Top Movies about obsessive dancers, modern, street, and classical dance, grueling training, faith in yourself, and, of course, a little bit about love. This list will have Zac Efron rocking and John Travolta suffering, Patrick Swayze driving you crazy and Channing Tatum teasing your imagination, Christina Aguilera conquering dance heights, Catherine Zeta Jones killing, and Jessica Alba charging powerful hip-hop. All in all, there will be music, film, and dance that not only makes you twitch your leg to the beat but also inspires you with its dedication to the arts.
1. Dirty Dancing (1987)
- Production: USA
- Genre: melodrama, drama
- Starring: Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze
- IMDb Rating: 7
Kicking off the top is a film that, on a budget of six million dollars, grossed one hundred and seventy million dollars the year it premiered.
The summer of 1963. 17-year-old Frances, nicknamed Baby, is vacationing with her parents at a resort hotel, where she meets Johnny, a handsome professional dancer. As if bewitched by the sexy rhythms and uninhibited movements of “dirty dancing” in the rhythm and blues style, Baby becomes Johnny’s apprentice and partner in dancing and love.
It’s not just the dancing, the soundtrack, and another great love that changes the sign of social inequality to “equal.” What clings to this movie is that the vacation ends, Johnny leaves, and Baby returns to her pre-scheduled life. The drama is not overdone, and the summer adventures remain an exciting memory for Baby and the audience alike.
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2. Magic Mike (2012)
- Production: USA
- Genre: drama, comedy
- Starring: Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey
- IMDb rating: 6.1
Steven Soderbergh proved once again that he is a very versatile director with his melodrama about the life of strippers. The script is based on the biography of the title role of Channing Tatum, who before the film career worked as a dancer in nightclubs. In addition to Tatum, “Magic Mike” stars Matthew McConaughey, young actor Alex Pettyfer and professional wrestler Kevin Nash.
By day Mike works at a construction site and lays shingles, and at night he becomes the object of lust of all the visitors of the club “Tampa Kings”, who come to admire the naked male bodies and get their dose of endorphin. Mike is undoubtedly the highlight of the program and the king of the show. That said, in real life, he remains a simple smiling guy and one day decides to help a young construction worker who is desperate for money. Mike offers him a part-time job behind the scenes of the show. But thanks to a happy accident Adam ends up on stage and grabs the attention… The movie was a big box office success and became a true summer 2012 movie hit, so “Super Mike” is definitely worth watching.
3. Chicago (2002)
- Production: USA, Germany, Canada
- Genre: musical, drama, comedy
- Starring: Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere
- IMDb Rating: 7.1
Next in the top is the record holder for the number of prestigious awards. The film received thirteen Oscar nominations and ended up taking six statuettes: for best film and best costume design, for sound and editing, as well as for best song, art direction and best supporting actress (Catherine Zeta-Jones).
The impressive list of accomplishments may make up somewhat for the fact that the film isn’t really about dancing. Set in 1920s Chicago, the main character, housewife Roxy, dreams of becoming famous. Her idol is the saucy cabaret diva Velma Curry. This entertainer never stops acting, and her voice and movements thrill crowds of spectators. However, Roxy and Velma very soon find themselves on the same stage – in the women’s prison, and not because you can not be in the world so beautiful. Both heroines are accused of murder, and they have to fight not for the love of the audience, but for life.
The scenery in the film changes frequently: cabarets, restaurants, a women’s prison, a courtroom. But no matter what happens, Roxy and Velma’s show goes on: there is music and there is dancing.
4. Burlesque (2010)
- Production: USA
- Genre: melodrama, drama
- Starring: Christina Aguilera, Cher, Cam Gigandet.
- IMDb Rating: 6.4
Once again the story of a cabaret performer is at the top, but now in modern times. The film will tell the story of neo-burlesque, a genre of stage show that has returned from banal striptease to its more noble roots. So there will be plenty of revealing costumes, cheeky numbers and Christina Aguilera’s sumptuous vocals.
As for the original plot, don’t expect it to be “Cinderella” again. Orphan Ali arrives in Las Vegas and proves to the owner of a popular burlesque club that her feet are worthy not only crystal slippers, pasted with sequins and feathers, but also a big stage. It remains to be seen what kind of princes inhabit the club balls and what exactly this Cinderella will lose in her fabulous Las Vegas.
5. Black Swan (2010)
- Production: USA
- Genre: thriller, musical drama
- Starring: Natalie Portman, Winona Ryder, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel
- IMDb Rating: 8
The backstage life of the most graceful of the arts is fraught with harsh battles, hatreds, and survival rehearsals. “Black Swan” is a difficult film about the lust for fame and success that can lead to madness and more irreversible consequences. Psychological thriller tells the story of a beautiful ballerina, with such difficulty to get the lead role, that the fear of losing her develops into an obsession, and mystical visions plunge the girl into the abyss of nightmares. Darren Aronofsky’s picture has won the world’s most prestigious awards: Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA.
Talented ballerina Nina, through incredible efforts, gets the lead role in the production of Swan Lake. But harassment by the choreographer, the intrigues of competitors and pressure from her mother drive the girl to insanity. She no longer knows what is real and what is a nightmare hallucination. The heroine is able to achieve perfection in her business, but at what cost?
6. Step Up (2006)
- Production: USA
- Genre: drama
- Starring: Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan
- IMDb Rating: 6.5
This film started an entire film-dance saga: now the franchise already has five pictures. But the opening film is significantly different from the sequels: here the characters dance most of the time in a cozy art school hall, and the final performance is more like a personal exam than a large-scale dance battle. Other parts of the series go deeper into hip-hop and talk about dance teams and tournaments.
The main character is small-time hooligan Tyler. The guy is into street dancing and vandalism with his ghetto friends. One day another prank gets out of hand, and Tyler is sentenced to two hundred hours of community service at an art school. While sweeping the floor, the hero catches the eye of Nora, a high school student preparing for a big screening. Tyler can’t admit to himself and his buddies that Nora, with her classic moves and rosy dreams, evokes the hero’s sympathy. Soon the hero gets the chance to replace Nora’s dance partner, and now Tyler realizes he’s capable of more than petty hooliganism.
By the way, three years after the premiere of the film Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan (the actors who played the main roles) got married, so the love on the screen can be called real.
7. Let’s Dance (2019)
- Production: France, Belgium
- Genre: melodrama, musical drama
- Starring: Alexia Giordano, Rayane Bensetti
- IMDb rating: 5.9
Joseph, a young hip-hop fan, dreams of taking part in a prestigious dance competition. When he arrives in Paris, he meets an aspiring ballerina, Chloe, and combines the two styles of dance for a unique show. The inspiring youth drama about the trials of talent was directed by French theatrical director Ladislas Chollat, based on the 2010 British film Street Dancing. A spectacular cross-genre performance by Rayane Bensetti and Alexia Giordano, with César award winner Guillaume De Tonquedec (“Le prénom”) as a mentor for the youngsters.
Joseph, a hereditary dancer, did not follow in the footsteps of his late mother, an unclaimed ballerina, but chose the path of free dance – hip-hop. Together with his closest associates, his girlfriend Emma and childhood friend Karim, he goes to conquer Paris. The ambitious team decides to try their luck at the “Hip-Hop Stars” contest, but Emma’s betrayal and betrayal ruin their plans. Left heartbroken and penniless, Joseph accepts the help of his mother’s former lover, classical dance teacher Remy. Although Joseph used to avoid ballet, his acquaintance with the beautiful and talented ballerina Chloe forces him to reconsider his principles. Chloe inspires him to create a unique show where energetic hip-hop and graceful classical meet.
8. Honey (2003)
- Production: USA
- Genre: melodrama, drama
- Starring: Jessica Alba
- IMDb rating: 5.4
A touching film about a kindly aunt dancer trying to change the unhappy childhood of kids from the streets through dance. Some nice bonuses here are Jessica Alba, who does a pretty good job as a dancer, a storyline with the heroine working as a choreographer on the set of hip-hop stars’ music videos, cute ghetto kids who have yet to get their diplomas, but are already involved with drug dealers, and a cute basketball player who is in love with the main character.
