25 Greatest Dancers of All Time
Who are the 25 greatest dancers of all time?
This is one of those rankings where the answer depends heavily on what you value.
Classical ballet?
Tap?
Jazz?
Modern dance?
Movie dancing?
Stage performance?
Pop music?
Some of the greatest dancers ever were trained specialists. Others became famous because they combined dancing with acting, music and pure showmanship.
That makes this an ideal Ultimate Rankings debate.
Michael Jackson Changed Popular Dance
If we're ranking famous dancers across every style, Michael Jackson has perhaps the strongest argument for No. 1.
Jackson didn't invent every move associated with him, but he combined influences from earlier dancers and created a performance style instantly recognizable around the world.
The moonwalk became a cultural phenomenon.
His spins, toe stands, isolations and precision helped turn music videos and concert performances into dance showcases.
More importantly, generations of performers copied him.
That's influence.
The Nicholas Brothers Were Almost Superhuman
Long before Michael Jackson, Fayard and Harold Nicholas were doing things onstage that still look impossible.
The Nicholas Brothers combined tap dancing, acrobatics, rhythm and athleticism.
Their famous staircase routine in Stormy Weather remains one of the greatest dance sequences ever captured on film.
They performed splits, leaps and jumps that would challenge elite dancers today.
Both deserve individual recognition among the greatest dancers ever.
Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly
Fred Astaire brought elegance.
Gene Kelly brought power.
Astaire seemed almost weightless. His dancing was smooth, controlled and sophisticated, and his partnerships with Ginger Rogers produced some of Hollywood's most memorable musical sequences.
Kelly approached dance more athletically.
His work in Singin' in the Rain helped create one of the most famous movie dance performances ever.
Choosing between them often comes down to personal taste.
Ballet Cannot Be Ignored
A ranking of dancers that includes only entertainers would be incomplete.
Mikhail Baryshnikov became one of the most famous ballet dancers in history because of his extraordinary technique and athleticism.
Rudolf Nureyev brought enormous charisma to ballet and helped make male ballet dancers major stars.
Women such as Margot Fonteyn, Anna Pavlova and Maya Plisetskaya became legends of classical dance.
Their influence reaches far beyond popular entertainment.
Sammy Davis Jr., Gregory Hines and Tap
Sammy Davis Jr. could seemingly do everything—sing, act, tell jokes and dance.
His tap ability sometimes gets overlooked because his talent was spread across so many areas.
Gregory Hines helped bring tap dancing to newer audiences and combined technical brilliance with improvisation and personality.
Other tap legends such as Bill “Bojangles” Robinson helped lay the groundwork decades earlier.
Modern Performers
Modern music has produced tremendous dancers as well.
Janet Jackson helped make tightly choreographed dancing central to pop performance.
Paula Abdul became known both as a dancer and choreographer.
Bruno Mars combines old-school showmanship with modern pop.
Derek Hough helped bring ballroom and contemporary dance to huge television audiences.
And performers such as Michael Flatley introduced millions of people to a completely different form of dance through Riverdance and Lord of the Dance.
How Should the Greatest Dancers Be Ranked?
We think voters should consider:
- Technical ability
- Athleticism
- Originality
- Stage presence
- Versatility
- Influence
- Difficulty of movement
- Musicality
- Career accomplishments
- Memorable performances
Popularity should matter—but it cannot be everything.
Michael Jackson may have reached the biggest worldwide audience.
The Nicholas Brothers may have performed some of the most athletic routines.
Astaire may have had the most elegance.
Baryshnikov may have had the highest classical technique.
That's what makes the 25 Greatest Dancers of All Time so difficult.