Are you looking for the best dance TV shows on NetFlix and similar platforms? We have a few names to recommend. All of the series we have hand-picked is packed with amazing performances and enough drama to keep you anticipating.
Table of Contents
12 Best Dance TV Shows To Watch
12. Fame
Fame was one of the rare dance TV shows in the 80s, inspired by and named after a rather well-received movie. It also took place in NY City High School for the Performing Arts and focused on the students here.
The show first gained attention when the characters in the movie joined and retained their roles as teachers and students. The biggest difference is that the show is not limited to school life and dancing. Living up to a department of performing arts, it spoiled the audiences with singing and instrument playing.
Despite coming from Hollywood, the show was remarkably successful in the UK. It acquired some hit records and concerts. Unfortunately, the majority of the actors didn’t rise to the top.
11. Hit The Floor
In this drama TV series, we follow a cheerleading team of The LA Devils. The newest member, Ahsha Hayes, had conflicts with Jelena Howard the captain. Ahsha knew her mom used to be part of this team but had no idea the current coach was her biological father.
As the series progressed into its next seasons, the drama and the tension also increased tremendously. There was murder, blackmailing, and thickening of plots. It changed the general impression of famous TV show dances being for children and young adults only.
It’s quite safe to say that Hit The Floor earned viewers’ adoration and recognition by mixing energetic dances with a hefty load of drama. Needless to say, mature audiences are in love with this combination.
10. Shake It Up
Staying away from dramas and tragedies, Shake It Up is a wholesome and uplifting series from Disney Channel. It is your typical show with aspiring dancers and friends.
The premise focuses on CeCe Jones and Rocky Blue, two best friends with a dream of being professional dancers. With much-needed help, they earn the position of backup dancers on “Shake It Up, Chicago!”.
CeCe and Rocky have a lot of things to do if they want to improve their skill and simultaneously keep up with their social life at school. The road to stardom wasn’t smooth either, with many competitors waiting ahead of them.
9. Bunheads
“Bunhead” is the old slang term for ballerinas, hence you might have a rough prediction of the series already. Nonetheless, there is only one season of Bunheads, which means it won’t be enough if you are looking for a long show to binge-watch.
Michelle Simms ended up as a showgirl after quitting ballet, and the future before her eyes was as gloomy as one can imagine. Desperate and hopeless, she agreed to marry an admirer and moved to a small, quiet town.
Her life takes a drastic detour when an accident kills her husband and leaves her no choice but to adjust to the town life all by herself. Michelle resorts to doing what she is most familiar with and opens a ballet school.
8. Step Up: High Water
In the past few years, there are hardly any film franchises as successful as Step Up, thus it was natural for the producers to take inspiration from the movies and come up with something to satisfy the fans. The series had 3 seasons in total.
The main characters of Step Up High Water are Tal and Janelle the twins. Coming from Ohio, they wound up in the notorious art school High Water. It wasn’t only them, but also all students here who had to overcome the challenges.
Every move they make might lead to a test, which will undoubtedly be the biggest chance for them to improve. However, how far are they willing to go? Would they let go of the precious moments of youth or live their life first?
7. Bring It!
Bring It! is one of the hip-hop dance tv shows that leave a strong impact lately. It was on air in 2014, and three new seasons were added in 2015, 2016, and 2017 respectively. They also organized a tour before releasing the 5th season. According to the lead actress, the show hasn’t been canceled.
Unlike several dancing shows for young audiences, Bring It! follows a dance coach with a team rather than a teenager with a dream. The Dancing Dolls have a wide range of championships and titles.
The main focus of the show is dance competitions and the rivals of the Dancing Dolls. The parents also have interactions and conflicts with the coach, and it undoubtedly brought life to the series.
6. Dancing With The Stars
Dancing with the Stars had such a huge advantage over many series of the same category because it essentially invited celebrities and paired them up with professional dancers such as Cheryl Burke, Louis Van Amstel… It has support from both sides of the participants.
Throughout the show, the duos will compete accordingly to their given topics. Their ranking is based on the judges’ scores and the fans’ votes. The pair with the lowest score will be eliminated until only one remains and becomes the champion.
Other than having foreign adaptations, DWTS also launches some spin-offs. In 2008, it gave birth to Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann – a show in which two teams compete for LIVE and form a group with the best members. 2 years later, the producers brought the DWTS concept on ice with Skating with the Stars.
5. So You Think You Can Dance
SYTYCD is one of the dance TV shows of the 2000s that is still thriving today. It has a great reputation, adapted to 26 versions for 37 countries. The original format of this show was a competition for dancers with various backgrounds and experience levels.
The contest requires them to step out of their comfort zone and perform in different styles. Every week, the dancers who are considered incompetent will have to leave. The final dancer who has conquered every challenge will become the champion.
If you are searching for a show on a large scale, SYTYCD is a choice you can’t overlook. They feature many dance categories such as Western, Eastern, Latin, Broadway, Regional, and more. Everyone can find something to enjoy in SYTYCD.
4. World Of Dance
Among the best dance competition TV shows, World of Dance would be an outstanding name. It left a strong impression from the beginning with the appearance of the well-known Jennifer Lopez, Derek Hough the professional dancer, and the hit owner Ne-Yo.
Even when we leave the registration step out of the way, the production of WoD takes about 9 months to complete. It includes creating the concepts, designing, rehearsing, and implementing. Therefore, you can expect intricacy and mindfulness in WoD.
The winner of WoD earns the title of The Best Dancer in the World and a grand prize of $1 million. As valuable as the championship is, you can imagine how talented the competitors are as well as how determined they can be.
3. The Next Step
Temporarily straying from the kingdoms of TV shows, we have The Next Step from Canada on this list. The camera follows a group of dancers from Toronto, who have both the talent and ambition to turn their names international. Each episode features at least a new routine that the dancers perform later.
The series received positive feedback for its well-arranged choreography and routine, but the energetic animation has certainly contributed to the overall success.
A lot of viewers compare it to the Disney franchise “High School Musical” due to the impact and recognition it created. Currently, it has 3 seasons in the assets with over 2.5 million viewers.
2. Dance Moms
Arguably one of the best reality dance TV shows in the world, you wouldn’t want to miss out on Dance Moms. The series had 8 seasons in total, with the primary focus on dancing mommies who love to motivate themselves as well as their daughters. Therefore, you don’t need to be a mom to enjoy the show.
The interaction between the moms and the teacher is definitely the second viewer attraction after the captivating performances. The series also showed us how pressure can take a toll on young dancers and possibly ruin them even.
It is no surprise that a series like Dance Moms has some controversies such as vulgar disputes and abusive tendencies from Abby Lee Miller, the drama is undeniably spicy and hard to ignore. On a more positive note, the series played a big part in the success of stars like JoJo Siwa and Maddie Ziegler.
1. Dance Academy
The narration in Dance Academy is mostly through the eyes of Tara Webster, a first-year student of the National Academy of Dance. She is a ballerina who slowly improves and familiarises herself with more styles like hip-hop and contemporary.
In the first season, Tara makes new friends and becomes close to her teacher. The competition only officially begins in season 2, when an international ballet contest approaches, and Tara wants to represent Australia. Her final year witnessed the young dancers fight for job opportunities.
For many viewers, the drama in this series is more serious and reasonable, while the dance routines are still done well. It didn’t last long compared to a lot of shows, but it left a strong impact on the fans.
Final Words
Dancing is always fun and exciting to watch, and here are the best dance series to watch with your family and friends. Do you want a show heavy on drama and character development or focused on dancing and performing? Perhaps your preference will also change after you have given everything a try!