25 of the Best Dance Videos of the Last Decade

Famously called one of the greatest music videos of all time, Beyoncé's "Single Ladies" took the world by storm when it was released back in 2008. The music video was choreographed by Frank Gatson and JaQuel Knight, mixing classic Bob Fosse moves with Southern J-setting, where one dancer does something and then the next person follows. "In 'Single Ladies,' I saw this old tape of Bob Fosse’s wife, and I used that as inspiration," Beyoncé explained to Entertainment Weekly. "I thought in this world, with all the technology and everything that's going on, to strip everything down — great idea." It ended up being one of the cheapest music videos she ever made.

"Hips Don't Lie" was Shakira's first number one single in the United States, and her sexy, belly-dancing music video made her (and her hips) a dance icon. The music video was directed by British director Sophie Muller and won the MTV Video Music Award for best choreography in 2006.

This song became famous partly because it was used in an iPod Nano commercial, but the music video has long outlasted the ad's fame. "1234" uses bright colors, easy movement, and impressive group formations to create a beautiful and memorable video that was nominated for the Grammy for best short form music video in 2008.

Pink has said that making this video was the most fun she ever had: "I never wanted it to end. It's my favorite video ever." The choreography was inspired by the Apache dance, a form of Parisian street performance dating back to the early 1900s that depicts a violent, highly stylized exchange between a man and a woman. It was directed by Floria Sigismondi and choreographed by the Golden Boyz, who have also worked with the likes of Madonna and Britney Spears in the past.

Beirut's Balkan-style music certainly lends itself to dancing, and the elusive, frenzied modern choreography this video whips up is some of the most gorgeous and innovative of the decade. The video was directed by Alma Har'el and choreographed by Paula Present. Not to trivialize the artistry, but it kind of looks like one long, beautiful ad for Anthropologie.

Sia's "Chandelier" was another blockbuster music video that refined both the medium and the artist's persona when it was released. Filmed in one long continuous shot, the video follows 11-year-old dancer Maddie Ziegler as she pirouettes and leaps her way through a grim, empty apartment. The video was directed by Sia and Daniel Askill and choreographed by Ryan Heffington. It was nominated for best music video at the 2014 Grammys, and won the MTV Video Music Award for best choreography.

This is the quintessential example of a viral music video. Choreographed by Trish Sie, the sister of the band's frontman, the video of the band syncing up movements on running treadmills amassed millions of views on YouTube and won the 2007 Grammy Award for best short form music video. It took 17 takes to finally get it right.

Channeling 1950s style and a high-energy mix of classic and modern dance moves, Beyoncé's "Countdown" is both technically and visually one of her greatest achievements. Adria Petty directed the music video, and it was shot in 2011 while Beyoncé was pregnant. The choreography references several pop cultur highlights, such as Audrey Hepburn's beatnik dance from Funny Face and the '80s warehouse dancing of Flashdance. It also, somewhat controversially, uses phrases from Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker's Rosas danst Rosas.

Voguing has been featured in music videos plenty of times before, but usually without offering context or crediting the people responsible for its creation (i.e. LGBTQ+ people of color, and yes, I'm talking about Madonna). When FKA Twigs gives birth (yup) to a group of dancers in this music video, it leads to an epic vogue battle where veteran dancer Twigs herself leads the pack. Here, the dancers feel like her collaborators and not just her backup, with a cast including Derek FKA Jamel Prodigy, a longtime NYC voguer and Twigs's voguing mentor. Her incredible dance skill is a fundamental part of her art and how she expresses herself, and this video is peak FKA Twigs.

There's a reason this video won all of the awards. Lady Gaga's unapologetic weirdness and grotesque take on traditional pop choreography is what makes this video so unique and interesting to watch. The monster claws and sexual synchronicity of the dancers all build the world for this music video, and create an aesthetic that is so profoundly Gaga that she is able to break free of the visual legacies of stars like Madonna who came before her.

Ed Sheeran's dancing debut, "Thinking Out Loud," features the singer in a grand ballroom dancing with So You Think You Can Dance's Brittany Cherry. The romantic partner work routine was choreographed by Nappytabs and directed by Emil Nava. The video currently has over 1 billion views on YouTube.

The song received pretty mixed critical reviews, but at least the dancing in the music video was dope. The video was directed by Sophie Muller and played heavily on imagery from The Sound of Music. The kids in the music video dance in heavy, wild formation, a style of choreography usually used to represent youth and rebellion. The dancers also breakdance and flip across the screen, making the video a very entertaining watch.

Yes, there's a lot of Beyoncé on this list, but the woman really knows what she's doing. "7/11" was a departure from the big-budget music videos she is so well-known for, and was directed and shot by Beyoncé herself in the style of a home video. The choreography is fun, upbeat, and speaks to the moment, without being overproduced or too #Flawless. "Smack it, smack it in the air" is about as iconic a gesture as any song could ask for.

This video is fun, colorful, and exceptionally well-choreographed. The jumpy, fragmented phrasing and goofy, over-the-top expressions suit the tUnE-yArDs's experimental sound perfectly. The interpretive modern dance of the video is also refreshingly innovative and features some very impressive partner work.

"Elastic Heart" is the result of another collaboration between Sia, Daniel Askill, and choreographer Ryan Heffington. It features Maddie Ziegler and Shia LaBeouf in an animalistic choreographed battle representative of Sia's warring personalities, and really runs the gamut of emotions. It was nominated for the 2015 MTV VMA for best female video.

In the one continuous shot of "Hideaway," we see Kiesza dancing through the streets of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and syncing up with different groups of dancers along the way. The video was choreographed by Ljuba Castot and features variations on '80s style choreography like the running man while pulling its energy from the electro-pop beat. Most impressive of all is the fact that Kiesza managed to shoot this dance sequence after breaking a rib.

Timberlake goes full black-and-white movie star in this music video. The jazzy big band moves are reminiscent of 1940s performers like the Nicholas Brothers, although more suave and understated. "Suit and Tie" was choreographed by Justin Timberlake's longtime collaborator Marty Kudelka and directed by The Social Network's David Fincher. It won the 2014 Grammy Award for best music video.

This band has basically become synonymous with cool music videos, and with "I Won't Let You Down," they nabbed their second MTV Video Music Award for best choreography. Once you see this video — with its stunning aerial shots and crazy use of umbrellas and motorized Honda UNI-CUB scooters — you'll understand why.

Chance the Rapper dives into the nostalgic past with this music video, walking through a world of moving set pieces, bright colors, and 1950s outfits. The choreography, created by Ian Eastwood, is at once charming, expressive, and bursting with excitement. It's like a Broadway musical, but with more trumpet.

Think Black Swan set to the lyrics "let's have a toast to the douchebags" and that's what you get with Kanye's "Runaway" music video. The video, like the song itself, is slow and meditative with bright embellishments. Ballerinas dance for the expressionless dinner party and the general air is one of restraint; any traditional ballet movements, such as the occasional développé, are performed by only one dancer at a time and performed very slowly and measuredly. It is one of Kanye's greatest visual accomplishments.

This straight-out-of-the-'80s music video shows off Devonté Hynes's (aka Blood Orange's) mad dance skills and Gia Coppola's exceptional directing. Hynes is supported by a string of athletic dancers who kick, twirl, and strut their way across the floor. The video is brillantly meta, and hits all the '80s tropes while still managing to bring enough elegance and modern flair that you can't help but be pulled in.

This music video plays upon the somber trope of people mourning at a funeral for two children, but then quickly subverts it when the children sit up and dance their way back out of the church and into the streets. The impassioned, feverish dancing of the children is technically impressive and emotionally moving, if somewhat perturbing. The video was choreographed by Keone and Mari Madrid and nominated for the 2015 MTV Video Music Award for best choreography.

"Islands" garnered critical acclaim when it premiered in 2010. It was directed by Saam Farahmand and features six dancers repeating the same basic phrase but with slightly different movements and expressions each time, until eventually the set devolves into flames. The style of dance itself gestures to the syncopation, precision, and vigor of 1960s dance crazes like The Frug.

This music video takes place in an insane asylum where Janelle Monáe catches "dancing feet" and smoothly but frenetically makes her way through the halls, dancing with her cohorts in dapper tuxes and shiny Oxfords. It was directed by Wendy Morgan, and features not only iconic footwork, but also so. much. swag.

Missy Elliot blows the roof off with this music video. Transitioning from one crazy dance party to another for the entirety of the video, the choreography switches seamlessly from crunking to swing dance to dancehall to freestyle, never losing steam for a moment. Understandably, it won the 2006 Grammy Award for best short form music video.