Library of Dance
A reference index of dance publications from 1450 onward. We catalog what exists and link to where you can buy it from the rights holders — Library of Congress for public-domain treatises, plus modern publishers like ISTD, DVIDA, NDCA, and WDSF.
Beyond the Page
Media Library
Curated video channels, TV shows, dance films, and music resources to complement the written sources above.
Top Hat
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers at their peak — the gold standard for partnered elegance on film.
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Swing Time
Astaire and Rogers in what many consider their finest film, featuring the legendary "Never Gonna Dance" sequence.
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The Gay Divorcee
The first Astaire-Rogers starring vehicle, featuring the Oscar-winning "Continental" — the first Best Song winner performed as a dance number.
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An American in Paris
Gene Kelly stars in Gershwin's musical masterpiece, climaxing in a 17-minute ballet sequence inspired by French art.
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Singin' in the Rain
The definitive Hollywood musical, featuring Gene Kelly's legendary choreography and the iconic title sequence.
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The Band Wagon
Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse in a backstage musical that includes the smoldering "Dancing in the Dark" sequence in Central Park.
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West Side Story
Jerome Robbins's choreography transforms Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet into a Mambo-fueled street ballet in 1950s New York.
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Cabaret
Bob Fosse's dark masterpiece set in Weimar-era Berlin, with choreography that redefined what dance could express on film.
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Saturday Night Fever
John Travolta defined a generation of disco dancers in this iconic film about Brooklyn nightlife and the power of the dance floor.
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Footloose
A city teenager moves to a small town where dancing has been banned, and inspires the community to embrace movement again.
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Dirty Dancing
The film that introduced a generation to Mambo and made "Nobody puts Baby in a corner" a cultural touchstone.
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Strictly Ballroom
Baz Luhrmann's cult classic about a rebellious ballroom dancer who dares to perform his own steps in competition.
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Swing Kids
Set in 1930s Hamburg, follows young people drawn to American Swing music and dance under the shadow of the Third Reich.
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Shall We Dance?
Japanese film about a businessman who secretly takes up ballroom dancing. The original that inspired the 2004 Hollywood remake.
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The Tango Lesson
Sally Potter's personal film about learning Argentine Tango in Buenos Aires, blending documentary and fiction.
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Dance With Me
Vanessa Williams and Chayanne in a romance set against the competitive Latin dance world.
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Billy Elliot
A young boy in a mining town discovers his passion for ballet, defying expectations and changing his family forever.
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Save the Last Dance
Julia Stiles bridges the worlds of ballet and hip-hop in a coming-of-age story set in inner-city Chicago.
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Chicago
Rob Marshall's Oscar-winning adaptation brings Bob Fosse's signature style — jazz hands, isolated body movements, and dark glamour — back to the big screen.
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Shall We Dance?
Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez in the Hollywood remake. While lighter than the original, it introduced American audiences to ballroom culture.
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Step Up
Channing Tatum stars in the film that launched a franchise, blending street dance with classical training.
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Mad Hot Ballroom
Documentary following New York City public school kids as they learn and compete in ballroom dancing.
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Take the Lead
Based on the true story of Pierre Dulaine, who brought ballroom dancing to inner-city New York schools.
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Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School
A man keeps a 40-year-old promise to meet his childhood sweetheart at their dance class, weaving romance through ballroom culture.
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Black Swan
Darren Aronofsky's psychological thriller about a ballet dancer's descent into madness while preparing for Swan Lake.
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The Forbidden Dance
Lambada-era film that captured the brief ballroom-adjacent craze of the early 1990s.
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Cuban Fury
Nick Frost stars as a former junior salsa champion who rediscovers his passion for Latin dance to impress his new boss.
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La La Land
Modern musical with Waltz and Foxtrot-inspired partner work set against the Los Angeles jazz scene.
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West Side Story
Steven Spielberg's reimagining with Justin Peck's choreography — updated Mambo sequences grounded in authentic Latin movement.
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Dancing Dreams
Documentary following teenagers as they learn Pina Bausch's "Kontakthof," exploring dance's power to transform.
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Pina
Wim Wenders's 3D tribute to Pina Bausch, capturing her revolutionary Tanztheater company performing signature works.
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Our Last Tango
Documentary about legendary Argentine Tango dancers María Nieves Rego and Juan Carlos Copes and their lifelong partnership.
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Alive and Kicking
Documentary exploring the Lindy Hop revival and its community of dancers keeping the Swing era alive.
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Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan
Follows New York City Ballet principal Wendy Whelan as she transitions from classical ballet to contemporary collaborative work.
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Rumba Love
A dance teacher in Havana and a journalist from New York connect through the passion and tradition of Cuban Rumba.
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High Strung
A hip-hop violinist from the streets and a classically trained dancer from an elite conservatory form an unlikely partnership to compete for a once-in-a-lifetime scholarship.
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High Strung: Free Dance
Sequel following new characters at the same dance academy, blending contemporary, ballroom, and street dance in a summer intensive competition.
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Flashdance
A Pittsburgh welder and aspiring dancer works to earn a spot at a prestigious dance conservatory. Its iconic audition scene defined 1980s dance culture.
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Breakin'
A classically trained dancer teams up with two breakers from the streets. One of the first films to bring breaking and popping to mainstream audiences.
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Center Stage
Young ballet students navigate competition, romance, and identity at a prestigious New York academy. Features real-life ABT dancers in performance sequences.
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Stomp the Yard
A street dancer from Los Angeles joins a historically Black college fraternity and discovers the competitive world of step dancing.
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Honey
Jessica Alba stars as a hip-hop choreographer from the Bronx who gets her big break as a music video dancer while trying to open a community dance studio.
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The Red Shoes
A young ballerina is torn between her art and her love in this visually stunning Powell and Pressburger masterpiece, featuring a legendary 17-minute ballet sequence.
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The Turning Point
Shirley MacLaine and Anne Bancroft star in this drama about two women whose lives diverged — one chose ballet, the other family — and the reckoning that follows.
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Rize
David LaChapelle's documentary about krumping and clowning in South Central Los Angeles — raw, powerful street dance as protest and release.
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First Position
Documentary following six young ballet dancers as they prepare for the Youth America Grand Prix, one of the most prestigious ballet competitions in the world.
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Feel the Beat
A failed Broadway dancer returns to her small town and reluctantly coaches a group of misfit kids for a dance competition. Family-friendly and heartfelt.
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Through the Artist's Eye
Dance in Art
Curated paintings, engravings, drawings, and photographs celebrating dance across centuries. Select a category to explore.
By Genre
By Dance Style
By Era
By Medium
By Theme
Artworks shown are in the public domain or used under Creative Commons license. Sourced from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Library of Congress, New York Public Library, Wikimedia Commons, and other open cultural-heritage institutions.