My 5 Favorite Films About Dancers That Aren’t About Dance

You know how much I love films. I’ve already shared my favorite dance movies in two different blog posts — My Favorite Dance Films - Part 1: Ballet Edition and My Favorite Dance Films - Part 2: More Ballet and Beyond — but this time, I want to take you somewhere slightly different.

This list isn’t about the best dance performances on screen. It’s about films where dance is present in the character’s soul, their background, or the world around them, but not always center stage. These stories move me deeply, not only because they feature dancers, but because they explore complex characters with grief, ambition, transformation, memory, pain.

These five films are currently on my Letterboxd list, and they live rent-free in my heart!

1. Talk to Her (Hable con Ella, 2002) – Pedro Almodóvar

This film is many things: poetic, painful, strange, and impossible to forget. It’s also a love letter to bodies in silence — both still and in movement. The character of Alicia, a young ballerina in a coma, embodies the fragility and mystery of the feminine. Almodóvar plays with time and memory, and dance weaves through the story like a whisper. One of my favorite scenes is the solo to Pina Bausch’s Café Müller. This film made me feel seen as an artist and a woman who’s had to pause, wait, and still believe, even though going through everything she did.

2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Daisy, played by Cate Blanchett, is a ballet dancer. And her aging in reverse alongside Benjamin becomes even more poetic when you realize what a dancer’s career arc often looks like: youth, ambition, the body’s peak — and then, change. There’s a moment in the film when Daisy dances alone in a softly lit studio that breaks me every time. This story isn't about dance, but it carries its soul.

3. The Adjustment Bureau (2011)

I love this movie! And Elise, portrayed by Emily Blunt, is a contemporary dancer caught in a sci-fi thriller about destiny. And what I love is how her artistry and intuition ground the film’s emotional weight. She’s free-spirited, passionate, and the way she moves — on and off stage— is magnetic. Her presence is what gives the film heart in the middle of all the messy timelines and labyrinths. As a contemporary dancer, I felt connected to her spontaneity and fierce trust in her body’s voice.

4. Red Sparrow (2018)

Yes, it’s a dark film. Yes, it’s a thriller. And yes, I love spy movies! And this one begins in the heart of the Bolshoi Ballet. Jennifer Lawrence’s character, Dominika, is a Russian ballerina whose career ends in one violent snap. What follows is a twisted journey of control, survival, and reclaiming her life. I found it incredibly powerful. The discipline, the silence of dancers in pain, the way she reinvents herself — it’s not a “dance movie”, but you never forget she was trained to be both exquisite and resilient. That duality stays. Love it!

5. Girl (2018)

This is a devastating film that tells the story of Lara, a 15-year-old trans girl training to become a ballerina. It’s tender and yet, hard to watch. The physical and emotional toll Lara endures as she chases her dream is heartbreaking — and very real. The film doesn’t romanticize ballet. It shows how brutal the path can be when you’re trying to align your identity with your art, especially in such a rigid, gendered world. I won't hide it, I cried a lot. And I rooted for her with all my heart. Being a transgender in the ballet world is just another fight to add to the list.

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These aren’t your typical ballet movies. But for those of us who live and breathe movement, even offstage, they hit deep. Let me know if you’ve seen any of these, or if you’d add others to this list. You can also check them all on my Letterboxd where I keep my ever-growing watchlist.

And remember: even when the world doesn't revolve around dance, dancers leave a trace in everything they touch.