Best Dance Movies Of The Past Four Decades

With Friday's release of the Julianne Hough-starring "Footloose," we take a look back at one of our favorite genres cinema ever spawned: the dance movie. After all, what would today's dance floor be without countless recreations of that "Dirty Dancing" leap or a painfully awkward attempt at John Travolta's stylish finger pointing?

Below, a slideshow of the best 14 dance moves -- ahem, movies -- ever committed to the big screen, from "Footloose" to "Black Swan."

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Comments

[LaraP]

12:44 PM on 12/01/2011

Agree with most of these choices, but where is 'Singin' in the Rain'? Or any other Gene Kelly movie, for that matter?! Also would add: Center Stage, The Turning Point and definitely All that Jazz (my absolute favorite dance movie ever). I'm definitely a fan of the 'fun' dance movies (Dirty Dancing, Footloose) but I really love the classics. The Turning Point is an awesome, over-the-top (almost campy) drama - and it's how I first fell in love with Mikhail Baryshnikov!

Interesting that Gene Kelly is leading this list of the best dance movies ever made:

http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-dance-movies-ever-made

[newgirl]

02:46 PM on 10/18/2011

You missed "All That Jazz".

[stroise]

02:17 PM on 10/18/2011

Natalie Portman is gorgeous!! Who cares if she's either a good actor or a bad one!!

[Kire]

03:08 AM on 10/18/2011

They forgot "Mad Hot Ballroom", an amazing 2005 documentary about New York City elementary school students in a Ballroom Dancing competition.

[Natasha Mayers]

01:30 AM on 10/18/2011

what happened to Center Stage??

[MightyMeno]

12:43 PM on 10/15/2011

How about Christopher Walken's awesome bar top dance in "Pennies From Heaven?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54iR0xFkEfQ
Sexy beast!

[revko]

07:52 PM on 10/14/2011

Dances With Wolves?

[Lisa Guerrero]

02:39 PM on 10/14/2011

Sorry but you missed one of the greats: The Turning Point. Anne Bancroft Shirley MacLaine Knockdown Dragout Catfight= AWESOME!

[anugs]

12:59 PM on 10/14/2011

Anything that Gene Kelly did.

[MightyMeno]

12:46 PM on 10/15/2011

Gene was a hunka hunka dancin' love, for sure! But he missed the "last four decades" deadline; his era being the 1950s. I wrote him a gushing fan letter once; he actually replied, with an autographed photo. *sigh*

[milomilano]

12:25 PM on 10/14/2011

Billy Elliot, truly the best!