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See these Broadway musicals featuring show-stopping dances

See all types of dance from classic musical theatre to signature moves coined by pop icons.

Gillian Russo
Written byGillian Russo

We've all walked out of a musical awed at the actors' powerhouse singing, humming the show's catchy tunes, and running to add the complete score to our playlists. They're called musicals for a reason! But also... can we make "danceicals" a thing? While the music is (obviously) key to the greatness of a musical, you've probably also found yourself marveling at a gravity-defying leap or intricate, fast-footed steps on stage. In plenty of Broadway musicals, dance is king. Or queen, in the case of shows like Six.

You can't experience Broadway dance routines with a cast album. You have to be there — and in many cases, dance is a major part of the storytelling that takes the Broadway show to a whole new level. There are so many dance styles you can see: classic musical theatre, jazz, ballet, hip-hop, and the unique choreography pioneered by pop icons like Michael Jackson. Sure, you can see Broadway dance tutorials online, too, but not a whole show's worth! Nothing beats the fun of seeing award-winning choreography live.

So, what are you waiting for? Shuffle off to the Theatre District and see these Broadway shows with dancing galore. Get ready to groove along in your seat!

Get tickets to a Broadway show on New York Theatre Guide.

1.

Six

2.

Chicago

3.

The Book of Mormon

4.

MJ The Musical

5.

The Outsiders

6.

The Great Gatsby

7.

The Rocky Horror Show

8.

Schmigadoon!

9.

Buena Vista Social Club

10.

& Juliet

1.

Six

Broadway
Musical
Award winner

Six reimagines the six wives of Henry VIII as a pop group, each of whom sings an infectiously catchy song about Henry's mistreatment of them to determine who will lead the group. The five not singing their solo at any given time support with background vocals and movement — even if they're not very supportive of each other. (Or are they?) It's impressive to watch the Queens move almost as a unit, with every head nod, step, and hip perfectly synchronized, thanks to Carrie-Anne Ingrouille's choreography.

In a nutshell, watching Six is like watching a pop star and their backup dancers at a high-energy concert. And you know when you're at a concert, you want to stand up and groove, too! Unfortunately, you can't dance along during the show, but the best part of the Six choreography is that it's simple and clean. With a quick few YouTube tutorials (and a trip to see the show live), you can learn the dances move-for-move and pretend you're a Broadway queen at home.

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Six

2.

Chicago

Broadway
Musical
Classic
Award winner

Chicago is almost synonymous with one of the most iconic Broadway choreographers of all time: Bob Fosse. Sharp, angular arm movements (like the above); hip rolls; snaps; and small, specific movements define his signature, sultry style of jazz. It's all on display in every moment of Chicago, a thrilling story of a wannabe vaudeville star-turned-murderess whose crime gets her on the front page of every newspaper in the city.

Fosse choreographed the original Chicago Broadway production in 1975, but he died before the 1996 revival was in the works. So Ann Reinking, who originated the role of Roxie, choreographed the new production in his style and won the Best Choreography Tony Award (Fosse only got nominated!). That revival is still running 25 years later, so Chicago is just as much Reinking's show as Fosse's — but he'll always be known for all that jazz.

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Chicago

3.

The Book of Mormon

Broadway
Musical
Award winner

Casey Nicholaw is the master of modern musical comedy choreography. His work is bouncy, fun, and often infused with physical humor and/or at least one instance of tap dancing. If you've seen AladdinSomething Rotten!, or Mean Girls, you're familiar with his Tony-nominated work, which he often also directs. Another case in point is The Book of Mormon, the irreverent comedy about Mormon missionaries that's been on Broadway for 11 divine years.

Take the song "Two By Two," for example — Elders Price and Cunningham are hoping to get sent on mission to Disney World, so Nicholaw invented "cheesy theme-park choreography," as he himself describes it. And in "All-American Prophet," the Book of Mormon ensemble dances their way through the true story of Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon religion, truthfully yet comically. As David Schmader of The Stranger puts it, "If you want to economically underscore the ridiculousness of someone's argument, have them make it while doing an aggressively energetic 'funky strut' dance."

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The Book of Mormon

4.

MJ The Musical

Broadway
Jukebox musical
Award winner

There's a reason Michael Jackson is the only musical artist in the Dance Hall of Fame: He was a dancing machine. His dancing versatility was almost as expansive as his catalogue of hit songs: He popularized dances from the sharp, rigid robot to the totally opposite, smooth moonwalk. These signature moves and plenty more are all on display in MJ The Musical, which takes audiences through Jackson's life and career as he rehearses for his 1992 Dangerous World Tour.

Though Jackson's hit music is obviously a key part of MJ The Musical, it's really a dance show. Many of the rehearsal scenes and flashbacks alike feature Jackson and his backup dancers performing on stage, and dance numbers let the actors move smoothly through scene transitions. Plus, director/choreographer Christopher Wheeldon teamed up with "movement consultants" Rich and Tone Talauega, brothers who actually danced with Jackson, to make the movement as authentic to Jackson's style as possible. If you come out of MJ The Musical feeling energized, blame it on the boogie! (Not that that's a "Bad" thing — you can't help it.)

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MJ The Musical

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5.

The Outsiders

Broadway
Musical
Award winner
Page to stage

The Outsiders doesn't feature traditional Broadway dance, but the movement is by far the most arresting aspect of the show. Depicting the class and turf war between two teenage gangs, the well-off Socs and downtrodden Greasers, the musical features multiple scenes of impeccably stylized fight choreography.

It's gritty, it's punchy, and it's as stunning to watch as it is heartbreaking. In The Outsiders, movement tells the sad story of how these teens have learned not to express themselves with words, but with fists.

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The Outsiders

6.

The Great Gatsby

Broadway
Musical
Award winner
Page to stage

It wouldn't be a musical set in the 1920s without a little — okay, a lot — of Charleston dance. Plenty of it is on vibrant display in The Great Gatsby on Broadway, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel about a doomed, forbidden romance. The scenes set at Jay Gatsby's lavish, crowded parties are where you'll see most of the dance as everyone gets down in their flapper dresses and pinstripe suits. We defy you not to want to dance with them.

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The Great Gatsby

7.

The Rocky Horror Show

Broadway
Musical
Comedy
Classic

The Time Warp. Need we say more? This iconic dance alone is enough to earn The Rocky Horror Show a place on this list, but there's plenty more where that came from, including the Act 2 "Floor Show," a sequence of three numbers all about liberation and pleasure. Don't dream it, see it — and dance it.

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The Rocky Horror Show

8.

Schmigadoon!

Broadway
Musical
Comedy
Award winner
Screen to stage

Schmigadoon! is a good old-fashioned song-and-dance show. In it, a modern-day couple stumbles into a Golden Age musical-inspired town, with all the classic trappings that implies. Meaning: big ensemble, high kicks, and even a tap number. Christopher Gattelli, who choreographed the same-named TV show, earned Tony nominations for directing and choreographing the Best Musical winner.

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Schmigadoon!

9.

Buena Vista Social Club

Broadway
Jukebox musical
Drama
History
Award winner

You'll be dancing in your seat at Buena Vista Social Club, which celebrates the same-named music group and their revitalization of Cuba's musical golden age in the '90s. Not only did the show win the Tony Award for Best Choreography (alongside multiple honors for its music), it also hosts occasional "dance-along" performances, where audiences are encouraged to groove at their seats.

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Buena Vista Social Club

10.

& Juliet

Broadway
Jukebox musical
Shakespeare
Romance

& Juliet is scored with the pop hits of the '90s, '00s, and '10s and has the moves to match. Choreographer Jennifer Weber was inspired by pop music videos, so you can expect high-energy jazz- and hip-hop-inspired dancing at this show about Shakespeare's Juliet, who gets a whole new ending and a second chance at life.

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& Juliet