Let us see your one, two step because today is International Dance Day!
That’s right, it’s time to celebrate all of the jazz, ballet, contemporary, tap, hip-hop and ballroom performances that you’ve seen over the years so, in honor of the holiday, we’ve rounded up the best dance movies of all time.
Whether you are a fan of the classics, like Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds‘ iconic Singin’ in the Rain, or some modern flicks like Magic Mike and High School Musical, there are plenty of films that will make you want to put on your dancing shoes.
We still can’t get over Patrick Swayze‘s dance lift from Dirty Dancing or the final Paso Doble in Strictly Ballroom, and thankfully we have all the time while social distancing to catch those moments again.
So, take a look at our list below and feel free to make your at-home workout today some freestyle dancing around your living room.
Here are our top picks and where to watch them.
Entertainment Pictures/ZUMAPRESS.com
Happy Feet
This adorable 2006 film featuring animated penguins tap danced into our hearts and is a perfect family-friendly watch.
Where to Rent: Amazon, Vudu
Moviestore Collection/Shutterstock
Honey
Get your groove on with Jessica Alba, who plays a hip-hop choreographer in this film all about being true to your heart instead of chasing fame and fortune.
Where to Rent: Amazon, Vudu
Screen Gems
Burlesque
Celebrate the burslesque art form with Christina Aguilera, Cher, Kristen Bell and more in this 2010 musical.
Where to Stream: Netflix, Starz
Fox Searchlight/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock
Black Swan
Usually dancing is a great time, but in Black Swan we see how much the obsession with becoming the best Swan Queen she can be consumes Natalie Portman‘s character.
Where to Stream: Cinemax
Courtesy Warner Brothers
Magic Mike
Killer dance moves? Shirtless hotties? Six-pack abs? Yeah, we’re definitely recommending this dance movie to celebrate the holiday!
Where to Stream: Amazon Prime
Disney Channel/Fred Hayes
High School Musical
Bring out the nostalgia for your inner kid today by dancing and singing along to this Disney classic.
Where to Stream: Disney+
Moviestore/Shutterstock
Dirty Dancing
The iconic 1987 coming-of-age story set at a family resort in the Catskills turned Jennifer Grey into a star and Patrick Swayze into a heartthrob.
Where to Rent: Amazon, Vudu
Mondadori via Getty Images
Singin’ in the Rain
Universally hailed as an American movie masterpiece, Singin’ showcased Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds‘ great talent at its zenith.
Where to Rent: Amazon, Vudu
Touchstone Pictures/Entertainment Pictures/ZUMAPRESS.com
Step Up
Don’t hate. Despite being fairly standard dance-movie fare, there’s a reason that this picture turned Channing Tatum into a major movie star, not to mention generated four sequels to date.
Where to Stream: Hulu, Showtime
Columbia Pictures Corporation/Entertainment Pictures/ZUMAPRESS.com
Center Stage
Real-life big-deal ballet dancer Ethan Stiefel co-stars with ballerina-actress Amanda Schull in this cult classic from 2000 that’s remembered as one of the few ballet movies with both great dancing and a watchable story. Future Avatar and Star Trek babe Zoe Saldana costars as a talented dance student.
Where to Stream: Netflix, Pluto TV
Moviestore/Shutterstock
Flashdance
Not as much a dance movie as a blue-collar-girl-makes-good movie, the soundtrack remains a classic, and Jennifer Beals working out in a cut-up sweatshirt and legwarmers is an icon of 1980s film.
Where to Rent: Amazon, Vudu
Tiger Aspect Pics/Kobal/Shutterstock
Billy Elliot
This 2000 film starring Jamie Bell as a working-class kid from northeast England’s hardscrabble County Durham helped make dance genuinely cool for boys.
Where to Stream: Showtime
AP Photo
Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers Films
Fred and Ginger made 10 movies together, including classics like Swing Time, Top Hat and The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle, and if there’s been a more delightful dancing couple in American film history, we haven’t met them yet.
Adventure Pix/Kobal/Shutterstock
The Tango Lesson
This 1997 documents filmmaker Sally Potter‘s real-life obsession with mastering the Argentine tango. Filled with smoky rooms and smouldering gazes, this is a must-see if you love black-and-white movies, cello music, dance or any combination thereof.
Where to Rent: Vudu
Sam Emerson/Screen Gems Inc/Kobal/Shutterstock
You Got Served
This expertly choreographed 2004 film about L.A. dance crews stars hip-hop performer Omarion and other members of the group B2K, and features guest appearances by Wade Robson and Lil’ Kim.
Where to Rent: Amazon, Vudu
Snap/Shutterstock
Newsies
Christian Bale dancing…what more do you need to know?
Where to Stream: Disney+
Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock
Footloose
Kevin Bacon defeats John Lithgow‘s hyperconservative Rev. Moore when his happy feet bring freedom of expression to the sticks. If you love the storyline, have no fear because there is also a reboot that stars DWTS pro Julianne Hough.
Where to Rent: Amazon, Vudu
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Saturday Night Fever
John Travolta embodied the 1970s disco craze with his white suit and smooth moves as Brooklyn ne’er-do-well Tony Manero.
Where to Stream: Starz
Alffeo Dixon/Screen Gems/Kobal/Shutterstock
Stomp the Yard
Columbus Short, who once worked as Britney Spears‘ backup dancer and has been building a great career as a character actor in films, stars in this smart little 2007 movie about hypercompetitive step-dancing crews at a historically black college in the South.
Where to Rent: Amazon, Vudu
ITV/Shutterstock
Strictly Ballroom
This heartwarming Australia-set picture is the little-remembered first film in Baz Luhrmann‘s acclaimed “red curtain triology” (along with Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge).
Strictly Ballroom is about a shy dance student (Tara Morice) who inspires a dance champion (Paul Mercurio) to disregard the uptight strictures of the competitive ballroom dance world and perform his own steps. We dare you not to cry at their final paso doble.
Where to Stream: Netflix
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