10 Movies Every Aspiring Dancer Should Watch

We know you’ve been training hard every day to get closer to achieving your pro cheer dreams and we see the effort you put out. In this article, we’re going to take it easy by suggesting movies about dancing that you can enjoy on your rest days.

These movies can teach you lessons about what it takes to be a dancer and serve as inspiration for those who are struggling to be better in the art. Here is a list of 10 films about dancing you should watch.

1. Save the Last Dance

Life isn’t short of tragedies and disappointment. In Save the Last Dance, Julia Stiles battles with her guilt of losing her mother and a failed audition. This is a movie that teaches you that no matter how beaten and broken you are, there is only one way forward. And that’s to keep moving on.

2. Center Stage

Passion is a great motivator to turn yourself from zero to pro. However, your drive will be challenged from time to time as you train and learn how to dance. Center Stage explores the stress competitive dancers face as they reach the top, especially the talentless ones.

3. Flashdance

While some aspiring dancers have the means and opportunity to go to a dance school, there are also those with dreams but have nothing to start with. Flashdance is a story of a woman who works as a welder but with a strong determination to become a professional ballerina.

4. High Strung

Although the main character of the movie comes from a privileged status, she is an outcast in her school. That could be a great problem for someone learning how to be a competitive and professional dancer. But she realizes that as an artist, the belief of the people you care for in you is what truly matters.

5. Black Swan

Starring Natalie Portman, Black Swan is a movie about how your dedication to the art of dancing can also be your downfall. This drama teaches you to not always take things too seriously and sometimes it’s better to let somebody else take the stage rather than let your inner demons win.

6. Leap!

Who said animated movies can’t be enjoyed by adult women? Leap! is an adventure movie for those who dare to dream big. Like Center Stage, it teaches us that dancing isn’t just about talent and having great technique. Because most of the world’s best dancers perform with their hearts.

7. Showgirls

Being a Vegas showgirl isn’t that different from being a professional cheerleader. There are plenty of hard choices and sacrifices to make, harsh realities to face, and most of all, you must put in a lot of hard work if you want to achieve your dream.

Showgirls is a quirky movie that you’ll either hate or love. But once you watch it, you can’t help but agree about how real the struggles are that the main character goes through.

8. Full Out

As mentioned, there will always be tragedies in life. Sometimes these tragedies knock us out of the path to our dreams for good. Or do they? In Full Out, you’ll get to see what it’s like to dream of being an Olympian gymnast, only to be denied by a car accident. But in the end, you’ll also learn that in order to fly, you need to fall. Just like birds do.

9. Footloose (2011)

Do you come from a family where dancing is frowned upon? If yes, then you’re going to relate to this film. Set in Elmore City, Oklahoma, is about the journey of people rebelling to be free. Though not about a violent revolution for freedom, the movie is about breaking your chains from the norms to express yourself and live a happy life through dancing.

10. Feel the Beat

As we grow older, we tend to lose the enthusiasm we had for reaching our ambitions when we were children. Feel the Beat is about reigniting that enthusiasm and giving importance to squad solidarity.

You’ll get to see the perspective of a passionate dance instructor and children willing to do what it takes to be good in the art. It’s a beautiful contrast to Cuties because it delivers the film’s message well while remaining family-friendly.

Which movie are you interested in watching? Start researching online for sites that you can download them from. Three of the movies in this list are available on Netflix. They are: Feel the Beat, Leap!, and Full Out. You can start by watching them today.

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