One of cinema’s most attractive and unique qualities is its ability to capture movement in ways other art forms cannot. This advantage has led to the development of numerous motion-based movie types such as action, sports, and, of course, dance.
Dance was one of the earliest subjects of film. William K.L. Dickson – credited with inventing the motion picture camera while working for Thomas Edison – chose a dancing woman for the subject of his 1894 film “Carmencita.” Dance movies have since evolved into a full-fledged genre. In these movies, dance often acts as the primary catalyst for narrative events or, at the very least, adds some fun and excitement for audiences.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, dance films benefited immensely from Hollywood’s exodus from the silent era into the world of sound. Beloved dance films, including “Top Hat,” “Swing Time,” and “Shall We Dance,” were all released in the 1930s and have sustained dedicated fan bases to this day.
This is not to say that these older films are superior to more recent offerings. The 2010 ballet-themed horror flick “Black Swan” – while a much darker affair than the previously mentioned movies – has extremely high reviews online, including 85% approval among critics on Rotten Tomatoes. “Pina,” a 2011 documentary focusing on the late German choreographer Pina Bausch, was also extremely well received – it currently has a 95% freshness rating – although it not as widely known.
Whether or not a dance film is successful oftentimes seems to depend on the talent on screen. Legendary dancers, including Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, and Ginger Rogers, all appear in more than one of the best dance movies of all time.
Click here to see the best dance movies of all time.
Click here to see our methodology.
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
40. Dance with Me (1998)
> Directed by: Randa Haines
> Starring: Vanessa Williams, Chayanne, Kris Kristofferson
> Avg. critic rating: 5.5/10
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Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
39. Take the Lead (2006)
> Directed by: Liz Friedlander
> Starring: Antonio Banderas, Rob Brown, Yaya DaCosta
> Avg. critic rating: 5.5/10
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
38. Footloose (1984)
> Directed by: Herbert Ross
> Starring: Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, John Lithgow
> Avg. critic rating: 5.6/10
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
37. Magic Mike XXL (2015)
> Directed by: Gregory Jacobs
> Starring: Channing Tatum, Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer
> Avg. critic rating: 5.9/10
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Source: Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures
36. Roll Bounce (2005)
> Directed by: Malcolm D. Lee
> Starring: Shad Moss, Nick Cannon, Meagan Good
> Avg. critic rating: 5.9/10
Source: Courtesy of Vestron Pictures
35. Dirty Dancing (1987)
> Directed by: Emile Ardolino
> Starring: Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Jerry Orbach
> Avg. critic rating: 6/10
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Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
34. Bring It On (2000)
> Directed by: Peyton Reed
> Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford
> Avg. critic rating: 6/10
Source: Courtesy of Aurum Producciones
33. StreetDance 3D (2010)
> Directed by: Max Giwa, Dania Pasquini
> Starring: Nichola Burley, Richard Winsor, Ukweli Roach
> Avg. critic rating: 6/10
Source: Courtesy of Antenna Entertainment
32. Kites (2010)
> Directed by: Anurag Basu
> Starring: Hrithik Roshan, Kangana Ranaut, Bárbara Mori
> Avg. critic rating: 6.1/10
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Source: Courtesy of ATO Pictures
31. Mao’s Last Dancer (2009)
> Directed by: Bruce Beresford
> Starring: Chi Cao, Bruce Greenwood, Kyle MacLachlan
> Avg. critic rating: 6.1/10
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
30. Footloose (2011)
> Directed by: Craig Brewer
> Starring: Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, Dennis Quaid
> Avg. critic rating: 6.1/10
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Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
29. The Great Ziegfeld (1936)
> Directed by: Robert Z. Leonard
> Starring: William Powell, Myrna Loy, Luise Rainer
> Avg. critic rating: 6.2/10
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
28. The Company (2003)
> Directed by: Robert Altman
> Starring: Neve Campbell, James Franco, Malcolm McDowell
> Avg. critic rating: 6.6/10
Source: Courtesy of Paladin
27. High Strung (2016)
> Directed by: Michael Damian
> Starring: Keenan Kampa, Nicholas Galitzine, Sonoya Mizuno
> Avg. critic rating: 6.6/10
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Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
26. Grease (1978)
> Directed by: Randal Kleiser
> Starring: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing
> Avg. critic rating: 6.7/10
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
25. Magic Mike (2012)
> Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
> Starring: Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Olivia Munn
> Avg. critic rating: 6.9/10
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Source: Courtesy of Village Roadshow Entertainment
24. Happy Feet (2006)
> Directed by: George Miller, Warren Coleman, Judy Morris
> Starring: Elijah Wood, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman
> Avg. critic rating: 6.9/10
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures
23. Shall We Dance (1937)
> Directed by: Mark Sandrich
> Starring: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edward Everett Horton
> Avg. critic rating: 7/10
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
22. Moulin Rouge! (2001)
> Directed by: Baz Luhrmann
> Starring: Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Leguizamo
> Avg. critic rating: 7.1/10
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Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
21. Fame (1980)
> Directed by: Alan Parker
> Starring: Eddie Barth, Irene Cara, Lee Curreri
> Avg. critic rating: 7.2/10
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
20. Billy Elliot (2000)
> Directed by: Stephen Daldry
> Starring: Jamie Bell, Julie Walters, Jean Heywood
> Avg. critic rating: 7.3/10
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Source: Courtesy of Miramax
19. Strictly Ballroom (1992)
> Directed by: Baz Luhrmann
> Starring: Paul Mercurio, Tara Morice, Bill Hunter
> Avg. critic rating: 7.4/10
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
18. All That Jazz (1979)
> Directed by: Bob Fosse
> Starring: Roy Scheider, Jessica Lange, Leland Palmer
> Avg. critic rating: 7.5/10
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
17. Saturday Night Fever (1977)
> Directed by: John Badham
> Starring: John Travolta, Karen Lynn Gorney, Barry Miller
> Avg. critic rating: 7.6/10
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Source: Courtesy of IFC Films
16. Fish Tank (2009)
> Directed by: Andrea Arnold
> Starring: Katie Jarvis, Michael Fassbender, Kierston Wareing
> Avg. critic rating: 7.6/10
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
15. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)
> Directed by: Stanley Donen
> Starring: Jane Powell, Howard Keel, Jeff Richards
> Avg. critic rating: 7.7/10
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Source: Courtesy of Screenvision
14. Ballet Shoes (2007)
> Directed by: Sandra Goldbacher
> Starring: Emma Watson, Yasmin Paige, Lucy Boynton
> Avg. critic rating: 7.7/10
Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
13. Hairspray (2007)
> Directed by: Adam Shankman
> Starring: John Travolta, Queen Latifah, Nikki Blonsky
> Avg. critic rating: 7.8/10
Source: Courtesy of Miramax
12. Chicago (2002)
> Directed by: Rob Marshall
> Starring: Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere
> Avg. critic rating: 7.9/10
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Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
11. Shall We Dance? (1996)
> Directed by: Masayuki Suo
> Starring: Kôji Yakusho, Tamiyo Kusakari, Naoto Takenaka
> Avg. critic rating: 7.9/10
Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
10. An American in Paris (1951)
> Directed by: Vincente Minnelli
> Starring: Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant
> Avg. critic rating: 8/10
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Source: Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures
9. Black Swan (2010)
> Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
> Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel
> Avg. critic rating: 8.2/10
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
8. West Side Story (1961)
> Directed by: Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise
> Starring: Natalie Wood, George Chakiris, Richard Beymer
> Avg. critic rating: 8.3/10
Source: Courtesy of IFC Films
7. Pina (2011)
> Directed by: Wim Wenders
> Starring: Pina Bausch, Regina Advento, Malou Airaudo
> Avg. critic rating: 8.3/10
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Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
6. Mary Poppins (1964)
> Directed by: Robert Stevenson
> Starring: Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson
> Avg. critic rating: 8.4/10
Source: Courtesy of Allied Artists International
5. Cabaret (1972)
> Directed by: Bob Fosse
> Starring: Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Helmut Griem
> Avg. critic rating: 8.4/10
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Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures
4. Top Hat (1935)
> Directed by: Mark Sandrich
> Starring: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edward Everett Horton
> Avg. critic rating: 8.6/10
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures
3. Swing Time (1936)
> Directed by: George Stevens
> Starring: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Victor Moore
> Avg. critic rating: 8.7/10
Source: Courtesy of Eagle-Lion Films
2. The Red Shoes (1948)
> Directed by: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
> Starring: Anton Walbrook, Marius Goring, Moira Shearer
> Avg. critic rating: 9/10
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Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
1. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
> Directed by: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly
> Starring: Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds
> Avg. critic rating: 9.2/10
Methodology
To determine the best dance movies of all time, 24/7 Wall St. created an index based on each film’s average critics’ rating and average audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as the average user rating on Internet Movie Database. We considered films only with at least 2,000 Rotten Tomatoes user ratings, five approved Tomatometer critic reviews, and 5,000 IMDb user ratings.
We averaged together the user ratings from Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb and weighted them by the number of votes involved. This combined user rating was then averaged with the Rotten Tomatoes critics’ rating.
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