Top 20 Memorable Dance Scenes in '80s Films

Sometimes, ya just gotta cut loose...For this list, we’ll be looking at the choreography and dance sequences from films spanning between 1980 to 1989 that define this era and the dance genre. Our countdown includes scenes from "Beetlejuice", "School Daze", "Grease 2" and more! Which 80s dance scene is on your movie must-watch list? Let us know in the comments.

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MsMojo is a leading producer of reference online video content of Top 10 Lists, Origins, Biographies, Commentary and more on Pop Culture, Celebrity, Movies, Music, TV, Film, Video Games, Politics, News, Comics, Superheroes. Your trusted authority on ranking Pop Culture.

#1980s #dance #dancescenes #80smovies #fame #footloose #stayinalive #beetlejuice

[plainjaneproud]

Yay, thanks for including Girls Just Want to Have Fun!!!

[sistergoldenhair]

TAP! Great dance movie with Gregory Hines!

[Mosf]

THAT dance scene from Jim Carrey's 'Once Bitten' deserved a spot on this list.

[nikki]

Fun fact: 8:50 the construction worker wasn’t an extra, just a real worker who started dancing to the music. It amused John Hughes so much that he filmed him.

[shethingsd]

I can imagine audiences in 1984 with Footloose. I was there. I graduated high school in 1985.

[whyk]

Michael Barsnikov and Gregory Heinz's dance scene in the White Night was the best.

[shethingsd]

White Nights scene was fantastic. Loved that movie.

[sophiaisabelle]

These dance scenes have surely made a huge impact on our pop culture today. Great content as always.

[matthewbaduria]

Girls Just Want To Have Fun is a pure 80's classic, very underrated 80's movie that was ahead of it's time.

[laurissa]

Girls Just Want To Have Fun! One of my favorite movies ever, it's so great.

[lorihansen]

Some of these movies I haven't seen, but the choreography and concept from "School Daze" reminds me of the Jets and the Sharks in "West Side Story."

[Chantara]

Girls just want to have fun was one of my favorite movies as a kid

[manga]

yea I loved all those old movies I saw years ago, they dont make the dance flicks with the up beat feel good music like they used to, though back then you still had people that were the golden musical and vaudavill era teaching dance, and it was a bit more jazz oriented then you find today, now its more contemporary or acro with hiphop, not that I dont like hiphop I do popping myself but its not like it was.

[Helen]

I can't believe that you included Cocktail and Big, but left out so many like:
The Breakfast Club
Beetlejuice
White Knights
Annie
Flashdance
Staying Alive
A Chorus Line
Hairspray
Dirty Dancing

[zziicckk]

Wow... WM missed on a few of the most iconic dance sequences:
- Reckless (1984): Romeo Void/Never Say Never featuring Aidan Quinn and Daryl Hannah.
- Something Wild (1986): David Bowie/Fame featuring Jeff Daniels and Melanie Griffith
- Airplane (1980): Bee Gees/Staying Alive featuring Robert Hayes and Julie Hagerty

I'll take those 3 up there over just about any of the dances mentioned in the video.

[shethingsd]

The Breakin' movies were very cool

[gilbertginegobis]

the last part makes me miss Patrick Swayze more.

[giselaoeding]

Talk about Greatest of the Great - rumour has it that Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey couldn't stand one another, but they still made this iconic scene as passionate, powerful, and timeless as it is. Totally deserves the number 1 spot!

[voldeficient]

I still miss the Hangarscene with Kevin Bacon in Footloose ( I did it so many times )

[kevinm.]

Definitely God of War and Ninja Gaiden.

Side note... a list of Top 10 depictions of Hell would be a fun list. Could be in video games and/or movies/TV shows. And opposite list of Top 10 depictions of Heaven. 🤔