Top 10 Epic Ballet Scenes in Movies
#10: “The World Spins” “The Company” (2003)
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This drama with romantic elements from Robert Altman loosely follows a group of performers at the Joffrey Ballet, a top dance company based in Chicago. Although co-producer Neve Campbell stars alongside James Franco, the true scene-stealer is the real member of the Joffrey Ballet who performs this gorgeous aerial routine. Set to a plaintive and sparse dream pop tune by Julee Cruise, the piece is a showcase of pure technique, with the ballerina executing dizzying spins and light-as-a-feather cartwheels. Some criticized this film for its lack of narrative focus, but performances like this one make it a must-see for dance lovers.
#9: Senior Showcase “Step Up” (2006)
Channing Tatum stars in this romantic dance drama film as Tyler Gage, a youth sentenced to community service for vandalizing an Arts school. When an ambitious young dancer finds herself without a partner for the Senior showcase, Tyler eventually steps up to help. The culmination is this iconic blend of hip-hop and ballet styles. As the fate of Jenna Dewan’s Nora hangs in the balance, the pair puts on an acclaimed performance featuring a mash-up of elegant jumps, breakdancing, and some seriously impressive lifts. This show-stopping finale marks the troubled pair’s reconciliation and reveals Tyler’s untapped potential as a professional dancer. Although the film wasn’t popular with critics, its classic premise and modern choreography have made it an enduring hit.
#8: Pirouette Practice “Billy Elliott” (2000)
This British dance drama combines the best aspects of a classic coming-of-age tale with the social and political context of the coal miners’ strike of the mid-1980s. Billy Elliott is a young boy from a working-class English family who discovers a passion for ballet, despite his father’s objections. Although it doesn’t feature any amazing dancing, this scene wins points for its emotional poignancy as Billy struggles to nail a spin while holed up in his family bathroom. When he follows the advice of his teacher Sandra Wilkinson and manages to execute a pirouette without falling over, it marks one of the film’s emotional highs. This montage captures all the frustration of working towards your dreams and all the joy of achieving them bit by bit.
#7: The Duet “White Nights” (1985)
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Mikhail Baryshnikov stars in this Cold War drama as a Soviet defector and ballet professional who is stranded in his birth country after a plane crash. When the KGB assigns an American ex-pat and tap dancer - played by Gregory Hines - to watch him, the two begin to use dance as a means to vent their anxieties and subvert Soviet surveillance. Despite a tense beginning, the men gradually come to trust each other over the course of the film, and this routine captures both their rivalry and the fruitfulness of their collaboration. With distinct artistic styles coming together and a soundtrack that’s as ‘80s as can be, this scene showcases two real-life dance legends and movie stars in their prime.
#6: Prologue “West Side Story” (1961)
Like its source material, the Broadway show of the same name, this musical romantic drama transplants Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” into 1950s New York City. Its opening number introduces us to the tensions between rival gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, on the streets of the Upper West Side. Before long, an oddly beautiful brawl has erupted over the entire neighborhood, with impressive jumps, kicks, and pirouettes galore. With barely any dialogue, this sequence quickly introduces the film’s central conceit. But storyline aside, the sheer athleticism of the many male dancers and the tight yet rough-and-tumble choreography make this number nothing short of epic.
#5: “Girl Hunt Ballet” “The Band Wagon” (1953)
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Fred Astaire is Tony Hunter, a middle-aged theater and film star trying to recover from a career slump, in this MGM musical comedy. But a comeback proves easier said than done as he’s roped into a song-and-dance production he doesn’t feel sure about, and his insecurities quickly come to the fore. Thankfully, the show turns out as grand as it is kooky, with the musical-within-a-musical riffing on pulpy crime novels and Tony’s costar Gabrielle pulling double duty as a damsel in distress and femme fatale. From the hard-boiled voiceovers to the intriguing narrative arc spanning 12 minutes, this scene combines incredible choreography with a wry sense of humor and deserves its enduring reputation in pop culture.
#4: Cooper’s Ballet “Center Stage” (2000)
This teen drama finds a cast of eager dancers brought together amidst a tussle for creative control at a New York City ballet academy. The differing visions of director Jonathan and upstart Cooper culminate in this climactic performance that is thoroughly untraditional - and all the better for it. When Cooper drives in on a motorcycle and rips off his one-time lover Jody’s tutu, all bets are off. Stars Ethan Stiefel and Amanda Schull show off their professional chops while infusing the piece with some serious sexual chemistry. However, the highlight of the ballet is in the final scene, as Jody burns up the stage in a red costume to match. Her fierce empowerment gives us a triumphant performance that would have any audience on its feet.
#3: The Full Transformation “Black Swan” (2010)
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Life gruesomely imitates art in this dance-heavy psychological horror film from Darren Aronofsky. Natalie Portman stars as Nina Sayers, a ballerina who begins losing her grip on reality as she struggles to capture the dual nature of the lead in “Swan Lake.” After a violent confrontation with her doppelganger - or was it her rival Lily? - in her dressing room, Nina finally embodies the Black Swan. With glowing red eyes and her skin bursting with feathers, she takes to the stage and sprouts huge wings as she completes her final fouetté. Natalie Portman spent six months preparing for the role, and if this frightening yet majestic scene is any indication, it was worth it.
#2: “An American in Paris Ballet” “An American in Paris” (1951)
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This beloved musical comedy centers around Jerry, an American veteran navigating romance and a burgeoning painting career in postwar Paris. Choreographer extraordinaire Gene Kelly was behind the film’s numerous dance sequences, and none is more impressive than the 17-minute finale. As Jerry’s true love Lise drives away with her fiancé, his dreams of a perfect day and night spent in the French capital come to life in a lively number combining ballet and tap. With a huge cast of performers representing a variety of Parisian characters, and setpieces drawing from famous French paintings, this sequence stands out as one of the most ambitious of its kind. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Juilliard Audition, “Save the Last Dance” (2001) Julia Stiles’s Sara Mixes Classical And Hip-Hop In This Iconic Early Aughts Movie Moment “Don Quixote” Performance, “Mao’s Last Dancer” (2009) Li Cunxin Gets A Career Break As A Last-Minute Substitute In This Australian Biopic “Dancing in the Dark,” “The Band Wagon” (1953) Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse Embody Romance With A Classic Musical Accompaniment Studio Routine, “The Turning Point” (1977) An Intimate Duet Marking Mikhail Baryshnikov’s Big-Screen Debut Dance Battle, “Leap!” (2016)* A Brutal Competition Between Two Rival Ballerinas From The Animated Musical Comedy
#1: “The Ballet of the Red Shoes” “The Red Shoes” (1948)
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This mid-century psychological drama features one of the most beautiful dances ever put to film. Victoria Page is a ballerina caught between impresario Lermontov and her love for composer Julian. Their collaboration on an adaptation of the fairy tale about enchanted shoes gives rise to this spectacle. Rather than giving us an audience’s view of the production, visual effects transport us through numerous striking vignettes filmed in Technicolor. The performance blurs the line between reality and hallucination as Victoria imagines both Lermontov and Julian in the place of her actual dance partner. If that weren’t enough, its story of a girl who can’t stop dancing ominously foreshadows Victoria’s demise. From concepts to costumes to choreography, this legendary sequence truly has it all.
