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You don't have to had grown up at the barre to love and appreciate films in which dance takes — for lack of a more on-the-nose expression — center stage. The need to dance is innate in every human being, and it cannot be denied (proof: Footloose). Movement and the self-expression it unleashes can be a great uniter, as seen in movies like Dirty Dancing, where it bridges socioeconomic and cultural divides.
It's always a perfect time to jazz-hand our way through a great dance movie, especially now that we have some new material to bop along to: namely, new Netflix original Work It. The film, starring singer and Girl Meets World actress Sabrina Carpenter and To All The Boys I've Loved Before 2 star Jordan Fisher, tells the story of a group of non-dancers who need to learn how to dance become dancers so that Carpenter's character, Quinn, can pad her college application.
With that said, here's a list of films when you feel like watching people dance on TikTok won't cut it. A lot of movies have random choreographed numbers thrown into them (looking at you, Slumdog Millionaire) but in the movies we chose, dance has to be a driving force in moving the story forward. Allow us to present some of the best dance movies of all time — and where to watch them from the comfort of your own home. We know you want to perfect the lift from Dirty Dancing in private.
And a 5, 6, 7, 8...
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