Jazzmatazz Dance Films

We love watching dance almost as much as we love dancing! Here is a list of some great dance movies and some movies with some great dancing. Remember though... when you watch a dance movie, you are watching it for the dancing, not the acting or the cheesy plot lines!

Take The Lead (2006)

Antonio Bandaras · Inner-city students find a new purpose in their lives when they are introduced to the world of ballroom dancing.

Innocent Steps (Korean release) (2005)

· Synopsis to come.

Mad Hot Ballroom (2005)

Documentary · Fifth grade students in inner-city New York participate in ballroom dance classes culminating in a final city-wide competition.

Shall We Dance (US Version) (2005)

Richard Gere/Susan Sarandin/Jennifer Lopez · A middle-aged businessman decides to take ballroom dance lessons to spice up his dreary existence... unbeknownst to his wife and daughter.

Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004)

Romola Garai/Diego Luna · An American girl in Cuba gets swept into the world of Salsa dancing, and the political turmoil of Cuba in the 1950's.

Mad About Mambo (2000)

Keri Russell/William Ash · A poor Catholic soccer player in Ireland takes dance lessons to improve his game and becomes smitten with his rich Protestant dance partner.

Dance with Me (1998)

Vanessa Williams/Chayanne · A young Latino comes to America in search of his father and starts a new life working at his father's dance studio.

Shall We Dance (Japanese Version) (1996)

Koji Yakusho/Tamiyo Kusakari · A middle-aged businessman decides to take ballroom dance lessons to spice up his dreary existence... unbeknownst to his wife and daughter (Japanese with English subtitles).

Swing Kids (1993)

Christian Bale/Robert Sean Leonard/Frank Whaley · A group of young Germans in the late Thirties rebel against the Nazi regime by listening to American Jazz music and dancing in underground Swing Clubs.

Strictly Ballroom (1993)

Paul Mercurio/Tara Morice · A young Australian ballroom dancer bucks the system with his own unique style of dance and his Ugly Duckling partner.

Salsa! (1988)

Robby Rosa · A young Latin-American dancer lives for Salsa and and strives to be the King of the dance floor at his local club.

Dirty Dancing (1987)

Patrick Swayze/Jennifer Grey · The All-American girl falls in loves with the Bad-Boy dance instructor at her family's vacation camp.

Footloose (1984)

Kevin Bacon · A boy who loves to dance tries to change the rules when his family moves to a town where dancing is forbidden.

Flashdance (1983)

Jennifer Beals · Welder by day, exotic dancer by night -- a young woman dreams of making the cut for the Ballet.

Saturday Night Fever (1977)

John Travolta · A young Italian leaves the troubles of his family, job, and friends behind as he takes to the floor to win the dance competition at his local disco club.

The Barkleys of Broadway (1949)

Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers · The wife of a career-driven hoofer longs to find herself in the glamour of the stage instead of the glow of the limelight.

Shall We Dance (1937)

Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers · A ballet star and musical revue sensation decide to wed and publicly divorce to quash persistent rumours of a secret affair.

Swingtime (1936)

Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers · A young soft-shoe uses his talents to earn money for his wedding but instead falls in love with his "instructor"

Follow the Fleet (1936)

Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers · A hoofer-turned sailor crosses paths with his ex-partner at a dime-a-dance ballroom and they renew their partnership for one last show.

Top Hat (1935)

Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers · A young couple falls in love on the dance floor, until she gets the wrong idea that her new partner is a married playboy.

Step Up (2006); Channing Tatum · A classically-trained ballet dancer takes on a street-wise hunk as her replacement partner.; You Got Served (2004); Dmari Grandberry/Jarell Houston/Steve Harvey · Synopsis to come.
: Honey (2003); Jessica Alba/Mekhi Phifer · An aspiring hip hop dancer makes it big and tries to persuade the local urban youth to focus their energy on dancing instead of gang life and crime.; Save the Last Dance (2001); Julia Styles/Sean Patrick Thomas · A blonde teen, straight from the suburbs, tries to fit in to the Hip-Hop culture of her new racially-diverse, inner-city school.; Billy Elliott (2000); Jamie Bell/Julie Walters · The son of a poor, widowed miner in England dreams of being a ballet dancer, against the wishes of his tough-guy father and brother.; Center Stage (2000); Zoe Saldana/Susan May Pratt/Peter Gallagher · A group of dancers struggle to survive the pressures of joining the American Ballet Company.

Chicago (2003); Renee Zellweger/Catherine Zeta-Jones/Richard Gere · A girl who dreams of being a show-girl kills her lover and manipulates the system, her jailmates, and her lawyer in order to get out of jail. Features Vegas-style dance numbers.; Moulin Rouge (2002); Nicole Kidman/Ewan McGregor · A young writer falls in love with a show-girl/courtesan who is promised to the patron of the showhouse. Features Vegas-style dance numbers and a Tango.

Urban Cowboy (1980)

John Travolta · A hayseed from the country moves into the big city and finds love, jealousy, and pain and the local country bar. Features country dancing (and a plotline that could pass for a bad country song).

Grease (1978)

John Travolta/Olivia Newton-John · As school starts, an innocent new student finds out that her summer love is the Bad-Boy of the school. Features show-style and Jive sequences.

Burn the Floor (2000) · Vegas-style sequences featuring Latin & ballroom dance with a popular spin.
: Spirit (1999) · Traditional Native-American dancing pumped-up in Riverdance fashion.
: Stomp (1998) · Rhythm and music using bodies and everyday items instead of instruments.
: Lord of the Dance (1997) · Pumped-up Irish step dancing.
: Tap Dogs (1997) · New-age tap dancing.
: Riverdance (1996) · Pumped-up Irish step dancing.

To find any of these videos on VHS or DVD, visit Amazon or Indigo and type the name of the video in the Search box. Both services have free shipping over $39 so pick a few.

Last modified: 30/03/2008

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