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Cheryl Burke and Drew Carry on Dancing with the Stars[/caption]
We all know that (most!) actors can act, but many are also singers, musicians, and even great dancers.
While you may have guessed that an actor was a dancer based on their performance in a musical, or from dance scenes in a movie, others may come as a surprise to you.
Let’s take a look at ten actors and actresses, who have amazing dancing skills.
Julianne Hough
Julianne Hough is an American dancer, songwriter and actress. She is also a two-time professional champion of Dancing with the Stars and has stared in many popular films including Safe Haven, Paradise, and Footloose. All four of Julianne’s grandparents were dancers, and growing up she was involved heavily with dance. Julianne was the youngest dancer, and only American to win both the Junior World Latin Champion as well as the International Latin Youth Champion at age 15.
Mark Ballas
Mark Ballas is a dancer, choreographer, musician, and actor. He’s also a professional ballroom dancer in Dancing with the Stars. Mark has played in numerous films such as Harry Potter, and made a guest appearance on the season premiere of Samantha Who. In his early days, with his former partner Julianne Hough, he won the Junior Latin American Dance Championship and the gold medal at the Junior Olympics.
Cheryl Burke
Cheryl Burke is most known for her work on Dancing with the Stars, but has also played an important role in popular TV shows Smallville and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Cheryl began taking ballet lessons at the age of four. Later, she changed her focus to ballroom dancing and when she was thirteen, she began dancing competitively.
Riker Lynch
Riker Lynch is probably best known for his participation in the well-known TV show, Glee. He has also had roles in movies such as Lost Angeles, City of Jerks, and Suicide Dolls. He’s also known for his dance skills, and this year he participated in the 20th season of Dancing With the Stars.
Stephen Gordy
Stephen Gordy, better known by his stage name: Redfoo is an American singer, dancer, DJ, and rapper. Redfoo is best known for his music videos and rapping.
James Cagney
James Cagney has stared in over fifty films. His seventh film, The Public Enemy, was one of the most influential gangster movies of the time. As a young boy, James took up tap dancing, a skill that would later be responsible for an Academy Award.
John Travolta
John Travolta is a well-known actor and dancer, having stared in many movies over the years. He is also a great dancer, as you might have noticed if you have seen Grease. Dance has always been a part of his life; as a child, he won a dance competition doing the twist and would later go on to take up tap dancing.
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman has starred in a range of blockbuster hits, and is perhaps most infamous for his role in the X-Men film franchise. But it’s not just the tough-guy persona that Hugh can portray, he’s done his share of musicals too, and is at home playing a superhero, or dancing on the Broadway musical stage.
Zoe Saldana
Zoe Saldana has made a name for herself in many of the action movies of the decade, taking a leading role in Star Trek, Avatar, and more recently, Guardians of the Galaxy. But Zoe isn’t just about action-packed movies. Her theatrical career began in ballet and dance. Zoe discovered her love of dance after she and her mother moved to the Dominican Republic when she was nine. She enrolled in the ECOS academy and studied various forms of dance –but lists her first passion as ballet.
Lea Thompson
Before she made a life of acting, Lea Thompson was a very accomplished ballerina. She won scholarships to multiple ballet schools and danced with many companies –including the American Ballet Theater. After her dance career ended, Lea would go on to play roles in over 80 films including Back to the Future, and Red Dawn.
Who didn’t make this list? Which other actors have amazing dance skills?
Image: Disney | ABC Television Group
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