Question
What was the highest grossing dance film of the '80s in the U.S.?

What was the highest grossing dance film of the '80s in the U.S.?

Last updated: April 29, 2025

Dance movies ruled 1980s pop culture, each one promising to transform unknown actors into overnight sensations. Major studios poured millions (back when eight-figure budgets were still a big deal) into flashy musicals, banking on the perfect mix of hit songs and fresh faces. Among these glitter-soaked blockbusters, which dance film had the biggest U.S. box office of the decade?

While you might still see ads for a local production of "Footloose and even though "Staying Alive" is one of my favorite songs, "Flashdance" was the surprise box office champion. The film earned over $90 million in the U.S. with a story about a welder who dreamed of ballet. It starred Jessica Beals, who at the time had only been in one previous film, but we all remember her classic dance montages (even though most of the moves were performed by Marine Jahan). Meanwhile "Maniac" took over radio, "What A Feeling" took home an Oscar, and teenagers nationwide took a pair of scissors to their sweatshirts.

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