Dance Spirit

Payton Johnson’s dancing is a tempest of opposites. In a solo in Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber’s Seven Scenes at Little Island in New York City last summer, she moved seamlessly between pinpoint precision and breathtaking abandon. Her performance was at once elemental, like she was animated by forces of nature, and undeniably human—a young woman moving on instinct, albeit with an enviable sense of musicality and a spellbinding presence.

Sarah Verville founded Fluid Dance Convention 20 years ago with the goal of creating a new kind of dance competition. In an industry flooded with flashy prizes, “I wanted something built on exceptional education, offered in a safe and encouraging learning environment,” she says. That first weekend, there were only 19 routines, and a hotel’s parquet floor served as a makeshift stage.

When Jessica Wang was 14, she found herself in a position that many dancers find relatable: Dance felt like her whole identity. “When I introduced myself, the first thing I would say is that I’m a dancer. It got to a point where I felt like dance defined me too much,” she says. Wang, now 17, studies at Etoile Dance Academy in Houston during the academic year and with the Atlanta Professional Dance Academy each summer, and she participates in ballet competitions like Youth America Grand Prix.

It might sound dramatic, but being an artist can feel like putting your heart on a platter and waiting for someone to squash it. That’s the case for any art form, but the performing arts require extra vulnerability—it’s your physical body doing the art, after all. Add on the fact that performers tend to be perfectionists and you’ve got a recipe for serious nerves.

Last spring, Fox Television Network president Michael Thorn announced that the network had no plans to renew “So You Think You Can Dance.” The reality competition show, which debuted on July 20, 2005, had not aired since 2024, its 18th season. When the news broke, it rocked fans everywhere, including hundreds of dancers and choreographers who had competed on the dance-world mainstay over the decades.

Eighteen-year-old tap dancer Rio Gomez used to shy away from the spotlight, but the spotlight keeps shining on her and her skills. When the Fullerton, California–native was younger, she didn’t always believe in herself. “My teachers brought me up, when I didn’t have much confidence in my dancing,” she says. Since then, Gomez has taken big strides: She won a 2026 YoungArts Award and, in May, was named Artist of the Year for Dance by the Orange County Register.

Madisyn Rose Amos is a force to be reckoned with in the competition circuit. At just 12 years old, she clearly exemplifies what it means to be a multifaceted dancer. A quick scroll through her Instagram reveals competition and convention reels spanning a variety of styles, including jazz, ballet, contemporary, and ballroom.

During the summer of 2025, a video titled “Garage Dance Squad” went viral on Reddit. In it, five guys dressed in short-sleeved button-downs, black slacks, and colorfully patterned ties hit a dance break in a neighborhood driveway in Clairemont, CA—after, of course, asking permission to make the homeowner’s day. People commented on the post, wondering if the boys were proselytizers or pranksters. They were, in fact, The Full Circle Boys.

At Helena Padial’s middle school production of Bye Bye Birdie, Chita Rivera—yes, that Chita Rivera—came to watch. When she met the musical theater legend backstage, Padial burst into tears of disbelief, and Rivera gave her a hug. Fast-forward to 2026 and Padial, at 21, has been named Broadway’s Next Triple Threat, a new award created by the Chita Rivera Awards and New York City Dance Alliance.

The beauty of a dance film is its ability to transport you within minutes. As creatives continue to push the boundaries of movement using video, there has never been a better time to seek out onscreen artistry. Whether you’re on the couch, on the subway, or stretching in the studio, inspiration is a click away—no matter your style. From hip hop to jookin and more, here are four standout films from a diverse mix of artists that have spotlighted street dance in recent years.