Some of the most famous dancers in the world

Dancing icons have always inspired. Whether they perform on a Broadway stage, film and TV or for the Royal Ballet, dancers have graced stages and sets with their awesome skills. So, who are some of the best dancers from all genres?

Rudolf Nureyev

Born in 1938, Nureyev has been called ‘Lord of the Dance’. He is considered one of the greatest ballet dancers of all time and started his career in St Petersburg, Russia. He caused an international stir when he defected from Russia during the Cold War and went on to lead the Paris Opera Ballet during the 1980s.

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Gene Kelly

During the age of Hollywood musicals, Gene Kelly became famous for his athletic moves and energetic dancing style. He performed a hybrid of dance styles including ballet, tap and modern dancing. He is most famous for his role in Singin’ in the Rain.

Margot Fonteyn

An English ballet dancer, Fonteyn was the principal dancer with the Royal Ballet and spent her whole career there. One of the greatest classical dancers, she demonstrated grace, exquisite technique and beautiful musicality.

Michael Jackson

Known as the ‘King of Pop’, Jackson is best remembered for his incredibly smooth moves and ground-breaking inventions of new steps that seemed to defy gravity! He developed moves that were completely unique and would shape future dance across the world.

Ricardo Vega and Karen Forcano

This duo are the most famous salsa dancers in the world. They come from Chile and are well-known for their high energy performances, showmanship and daring acrobatic lifts. If you’ve always fancied taking up this fast-paced dance then consider Salsa Classes London by https://rvdance.co.uk/dance-classes-london/salsa-classes-london

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Gregory Hines

Hines was a tapping sensation who started tapping at the tender age of two. By five, he was semi-professional. He was in several dancing films and was best known for his ability to improvise. He could create rhythms like a drummer and experimented with fusing styles such as modern and jazz dance.

Maddie Ziegler

For a modern day dancer, Ziegler is one of the most prominent after appearing in several music videos for singer/songwriter Sia. She is now also an actress and rose to fame through her appearances in American show Dance Moms when she was eight years old. Ziegler was also a judge on So You Think You Can Dance in 2016.