10 Best Ballet Movies That You Should Watching Update 04/2024

Best Ballet Movies

Films involving ballet and ballerinas are notoriously difficult to cast since so few performers are themselves ballerinas, and the same goes for the other way around. However, my personal favorites are these.

Films on ballet and ballerinas are notoriously difficult to produce, as there aren’t many actors who are also ballerinas, and vice versa. However, these films may be rather beautiful to watch when a good performance is given with both physical and emotional intensity.

Films about ballet tend to focus on jealousy, self-destruction, and the commitment it takes to build a career out of dance. The following videos depict these subjects from the perspectives of young people, students, and seasoned professionals.

1. The Unfinished Dance (1937)

The Unfinished Dance (1937)

Adapted on the 1937 French film Ballerina, The Unfinished Dance takes place in the same universe as the original. Despite her love for dance, Meg is unable to focus on her schoolwork and academic success because of her passion for the art form. In her dance school, Ariane, the head dancer, is being challenged by a newcomer to the scene. As a result of Meg’s tremendous efforts to discredit every performance by her idol’s opponent, she discovers that talent and character do not always co-exist.

2. Dance, Girl, Dance (1940)

Lucille Ball (well known for her trailblazing sitcom I Love Lucy) stars in the film Dance, Girl, Dance, which blends comedy and drama in a narrative about two dancers who are searching for fame and romance. When it was first released, it was mostly ignored by critics, but its messages about women and the arts have gained a resurgence in recent years.

3. Girl (2018)

Girl (2018)

When the director met a real ballerina and decided to make his first film around her, he named it Girl. Nora Monsecour, the film’s inspiration, has given the film high marks for its portrayal of her own life as a transgender ballerina.

As a teenager, Lara is taking puberty blockers and battling feelings of self-consciousness about her appearance and gender identity as she attends ballet school. Her younger brother, whom she often takes care of, is having a difficult time adjusting to his new school. Warning: The film depicts self-inflicted wounds, so proceed with caution.

4. Fame (1980)

Students at a New York City theatre school are surrounded by fame. Fame has become a cult favorite throughout the years, linked with 1980s pop culture.

Goals, triumphs, and failures of the three protagonists are shown throughout the course of the film. In addition to the traditional ballet training, there are a wide variety of musical and dance performances that incorporate other approaches. The film tells the story of a group of young artists who are trying to figure out who they are and what they want in life.

5. Polina (2016)

Polina (2016)

The film Polina, based on the graphic novel of the same name, is a French production. The story revolves around Polina (Anastasia Shevtsova), a gifted young ballerina now enrolled in a local ballet school. To pursue her interest in modern dance after graduating from college, she accepts a position with a prominent ballet company. She left the modern dance company because of personal and professional issues, and now she’s fighting to make ends meet while trying to rediscover her love of dancing. It’s about how passion may alter, be lost, and be rediscovered.

6. Summer Interlude (1951)

As a dancer contemplates her lost love, Ingmar Bergman directed and co-wrote this romantic drama. A man she formerly loved died while they were young, and she was taken advantage of by others as a result of her grief. Her grief is preventing her from doing the things she enjoys, therefore she needs to accept it and move on in order to get back to work and her personal relationships.

7. Suspiria (1977)

Suspiria (1977)

In spite of the fact that many people enjoy Luca Guadagnino’s interpretation of this ’70s horror classic, it is not a ballet or ballet-related picture. Unlike its predecessor, Dario Argento’s original Suspiria, the 2018 film uses modern dancing rather than traditional ballet. To study at one of the country’s most prominent ballet schools, Suzy, an American ballerina, moves across the pond. Surprising events lead Suzy to believe there is something evil going on in the background.

8. Billy Elliot (2000)

Billy Elliot tells the story of a young English kid, Jamie Bell, who discovers a love for ballet, which his family does not support. An inspiring story about a young child who refuses to give up on what he loves, and who realizes that for him, passion and talent are inextricably linked.. In the end, Billy Elliot’s community rallies around him in support of his dream because of his perseverance and skill. In the eyes of spectators, it’s a lovely success story.

9. Black Swan (2010)

Black Swan (2010)

Darren Aronofsky’s 2010 film Black Swan is one of his best, and Natalie Portman won an Oscar for her performance as Nina, a ballerina whose quest for perfection drives her to dark places. Nina has had a sheltered upbringing and currently lives with her mother.

Her understudy, the sexually intrusive director of the theater company, tries to intimidate her when she gets the lead in the next production of Swan Lake. As she pushes herself physically to the limit in an effort to achieve perfection, she begins to show signs of mental fatigue.

10. The Red Shoes (1948)

Adapted from a children’s story, The Red Shoes tells the story of an aspiring dancer’s descent into madness.

This recurring subject in ballet films may have gained prominence as a result of the box office success of this picture.

Ballet dancer Vicky gets found by her company and quickly rises through their ranks until she is handed the lead part in The Red Shoes play. However, a romance with a composer puts an end to her plans to continue performing the ballet. After being split between love and profession, she meets a violent end that is subject to interpretation, but some speculate that the red shoes she wore were the cause.