6 Best Ballroom Dance Movies of All Time

By Vlad Zakh · April 3, 2028

Comedy feel good

Ballroom dance’s mix of rigid tradition and passionate self-expression has produced some of cinema’s most joyful crowd-pleasers.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012) 01

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

IMDb ★ 7.7

A man recovering from a mental breakdown finds unexpected connection with a troubled young widow through dance.

Shall We Dance (2004) 02

Shall We Dance (2004)

IMDb ★ 6.2

A bored, unfulfilled lawyer secretly takes ballroom dance lessons and rediscovers his passion for life.

Mad Hot Ballroom (2005) 03

Mad Hot Ballroom (2005)

IMDb ★ 7.1

A documentary follows New York City schoolchildren as they compete in a citywide ballroom dance competition.

Shall We Dance? (1996) 04

Shall We Dance? (1996)

IMDb ★ 7.4

A bored, unfulfilled businessman secretly takes ballroom dance lessons and rediscovers his passion for life.

Dirty Dancing (1987) 05

Dirty Dancing (1987)

IMDb ★ 7.0

A teenage girl at a summer resort falls for the resident dance instructor from the wrong side of the tracks.

Strictly Ballroom (1992) 06

Strictly Ballroom (1992)

IMDb ★ 7.2

A rebellious competitive dancer risks his career by performing unconventional, forbidden steps.

Vlad Zakh

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix, built to fix a specific annoyance: most recommendation sites are just algorithm-driven noise. Our lists are researched and organized by who's in a film, where it's from, and the mood you're actually in tonight.