Black Swan

Darren Aronofsky’s psychological thriller was one of the most celebrated films of 2010, earning five Oscar nominations including Best Picture. Natalie Portman won Best Actress for her portrayal of Nina, a perfectionist ballerina who slowly loses her sanity when her role as the Black Swan in “Swan Lake” becomes a reality. Though Portman’s body-double claimed to do most of the dancing, Portman not only endured vigorous training with choreographer (and fiancé) Benjamin Millepied, but also lost 20 pounds for the role.

Center Stage

The 2000 film follows a group of students attending the American Ballet Academy in New York as they struggle to make it into the competitive and grueling world of dance. The melodramatic movie — which threw around love triangles and eating disorders — did include superb dancing thanks to the four professional dancers, as well as a figure skater and ballet-trained Zoe Saldana, included in the cast.

Dirty Dancing

The red-hot chemistry between aspiring dancer Baby (Jennifer Grey) and her hunky instructor Johnny (Patrick Swayze) made this iconic '80s flick a sensational dance movie and a classic romance. Not only was the film a box office success, but the soundtrack also became popular with the unforgettable tune “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” winning the Academy Award for best song. The epic ending dance routine is widely regarded as one of the most famous dance scenes of all time.

In this classic '80s flick, Jennifer Beals plays Alex Owens, a steel mill worker by day and stripper by night who aspires to one day become a professional dancer. The film spawned memorably cheesy lines such as "Take your passion…and make it happen," and the even more memorable “What a Feeling" dance routine.

Footloose

Before the 2011 remake, Kevin Bacon starred in the original '80s movie as a city kid starting trouble in a small town that outlawed dancing. Bacon really lets loose in one legendary dance scene, which required five body doubles for his character to leap and flip in an abandoned warehouse.

Honey

Jessica Alba stars in this hip-hop flick, which follows bartender/dance instructor Honey as she follows her dream to becoming a backup dancer, only to realize that she really just wants to teach kids how to dance. The film includes cameos from Missy Elliott and Jay-Z.

This lesser-known '90s film follows a Beverly Hills school teacher who moonlights as a dance instructor in East L.A., but his job and reputation are threatened when a love-struck student exposes his double life.

Saturday Night Fever

In this 1977 classic, John Travolta grooves on the dance floor to Bee Gees hits including “Stayin’ Alive.” The popularity of the film and its soundtrack marked the rise and fall of '70s culture.

Save the Last Dance

Before the Step Up franchise exploded, this film combined classical dancing and street dancing and started the trend of dance flicks in the 2000s. Julia Stiles stars as an aspiring ballerina who moves to the other side of town where she discovers the world of hip-hop.

Singin’ in the Rain

Heralded as one of the greatest musicals of all time, this timeless classic stars Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor. The actors give unforgettable performances full of catchy tunes and skillful dancing.

Step Up

Channing Tatum met his wife Jenna Dewan working on this dance flick, which follows two students at a prestigious performing arts school who come from different worlds. Tatum’s breakout role showcased his impressive dance skills (which turned out to be useful during his stripper days, and later, in Magic Mike). The movie earned a large fan base that brought about several sequels.

Stomp the Yard

A Los Angeles street dancer pursues a better life by attending a university where he attracts the attention of two competing fraternities. Although it has similar plots to other hip-hop movies, it was the first one to really feature stepping. The movie also includes Ne-Yo and Chris Brown in their first film roles.

You Got Served

Omarion and Marques Houston star as leaders of a dance crew competing in a local dance contest. Comedian Steve Harvey and hip-hop artist Lil’ Kim also appear in the film. This was the first feature film for choreographer Dave Scott, who later choreographed Stomp the Yard, Dance Flick and Step Up 2: The Streets.

The Red Shoes

In this film, a young ballerina must choose between her career and the love of her life. This beautiful ballet tragedy set the stage for dance classics like Singin’ in the Rain and An American in Paris. The stars of the film were real ballet dancers, and the film also featured 53 dancers from the Royal Ballet Company in a 15-minute dance sequence.

Desert Dancer