The Best Movies About Or Featuring Ballet
“What are the best movies about or featuring Ballet?” We looked at 72 of the top films about ballet, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!
The top 23 films, all appearing on 2 or more “Best Ballet” movie lists, are ranked below by how many times they appear. The remaining 45+ movies, as well as the sources we used, are in alphabetical order on the bottom of the page.
Make sure to also check out our sister website, Book Scrolling, for an article on The Best Dance Books Of All-Time!
Happy Scrolling!
Top 23 Ballet Moviess
23 .) Ballet Shoes (2007) directed by Sandra Goldbacher
Lists It Appears On:
- Ballet Connections
- Cennarium
An unusual explorer named Gum and his kindly niece adopt three orphans — Pauline, Petrova and Posy — and raise them as sisters in 1930s London. But the girls must fend for themselves when Gum doesn’t return from one of his adventures. Together, they nurture their passions for acting, aviation and ballet in this charming TV adaptation of Noel Streatfield’s novel.
22 .) Bolshoi Babylon (2015) directed by Nick Read
Lists It Appears On:
- Homemade Banana
- Pop Sugar
A behind-the-scenes look at Moscow’s prestigious Bolshoi Theatre as it’s rocked by an acid-attack scandal in 2013.
21 .) Dirty Dancing (1987) directed by Emile Ardolino
Lists It Appears On:
- Ballet Connections
- IMDB
Expecting the usual tedium that accompanies a summer in the Catskills with her family, 17-year-old Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman is surprised to find herself stepping into the shoes of a professional hoofer – and unexpectedly falling in love.
20 .) Footloose (1984) directed by Herbert Ross
Lists It Appears On:
- Ballet Connections
- IMDB
When teenager Ren and his family move from big-city Chicago to a small town in the West, he’s in for a real case of culture shock.
19 .) La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet (2009) directed by Frederick Wiseman
Lists It Appears On:
- Mubi
- Paste
A film by Frederick Wiseman following the ins and outs of 7 ballets by the Paris Opera Ballet.
18 .) Only When I Dance (2009) directed by Beadie Finzi
Lists It Appears On:
- Mubi
- The Ballet Bag
Defying the idea that ballet is an art form steeped in the history of the wealthy white elite, this documentary captures the dreams of two black children from the Favela in Brazil, who, despite constant prejudice and doubt, are both determined to beat the odds and follow their dreams to use dancing as an escape rarely found in their tough day to day lives.
17 .) Restless Creature: Wendy Whalen (2017) directed by Linda Saffire
Lists It Appears On:
- Paste
- Pointe Magazine
Documentary on the great American Ballerina Wendy Whelan
16 .) Take the Lead (2006) directed by Liz Friedlander
Lists It Appears On:
- Ballet Connections
- IMDB
A former professional dancer volunteers to teach dance in the New York public school system and, while his background first clashes with his students’ tastes, together they create a completely new style of dance. Based on the story of ballroom dancer, Pierre Dulane.
15 .) Ballerina (2006) directed by Bertrand Normand
Lists It Appears On:
- Entertainism
- Mubi
- The Odyssey
An intimate portrait of five ballerinas from the Kirov.
14 .) Step Up (2006) directed by Anne Fletcher
Lists It Appears On:
- Ballet Connections
- IMDB
- The Odyssey
Everyone deserves a chance to follow their dreams, but some people only get one shot. Tyler Gage is a rebel from the wrong side of Baltimore’s tracks and the only thing that stands between him and an unfulfilled life are his dreams of one day making it out of there. Nora is a privileged ballet dancer attending Baltimore’s ultra-elite Maryland School of the Arts
13 .) Ballets Russes (2005) directed by Dan Geller
Lists It Appears On:
- EW
- Homemade Banana
- Mubi
- The Odyssey
For many, modern ballet began with the Ballet Russe of Monte Carlo, originally made up of Russian exiles from the Russian Revolution. This film tells the story of this landmark company with its stars and production as well as its power games, rivalries and tribulations that marked its turbulent history.
12 .) Save the Last Dance (2001) directed by Thomas Carter
Lists It Appears On:
- Ballet Board
- Ballet Connections
- Cennarium
- Marie Claire
- Pop Sugar
A white midwestern girl moves to Chicago, where her new boyfriend is a black teen from the South Side with a rough, semi-criminal past.
11 .) The Company (2003) directed by Robert Altman
Lists It Appears On:
- Ballet Connections
- Cennarium
- Entertainism
- EW
- IMDB
Ensemble drama centered around a group of ballet dancers, with a focus on one young dancer who’s poised to become a principal performer.
10 .) White Nights (1985) directed by Taylor Hackford
Lists It Appears On:
- Ballet Connections
- Cennarium
- IMDB
- Pop Sugar
- The Odyssey
An expatriate Russian dancer is on a plane forced to land on Soviet territory. He is taken to an apartment in which a black American who has married a Russian woman lives with her. He is to become a dancer for the Bolshoi again, but he wishes to escape, but can he trust the American?
9 .) A Ballerina’s Tale (2014) directed by Nelson George
Lists It Appears On:
- EW
- Homemade Banana
- Paste
- Pointe Magazine
- Pop Sugar
- The Odyssey
A feature documentary on African American ballerina Misty Copeland that examines her prodigious rise, her potentially career ending injury alongside themes of race and body image in the elite ballet world.
8 .) Ballet 422 (2014) directed by Jody Lee Lipes
Lists It Appears On:
- EW
- Homemade Banana
- Paste
- Pointe Magazine
- Pop Sugar
- The Odyssey
The film shadows Justin Peck, wunderkind choreographer of the New York City Ballet, as he undertakes the Herculean task of creating the company’s 422nd original piece. Following the creative process from its embryonic stages to its highly anticipated premiere, Ballet 422 is a powerful celebration of the skill and endurance of New York’s most talented dancers—as well as those who remain hidden in the wings.
7 .) Center Stage (2000) directed by Nicholas Hytner
Lists It Appears On:
- Ballet Connections
- Cennarium
- Entertainism
- EW
- IMDB
- Pop Sugar
- The Odyssey
A group of 12 teenagers from various backgrounds enroll at the American Ballet Academy in New York to make it as ballet dancers and each one deals with the problems and stress of training and getting ahead in the world of dance.
6 .) Black Swan (2010) directed by Darren Aronofsky
Lists It Appears On:
- Ballet Board
- Cennarium
- Entertainism
- EW
- IMDB
- Marie Claire
- Pop Sugar
- The Odyssey
A ballet dancer wins the lead in “Swan Lake” and is perfect for the role of the delicate White Swan – Princess Odette – but slowly loses her mind as she becomes more and more like Odile, the Black Swan.
5 .) First Position (2011) directed by Bess Kargman
Lists It Appears On:
- Cennarium
- EW
- Homemade Banana
- Paste
- Pointe Magazine
- Pop Sugar
- The Ballet Bag
- The Odyssey
A documentary that follows six young dancers from around the world as they prepare for the Youth America Grand Prix, one of the most prestigious ballet competitions in the world.
4 .) Mao’s Last Dancer (2009) directed by Bruce Beresford
Lists It Appears On:
- Ballet Board
- Ballet Connections
- Cennarium
- Entertainism
- IMDB
- Mubi
- Pop Sugar
- The Odyssey
At the age of 11, Li was plucked from a poor Chinese village by Madame Mao’s cultural delegates and taken to Beijing to study ballet. In 1979, during a cultural exchange to Texas, he fell in love with an American woman. Two years later, he managed to defect and went on to perform as a principal dancer for the Houston Ballet and as a principal artist with the Australian Ballet.
3 .) The Red Shoes (1948) directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger
Lists It Appears On:
- Ballet Board
- Cennarium
- Entertainism
- EW
- IMDB
- Marie Claire
- Mubi
- Pop Sugar
In this classic drama, Vicky Page is an aspiring ballerina torn between her dedication to dance and her desire to love. While her imperious instructor, Boris Lermontov, urges to her to forget anything but ballet, Vicky begins to fall for the charming young composer Julian Craster. Eventually Vicky, under great emotional stress, must choose to pursue either her art or her romance, a decision that carries serious consequences.
2 .) Billy Elliot (2000) directed by Stephen Daldry
Lists It Appears On:
- Ballet Board
- Ballet Connections
- Cennarium
- Entertainism
- EW
- IMDB
- Marie Claire
- Mubi
- Pop Sugar
Set against the background of the 1984 Miner’s Strike, Billy Elliot is an 11 year old boy who stumbles out of the boxing ring and onto the ballet floor. He faces many trials and triumphs as he strives to conquer his family’s set ways, inner conflict, and standing on his toes!
1 .) The Turning Point (1977) directed by Herbert Ross
Lists It Appears On:
- Ballet Board
- Ballet Connections
- Cennarium
- Entertainism
- EW
- Marie Claire
- Mubi
- Pop Sugar
- The Odyssey
When her daughter joins a ballet company, a former dancer is forced to confront her long-ago decision to give up the stage to have a family.
The 45+ Additional Best Ballet Movies
| # | Movies | Directors | Lists |
| (Films Appear On 1 List Each) | |||
| 24 |
Afternoon of a Faun: Tanaquil Le Clercq
|
The Odyssey
|
|
| 25 | BALLET | FREDERICK WISEMAN | Mubi |
| 26 | Bootmen |
Ballet Connections
|
|
| 27 | Bringing Balanchine Back | Back |
Homemade Banana
|
| 28 | Burlesque (II) (2010) | IMDB | |
| 29 | Center Stage: Turn It Up |
Ballet Connections
|
|
| 30 | Chicago (2002) | Rob Marshall | IMDB |
| 31 | City Ballet |
Homemade Banana
|
|
| 32 | Dance With Me |
Ballet Connections
|
|
| 33 | Dancer | Pop Sugar | |
| 34 | Dancers |
Ballet Connections
|
|
| 35 | Dancing Across Borders | Anne H. Bass |
The Ballet Bag
|
| 36 | Dancing in Jaffa | Hilla Medalia |
The Ballet Bag
|
| 37 |
Dirty Dancing – Havana Nights
|
Ballet Connections
|
|
| 38 | DRACULA: PAGES FROM A VIRGIN’S DIARY | GUY MADDIN | Mubi |
| 39 | Easter Parade (1948) | IMDB | |
| 40 | Flash Dance |
Ballet Connections
|
|
| 41 | Flashdance (1983) | Adrian Lyne | IMDB |
| 42 |
Girls Just Want to Have Fun
|
Ballet Connections
|
|
| 43 | Hans Christian Anderson |
Ballet Connections
|
|
| 44 | Honey |
Ballet Connections
|
|
| 45 | Invitation to the Dance |
Ballet Connections
|
|
| 46 | Isadora (1968) | IMDB | |
| 47 | La Mort Du Cygne |
Ballet Connections
|
|
| 48 | Leap! (2017) | EW | |
| 49 | LIMELIGHT | CHARLIE CHAPLIN | Mubi |
| 50 | Love Tomorrow | Chris Payne |
The Ballet Bag
|
| 51 |
New York City Ballet: Bringing Balanchine Back
|
Pop Sugar | |
| 52 | OF HEART AND COURAGE, BALLET BEJART LAUSANNE | ARANTXA AGUIRRE | Mubi |
| 53 | Polina (2017) | EW | |
| 54 |
Princess Tutu: Complete Collection
|
Ballet Connections
|
|
| 55 | Red Shoes |
Ballet Connections
|
|
| 56 | Royal Wedding (1951) | IMDB | |
| 57 | Saturday Night Fever (1977) | John Badham | IMDB |
| 58 | Shag: The Movie |
Ballet Connections
|
|
| 59 | Shall We Dance? |
Ballet Connections
|
|
| 60 | Showgirls (1995) | Paul Verhoeven | IMDB |
| 61 | Step Up 2 The Streets |
Ballet Connections
|
|
| 62 | Stick It (2006) | Jessica Bendinger | IMDB |
| 63 | Stomp Out Loud |
Ballet Connections
|
|
| 64 | Stomp the Yard |
Ballet Connections
|
|
| 65 | Strictly Ballroom |
Ballet Connections
|
|
| 66 | SUMMER INTERLUDE | INGMAR BERGMAN | Mubi |
| 67 | SUSPIRIA | DARIO ARGENTO | Mubi |
| 68 | The Bottom Line |
Ballet Board
|
|
| 69 | THE CHILDREN OF THEATRE STREET | ROBERT DORNHELM | Mubi |
| 70 |
The Forbidden Dance Is Lambada
|
Ballet Connections
|
|
| 71 | West Side Story |
Ballet Board
|
|
| 72 | You Got Served |
Ballet Connections
|
|
14 Best Ballet & Dance Film Sources/Lists
| Source | Article |
| Ballet Board | 7 Best Ballet Movies of All Time |
| Ballet Connections | Ballet Movies |
| Cennarium | 11 Movies that Feature Ballet |
| Entertainism | 8 Best Ballet Movies Ever |
| EW | 12 Ballet Movies That Are En Pointe |
| Homemade Banana | 7 BEST BALLET DOCUMENTARIES TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND |
| IMDB | Dance/Ballet movies |
| Marie Claire | 5 Best Ballet Films Of All Time |
| Mubi | 15 BEST BALLET FILMS |
| Paste | 5 Great Documentaries about Ballet |
| Pointe Magazine | Our Four Favorite Ballet Documentaries on Netflix Right Now |
| Pop Sugar | The 14 Best Ballet Movies of All Time |
| The Ballet Bag | 5 BALLET MOVIES TO WATCH AROUND CHRISTMAS |
| The Odyssey | 12 Movies Every Ballet Lover Should See |
