Dance movies have the power to make us move. As a parent, you may remember when you used to (or perhaps still do!) stand in front of the television watching your favourite dance flick while trying to mimic every twirl or spin. These movies make us believe we are dancers; they make us love dancing (whether or not we have rhythm)and entertain the idea of jumping into competitive dance training. And now we sit back and peek in on our kids doing the same thing—practicing dance moves from some of today’s hit dance movies.
There are so many popular dance movies that trying to settle on a few became nearly impossible. But we thought we’d give it a shot anyway. This list represents our top five most memorable dance movies:
- Stomp the Yard: This is a modern day dance classic featuring street dancing. Apart from the actual storyline, the dance moves in Stomp the Yard are really fun to watch. These moves of course play off of the long-running off-Broadway hit “Stomp”.
- Fame:Fame is one of the most memorable dance movies of all time. The plotlineperfectly captures New York City during a rough era in the 1980s. The movie is also popular because it follows high school students as opposed to many other classic dance flicks that focuson adults. Not to mention the soundtrack for the movie is just as classic.
- Black Swan: This is a bit of a curveball—Black Swan isn’t just a dance movie, it’s been rated on IMDB as one of the best movies of this generation. Featuring ballet, the dancing is much more technical and controlled, but that doesn’t take away from the beauty of it all.
- Billy Elliot:Billy Elliot is an inspirational story that deals with the negative stereotypes surrounding male ballet dancers. The dance scenes are so celebrated that this movie has gone on to become an award-winning musical.
- Dirty Dancing: Regardless of the era, country, or genre—Dirty Dancing has to be the number one dance movie of all time. It’s provocative, inspirational, and boasts some of the most classic dance scenes ever displayed on the big screen.
Honourable Mentions
Movies like Flashdance, Grease, Save the Last Dance, and Strictly Ballroom could just as easily have made our list. These movies show the wide scope of dance and how dance imitates culture through genres like hip hop, ballet, and tap.
Performing Dance Arts is happy to offer dance lessons for both casual and competitive dancers. We are proud to have some of the most experienced dance instructors in the country. Visit our website to learn more about all that we offer at Performing Dance Arts.
