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Movies like Varsity Show (1937)

The best movies like Varsity Show (1937) are Take the Lead (2006), Footloose (2011) and Staying Alive (1983). If Varsity Show hooked you with its music, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Take the Lead (2006)

    A former professional dancer volunteers to teach dance in the New York public school system and, while his background first clashes with his students' tastes, together they create a completely new style of dance. Based on the story of ballroom dancer, Pierre Dulane.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  2. Footloose (2011)

    Ren MacCormack is transplanted from Boston to the small southern town of Bomont where loud music and dancing are prohibited. Not one to bow to the status quo, Ren challenges the ban, revitalizing the town and falling in love with the minister’s troubled daughter Ariel in the process.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  3. Staying Alive (1983)

    Five years later, Tony Manero's Saturday Night Fever still burns. Now he's struts toward his biggest challenger yet - making it as a dancer on the Broadway stage.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music

  4. Whiplash (2014)

    Under the direction of a ruthless instructor, a talented young drummer begins to pursue perfection at any cost, even his humanity.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  5. Step Up (2006)

    Delinquent Tyler Gage receives the opportunity of a lifetime after vandalizing a performing arts school, gaining him the chance to earn a scholarship and dance with up-and-coming dancer Nora.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  6. Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985)

    Janey is new in town. She soon meets Lynne, a classmate who shares her passion for the local show 'Dance TV'. When a competition is announced to find new Dance TV performers, Janey and Lynne are determined to audition. The only problem is that Janey's father doesn't approve of that kind of thing.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  7. High Strung Free Dance (2018)

    Zander Raines, a dazzling and tempestuous young choreographer, gives the break of a lifetime to two hopeful artists when he casts a stunning contemporary dancer, Barlow, and innovative pianist, Charlie, in New York’s most-anticipated new Broadway show: Free Dance. But the move throws off the show’s delicate creative balance when Charlie falls hard for Barlow, while Zander embraces her as his muse.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  8. Honey 3: Dare to Dance (2016)

    While attending college in Cape Town, Melea Martin feels constrained by the school's strict policies, and decides to set out on her own. Searching for a way to use her talents as a dancer and inspire the community around her, Melea rents a failing theater in order to put on a Hip-Hop Romeo and Juliet performance. But much like the Capulets and Montagues, conflicts between cast members threaten to bring the whole performance to a halt...

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  9. Step Up Revolution (2012)

    Emily arrives in Miami with aspirations to become a professional dancer. She sparks with Sean, the leader of a dance crew whose neighborhood is threatened by Emily's father's development plans.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  10. Beyond the Sea (2004)

    Based on the life and career of legendary entertainer, Bobby Darin, the biopic moves back and forth between his childhood and adulthood, to tell the tale of his life.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  11. A Song Is Born (1948)

    The story of seven scholars in search of an expert to teach them about swing music. They seem to have found the perfect candidate in winsome nightclub singer Honey Swanson. But Honey's gangster boyfriend doesn't want to give her up.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. High Strung (2016)

    When a hip hop violinist busking in the New York subway encounters a classical dancer on scholarship at the Manhattan Conservatory of the Arts, sparks fly. With the help of a hip hop dance crew they must find a common ground while preparing for a competition that could change their lives forever.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  13. Another Cinderella Story (2008)

    A guy who danced with what could be the girl of his dreams at a costume ball only has one hint at her identity: the Zune she left behind as she rushed home in order to make her curfew. And with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in front of him, he sets out to find his masked beauty.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  14. Too Late Blues (1961)

    Ghost is an ideological musician and leader of a jazz band who would rather play his blues in the park to the birds than compromise himself. His peripatetic performances lead him to cross paths with a singer, while his masculinity is thrown into question following a violent brawl.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. You Got Served (2004)

    At Mr. Rad's Warehouse, the best hip-hop crews in Los Angeles compete for money and respect. But when a suburban crew crashes the party, stealing their dancers — and their moves — two warring friends have to pull together to represent the street.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  16. Drumline: A New Beat (2014)

    A girl from New York attends a college in Atlanta to join their once-famous marching band.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  17. Grease Live (2016)

    After enjoying a holiday romance, high school students Danny and Sandy are unexpectedly reunited when she transfers to Rydell High, where she must contend with cynical Rizzo and the Pink Ladies.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  18. Work It (2020)

    A brilliant but clumsy high school senior vows to get into her late father's alma mater by transforming herself and a misfit squad into dance champions.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  19. Danny Collins (2015)

    An ageing hard-living 1970s rock star decides to change his life when he discovers a 40-year-old undelivered letter written to him by John Lennon.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. Brigadoon (1954)

    Americans Jeff and Tommy, hunting in Scotland, stumble upon a village - Brigadoon. They soon learn that the town appears once every 100 years in order to preserve its peace and special beauty. The citizens go to bed at night and when they wake up, it's 100 years later. Tommy falls in love with a beautiful young woman, Fiona, and is torn between staying or going back to his hectic life in New York.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  21. Happy Wedding (1959)

    During the Warring States Period, Nung-yuk, the Princess of Qin, denounces the mundane world and dreams of marrying an immortal. This extends to her criteria for choosing a husband: excelling in flute playing. Once, she is captivated by the tune 'Three Melodies of Rainbow Dress' and mistakes the qin player Siu Sze for a fairy. Yuk then persuades Sze to sit the national exam for a better future. Sze's music attracts hundred of birds. Yuk returns to the palace pleading with her father Esquire Muk to agree to their marriage. Despite the Empress Dowager's opposition, Yuk leads a secluded life with Siu afar; a noble breed thus living a hard life. The King lets her go, only granting an annual visit. A year later, Yuk and her husband returns for a visit. The Queen still wants to break them up. Later, Jin State sends people to discover the whereabouts of their Princes. Siu is in fact the Prince of Jin. With Muk’s blessings, Siu marries Yuk in Jin, a marriage which brings peace to both states.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music

  22. Yellow Submarine (1968)

    The wicked Blue Meanies take over Pepperland, eliminating all color and music. As the only survivor, the Lord Admiral escapes in the yellow submarine and journeys to Liverpool to enlist the help of the Beatles.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  23. Marriage of Figaro (1949)

    Shortly after WWII, the DEFA Studios produced a series of operas and operettas which belonged to the classical German musical heritage. This enchanting film, the very first opera production of DEFA, stands out because of its lavish decor and costumes, its outstanding actors and their masterful voices of that time.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music

  24. Realidade - Ao Vivo em Manaus (2017)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music

  25. White Christmas (1954)

    Two talented song-and-dance men team up after the war to become one of the hottest acts in show business. In time they befriend and become romantically involved with the beautiful Haynes sisters who comprise a sister act.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  26. Victor/Victoria (1982)

    A struggling female soprano finds work playing a male female impersonator, but it complicates her personal life.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  27. Hamlet 2 (2008)

    Failed actor-turned-worse-high-school-drama-teacher Dana Marschz rallies his Tucson students as he conceives and stages a politically incorrect musical sequel to Shakespeare's Hamlet.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music

  28. Finally Home (TBA)

    Raised in the South African township of Zamelda, Johannes 'JoJo' Radebe faced prejudice as a young boy who was captivated by dance – and Barbies… rather than football and rugby, as was the norm among his peers. With the support of his mother, sister, and a dance coach who spotted his gift, he became a champion ballroom dancer and popular celebrity. Having been one of the professional dancers on the South African Strictly Come Dancing, he has appeared on the British version of the show since 2018.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music

  29. New York, New York (1977)

    An egotistical saxophone player and a young singer meet on V-J Day and embark upon a strained and rocky romance, even as their careers begin a long uphill climb.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  30. Son of Dracula (1974)

    Due to be crowned King of the Netherworld by his mentor Merlin the Magician, Count Downe — son of Dracula — falls in love with beautiful mortal Amber and finds himself in conflict with Baron Frankenstein, who is vying for the same honourary title.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music

Like Varsity Show and something else?

Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Varsity Show?

The closest matches to Varsity Show are Take the Lead (2006), Footloose (2011) and Staying Alive (1983). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Varsity Show?

Start with Take the Lead (2006), the closest match to Varsity Show.

What is the highest-rated movie like Varsity Show?

Whiplash (2014), rated 8.4/10 by 17,368 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Varsity Show?

Work It (2020) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like Varsity Show?

Yes: Take the Lead (2006), Footloose (2011) and Staying Alive (1983).

How are movies similar to Varsity Show chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Varsity Show, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

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