies of all time. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone were magnetic, and audiences got to see Gosling’s dance skills on full display. 

The original Hairspray is good, but the remake takes the cake here. An absolutely electric cast got together to dance and sing their hearts out, even if dancing and singing weren’t necessarily skills listed on their resumes. 

Rain doesn’t usually make people want to sing, but it made Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds want to, and for that, we’re grateful. Two of the best to ever do it singing and dancing their hearts out. 

Chicago will always be that musical. It’s sexy and suave and features fantastic singing and dancing. Musicals don’t always have epic choreography, but Chicago’s is top-notch. 

Moulin Rouge! has a solid lineup of epic dance numbers, too. While the film is thought of more because of its splendor and musical numbers, the dancing is quite notable, too. It’s not the same type of dancing as others on this list, but dancing nonetheless. 

What can’t Liza Minnelli do? Her turn as the iconic Sally Bowles was wholly impressive, as was the direction by the incomparable Bob Fosse. Iconic dance numbers aside, Cabaret is a genuinely good film that all cinephiles should see. 

Any time a movie is set in a performing arts school, you know it’s going to be good. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough films with that particular setting. But we have Fame, and for that, we are grateful. 

As evidenced by Cabaret, burlesque dancing can make for a great dancing movie. Burlesque doesn’t get the credit it deserves, but don’t let the critics fool you. It’s a great film with awesome musical numbers and very good dancing. 

Magic Mike isn’t the type of dancing film that you might expect when you read a list of the greatest of all time, but dancing covers a wide range, and the dancing seen in Magic Mike certainly fits within that range. People love it, and it’s hard to argue with public consensus. 

Black Swan is both a good dancing movie and a good movie. It’s rare for dancing films to win Oscars, but Black Swan did just that thanks to Natalie Portman’s unreal acting. Portman even did the majority of the dancing seen in the film, so she definitely earned that award. 

Saturday Night Fever didn’t win an Oscar, but it was nominated for one. But it doesn’t need an Oscar to be solidified as one of the best dancing movies ever. It’s got Bee Gees music and John Travolta. It doesn’t need anything else. 

Sure, the dancing is sort of secondary in this film, but it’s still an important part of Silver Linings Playbook’s identity. The performances — both acting and dancing — are superb, and it would be a shame to skip this film just because it doesn’t fit what’s typical of the genre.