The Best Dance Movies Ever

If you want to see a movie with exceptional dance skill, then you can't go past Center Stage. Following the lives of a bunch of students at New York's American Ballet Academy, it is the quintessential dancer's dance movie. The acting is not fabulous, but that's because most of the cast weren't hired for their ability to remember lines - it's their ability to do a quadruple pirouette en seconde that got them the job. Ethan Stiefel, in the role of nasty company principal Cooper Nielsen, is by far the stand out performer. The man can do eight pirouettes in a row without blinking!

Jessica Alba might not be known for her acting skill, but the girl can definitely move. When bartender and aspiring choreographer Honey Daniels is discovered by a big time music producer, she thinks all of her dreams have come true. But, as in all morality tales, success comes with a price. There's plenty of hip hop fun to be had as Honey realises who her true friends for, and what she really dreams of doing - giving neighbourhood kids a safe place to dance and be themselves.

Opposites attract when bad boy Tyler is sentenced to community service at the local performing arts academy. Through a twist of fate, he ends up as a rehearsal partner for Nora, a prim ballerina, who is putting together her senior performance piece. She has the technique, he has the funk, and sparks are bound to fly. The story may be predictable, but stars Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan make a formidable pair on the dance floor.

A sequel that nobody really needed, and not a very good one at that. It follows rebellious Andie, who enrols in a prestigious performing arts school so her exasperated guardian won't ship her off to Texas. Predictability ensues, but if you can get past the cliched characters, trite storyline and abysmal acting, you're in for a treat. The dance sequences - including a nightclub battle between lead Briana Evigan and original Step Up star Channing Tatum that involves a trampoline - are excellent.

One of the greatest dance films of all time. Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor star in this classic about a production company making the transition from silent films to talkies. Kelly stars as Don Lockwood, an actor whose on-screen girlfriend has a less than stellar voice for pictures. He finds a perfect solution when stumbles upon aspiring actress Kathy, whose voice is angelic. Classic songs like "Good Morning" and "Singing In The Rain" will get toes tapping.

Director Baz Luhrmann brought ballroom dancing to the world with this classic, starring Paul Mercurio. Scott Hastings was raised in a dancing family, and is on track to win the Pan Pacific Grand Prix. But Scott has a fire inside of him, and longs to choreograph his own moves. With the help of awkward beginner Fran, Scott sets out to prove he can win over the crowd, even if his steps aren't 'strictly ballroom.' The costumes are fabulous, the characters are zany, and the dancing is excellent.

Street dancing goes mainstream for this underdog film about feuding fraternity stepping teams. DJ has been exiled to live with his aunt and uncle after a family tragedy, and when the big men on campus realise he's got the moves, the fraternities want him to rush. Not just about dancing, the film also delves into the American college Greek system, and how it effects the futures of its students. Chris Brown makes a fantastic cameo, showing off his hardcore crump style. An excellent film for hip hop enthusiasts.

"Nobody puts Baby in a corner." Damn straight, they don't! Patrick Swayze become an international sex symbol with the release of this film about a naive rich girl who falls for a sexy dance instructor. Frances 'Baby' Houseman discovers a world she's never known when she meets Johnny Castle and his friends while staying at the Country Club where they work. A classic Romeo and Juliet tale, with a fantastic fiftie's soundtrack. If this doesn't get you dancing, nothing will.

Only in the 80's could a film about a small town that has outlawed dancing be such a success. Kevin Bacon plays Ren, the new kid on the block, a rebel with his dancing shoes on, who refuses to conform to the rules. Together with his classmates, Ren takes on a bible bashing minister to abolish the dance ban in time for the senior prom. The dance sequences are pure hilarity, particularly one where young Ren dances out his frustrations in an abandoned warehouse.