28 Best Dance Movies on Netflix to Stream Right Now
There is something extremely interesting in dance moves and all the stories that revolve around them. What drives the characters, what are their dreams, what do they want to do with their lives, and how talented they are? Those are only some of the questions and topics we love to see on the big screen and witness their development and outcome. Movies about dancing, movies that deal with dance as a segment of life, or simply movies where there is a lot of dancing involved. They have all found their place in this list of the best dance movies on Netflix.
Grease (1978)
Grease is one of the most famous musicals of all time, not directly connected to dancing, but definitely worth mentioning due to its memorable and unforgettable music and dancing sequencing which were undoubtedly some of the most influential in movie history.
John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John play Danny and Sandy, two complete opposites who fall in love during a summer fling and soon realize that they attend the same high school, with Sandy recently moving into town. What we follow is a heartwarming and entertaining set of typical boys and girls drama, accompanied by a brilliant soundtrack and excellent performances.
Work It (2020)
This is a comedy-drama about Quinn Ackerman who dreams of becoming a professional dancer. Her acceptance to the college of her dreams depends only on her performance at a dance competition. There is only one problem, but a huge one. Quinn doesn’t know how to dance.
She is determined to make her dreams come true so she gathers a group of misfits who will form a dance squad and help her beat the best dance crew in their school. With some help, she will hopefully learn to dance and maybe prove that some individuals can make it against all odds.
Feel the Beat (2020)
This family comedy-drama introduces us to April Dibrina who wants to make it as a dancer on Broadway but after a series of misfortunes in New York, she returns to her home in Wisconsin and becomes a member of a dance studio.
She is reluctantly hired to train a group of talented misfits and prepare them for a big competition. From a pretty rough start to getting to know her dancers and bonding with them, April will find happiness with something completely different than she expected.
You Got Served (2004)
Even though critically not really beloved or acclaimed, this dance movie has become a sort of a dance classic, with its story, soundtrack, and overall one of the first tales connected to the world of dance competitions.
It is a story about the competitive world of street dancing where various dance crews fight for money, respect, and fame. We follow Elgin and David, two best friends who lead one of the best dance groups in their area and are challenged by another town’s talented group to a street battle. Besides proving their brilliance, these two friends will have to deal with their differences and work together after a big fight.
Leap! (2016)
This beautiful French animated movie takes us to 1880 where we meet a poor orphan girl Felicie who wants to become a ballerina. She runs from her orphanage in rural Brittany and together with her best friend, young inventor Victor goes to Paris where they are soon separated.
Victor becomes an office boy in Gustave Eiffel’s workshop and Felicie gets herself into a few situations and gets rescued by a mysterious cleaner who works at the Paris Opera house and gives her a place to stay until she is back on her feet. A series of mishaps will lead Felicie to Paris Opera Ballet where she will have to prove her talent and her true identity.
Full Out (2015)
This movie is based on the true story of California gymnast Ariana Berlin whose dreams of getting to the Olympic games someday get shattered when she is involved in a car accident. She was able to forget about gymnastics being her professional career through learning to dance hip-hop.
But she is invited to return to gymnastics thanks to the world-famous UCLA coach Valerie Kondo. With her help, Ariana was able to make her dream come true, winning an NCAA Championship and proving that nothing is impossible when there is a strong will and enough courage and confidence.
Let’s Dance (2019)
This French comedy-drama and a remake of 2010 the British dance movie Street Dance follows the story of Joseph, a passionate hip-hop dancer who refuses to enter his father’s company and decides to try his luck in Paris.
Together with his girlfriend Emma and his best friend Karim, Joseph joins the Paris crew of Yuri, a famous break dancer who is determined to win an international hip-hop competition.
Honey: Rise Up & Dance (2018)
Skyler is a talented and ambitious street dancer who finds herself at a major crossroads in her life. She wants to compete for acceptance in the same dance crew her sister used to train since she wants to compete for a college scholarship.
But she is discouraged by her family and boyfriend who believe that she doesn’t have what it takes to win. In order to prove them wrong, Skyler begins to train in Atlanta’s underground scene and is noticed by Tyrell who helps her improve her dance and hip-hop battle skills and bring her on to the next level.
Battle (2018)
Amalie wants to become part of a world where looks, money, and dancing skills are all that matter but when her father goes bankrupt, her life falls apart completely. She is trying to hide everything from her friends at school but will soon have to deal with their jealousy and misunderstanding.
When she meets a street dancer named Michael, she will become torn between his new life with him and these old friends and entangled in her continuous web of lies. But the question is how long she will be able to keep everything a secret and whether will she be able to stay true to herself.
High Strung Free Dance (2018)
This musical romance concentrates on the story of a young choreographer who casts a stunning contemporary dancer Barlow and a gifted pianist Charlie in New York’s most anticipated new Broadway show. Zander Raines is a talented choreographer whose offer is a wish to come true for these two young people.
But things won’t go as planned since Charlie falls for Barlow and Zander sees her as his new muse soon the tensions between these two artists will escalate and the main question will be how much are all of them willing to risk for love.
Dance Academy: The Movie (2017)
This Australian drama follows the story happening in the popular tv series of the same name and it begins where we left its characters in 2013. It’s been a year and a half since Tara broke her back auditioning for the National Ballet Company and she is still coping with this failure.
She is trying to embrace her life as a university student but her dream of becoming a professional dancer is still as strong as always.
Rize (2005)
This David LaChapelle documentary brings us closer to a dance phenomenon that is becoming popular in the Los Angeles streets. It shows what this artistic expression deriving from oppression looks like. It is an aggressive and visually stunning dance that modernizes the indigenous African tribal rituals, accompanied by extremely fast athletic movement.
This style was created by Tommy Johnson (Tommy the Clown) as an answer to the 1992 Rodney King riots. It was named Clowning and later it became popular as Krumping. This type of dance is the complete opposite of the flashy hip-hop culture, with its authenticity and boldness.
Yeh Ballet (2020)
This is a well-acclaimed Indian movie, a musical drama, and a fictionalized version of a short documentary of the same name. It stars two Indian newcomers, Manish Chauhan and Achintya Bose in leading roles and it also features Julian Sands and Jim Sarbh, among others.
It is the story of two extremely gifted but poor Mumbai teenagers who are discovered by an eccentric ballet master. Their biggest dream is to pursue their dancing dreams but in order to do that, they will have to face bigotry, misunderstanding, and disapproval.
Girl (2018)
This drama comes from The Netherlands and Belgium and it centers on the determined 15-year-old Lara whose biggest dream is to become a professional ballerina. She is lucky to have her father’s full support so wants to prove to everyone that she can be the best.
But there is an issue that will make her life more complicated than it should be. After enrolling at the prestigious ballet school, Lara will realize that her body doesn’t react to the strict ballet discipline as it should, and all because of the fact that she was born a boy.
Driven To Dance (2018)
Paige is a young girl who dreams of becoming a professional dancer and while preparing for her audition for a renowned ballet company, she will have to convince not only her mother but also herself that she has what it takes to be accepted and make it in the world of dance.
Step Up (2006)
One of the most famous and beloved dance movies of the past two decades is this modern fairytale about two completely different individuals who fall in love against all odds. Tyler Gage is a Baltimore street dancer who lives with his foster parents in a poor neighborhood.
Nora Clark is a privileged and gifted ballet dancer who notices Tyler dancing in the parking lot of her school, the Maryland School of Arts where he has to do his community service after being caught destroying its stage. Due to certain circumstances, they end up dancing together and soon become more than just dance partners.
Magic Mike XXL (2015)
This sequel to the extremely popular Magic Mike movie takes place three years after Mike transitioned from being a stripper to having his own furniture business. His ex-dance troop, the Kings of Tampa are passing through his town while driving to a stripper convention in Myrtle Beach.
Mike decides to join them and take this road trip to catch up on good times but ends up with Mike’s apologies to his friends and pleas for help. But not all of them will be completely satisfied with Mike’s way of life now and there will be numerous tension between them while driving to the convention.
I’m No Longer Here (2019)
This interesting and brilliant Mexican drama takes us to the mountains of Monterrey where a group of friends, and a small street gang named Los Terkos spend their days attending parties, dancing, and showing their outfits and gang alliances.
But there is so much more here than enjoying music and dancing. It is a story of quickly evolving drug wars and the destinies these young people are forced to have. Ulises Samperio is in its center, a young man who is forced to leave his hometown and migrate to New York but when he learns that his whole gang is under threat there, he begins to question his decision and yearns to return home.
Into the Beat (2020)
His cute and heartwarming German romantic music-drama resembles a very successful American dance movie Save the Last Dance, with its story and overall atmosphere. It is about Katya Orlow, a gifted ballerina who discovers hip-hop by chance.
After falling in love with this completely different dance style, Katya is slowly beginning to dwell on her lifelong dream and will soon have to face an extremely difficult decision. She needs to decide whether to pursue her family’s legacy and wishes or continue with her newfound love.
Step Sisters (2018)
Jamilah is a girl who has it all and is certain her future is bright for her and all according to her plans. She is the president of her sorority and captain of her dance crew, and she is convinced she is going to Harvard.
But when the girls from Sigma Beta Beta embarrass the school, Jamilah is the one who is asked to come to the rescue and given a task to make them win a step dance competition. There will be a lot of mishaps and misfortunes on their way to the top, but the girls will also learn the importance of sisterhood and having each other’s backs.
Break (2018)
In this dance-drama, we meet Lucie, a young dancer who has been in a terrible accident and is now recovering after waking up from a coma. Determined to continue with her dance career, Lucie begins to train for a dance show with her dance partner.
This is not only a dance movie but also a family drama about a girl who is looking for her estranged father and seeking answers. On this path of revelation and self-recognition, Lucie will learn a lot about herself and experience a life-changing love.
Step Up: Revolution (2012)
The fourth sequel of this extremely successful and beloved dance saga takes place in Miami where we meet Emily who has just arrived with her aspirations to become a professional dancer. Soon she falls in love with Sean, a young man and the leader of a dance crew who performs interesting flash mobs, called The Mob.
When The Mob’s historic neighborhood is threatened to be destroyed by a rich businessman, Emily and Sean will decide to turn their performance art into protest art and leave all their dreams behind to fight for a greater cause.
Cuties (2020)
Even though this movie hasn’t been accepted with open arms, possibly due to its controversial topic, it is still worth mentioning, especially as an eye-opener. It is the story of Amy, an 11-year-old girl who joins a group of dancers at school named the cuties.
She soon begins to change her looks and behavior and her whole lifestyle, only to adapt to the girls’ attitude and life views, and together with all these changes, she also begins to be aware of her own femininity and attractiveness, which will upset her mother immensely.
Pop, Lock n’ Roll (2017)
This interesting music-drama centers around Raps, a talented street-style hip-hop dancer from a poor neighborhood who is convinced that money brings you happiness and fame. With a little touch of fate, he becomes a successful professional entertainer but his life will completely change after he meets and falls in love with a beautiful woman.
She is the Brazilian wife of a former gangster who made it as a producer and is responsible for his career. Raps will have to decide if he is ready to risk his career and life in order to find true happiness.
Burlesque (2010)
Christina Aguilera plays Ali, a small-town girl from Iowa who is hired as a waitress at the Burlesque Lounge, run by Tess, a retired dancer, and its owner. Tess is trying to do everything to keep her little theatre alive and Ali soon falls in love with burlesque itself.
Ali has always dreamed of singing, acting, and dancing in public and with the support of her newfound friends and colleagues, she will be able to get on stage herself. But things would be too perfect if they remained as they are and when Ali becomes the main attraction at the Lounge, her past will very soon begin to catch up on her.
Faith, Hope & Love (2019)
This is a lovely and heartwarming story about two lonely people who find love and happiness when they least expected it. Jimmy Hope is struggling with sadness and grief after the death of his wife and Faith Turley is a recently divorced woman who is dealing with her new life situation and facing the fact that her dance studio is in jeopardy of being shut down.
To raise funds to save it, she enters a “Pro and a Schmo” dance competition but needs a non-professional dancer as her partner. Jimmy’s younger daughter’s wishes about his father finding a new love in his life might soon be fulfilled when Jimmy becomes Faith’s dance partner.
Flashdance (1983)
This is one of the most famous and popular dance movies of all time, with an interesting story and an unusual heroine, followed by one of the most beloved soundtracks and full of excellent choreographies and dance moves.
It is the story of Alex Owens, a young woman from Pittsburgh, a welder during the day and an exotic dancer at night. She wants to become a professional ballet dancer and get into ballet school. She is struggling with her work and training hard to get accepted, having to deal with constant refusals with explanations that she is simply not good enough.
La La Land (2016)
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone excelled in this beautiful musical by Damien Chazelle, a movie about dreams and hope that there is still beauty and art in this world. Stone is Mia, an aspiring actress who works in a bar and serves coffee to movie stars in between her own auditions.
Gosling is Sebastian, a jazz pianist who is making ends meet by playing in a run-down bar. After their fatal encounter, they fall in love but are soon faced with the strength of their dreams they worked so hard for, which might become a big issue in their relationship.
