Dance in Film · 2004
13 Going on 30 (2004)
Gary Winick’s body-swap comedy turns Michael Peters’s globally recognized “Thriller” vocabulary into character action: Jenna’s unironic commitment rescues a failing Poise party and briefly draws skeptical Matt back into their shared childhood world.
13 Going on 30 is a 2004 dance feature film centred on ballroom and social dance. For dancers, it's a chance to see the style performed on screen — the phrasing, partnering, and musicality that the same dances carry onto a real floor.
Jump to the 2 indexed dance sequences ↓
Where to watch: Sony Pictures’ official page listed current U.S. digital links to Apple TV, Prime Video, Fandango at Home, YouTube, Verizon Fios, and Xfinity on 2026-08-10; availability may change.
The dance sequences in 13 Going on 30
2 sequences — what is danced, by whom, and where to find it.
“Love Is a Battlefield” sleepover dance
Commercial / Industry DanceDanced by Jennifer Garner; Renee Olstead; Catherine Combs; Gia Mantegna; Sydni Beaudoin · Choreography Marguerite Derricks
Garner and the girls singing into hairbrushes and dancing through the apartment as the sleepover becomes a miniature girl-power music video.
Derricks preserves the empowerment and buoyancy of Pat Benatar’s music video without copying it, tailoring an easy, communal vocabulary to Garner and the teenage cast. The loose choreography lets singing, hairbrush play and spontaneous movement turn Jenna’s advice into a felt group release.
Open the film at this point · Stream or rental only — the timestamp is for when you have it playing. Bustle describes the sequence as less than two minutes, but no edition-specific start time was verified. Sony links the opened U.S. Apple TV record; availability checked 2026-08-12.
“Thriller” Poise-party dance
Commercial / Industry DanceDanced by Jennifer Garner; Mark Ruffalo; Judy Greer; Andy Serkis; party ensemble · Choreography Marguerite Derricks; Michael Peters (original “Thriller” choreography)
Jennifer Garner leading a room of stiff adults into claws, head pops and the full “Thriller” zombie line.
Jenna begins alone with a comic neck twitch, then recruits Matt and the reluctant office crowd into Peters’s recognizable zombie choreography. Derricks’s staged build makes participation the dramatic mechanism: synchronized movement breaks the party’s social paralysis and briefly reconnects Jenna and Matt.
Open the film at this point · Stream or rental only — the timestamp is for when you have it playing. No edition-specific timestamp used. Sony’s current film page links the opened U.S. Apple TV record for the exact 2004, 1h 37m film; availability checked 2026-08-12.
Poster artwork from TMDB.
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