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Jennifer Lopez -

The lovely Jennifer Lopez began as a backup dancer and worked her way into acting and singing slowly. Oh, and three of her love affairs have been with her own backup dancers!

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Sarah Jessica Parker -

Sarah Jessica Parker went to ballet school in New York and has continued to be a patron of the art. She even started the New York Ballet Gala to celebrate her passion.

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Patrick Swayze -

'Dirty Dancing' (1987) star Patrick Swayze spent a lot of time in dance studios. His mother ran a dance school and his wife was a ballet star–no wonder he was so graceful on screen!

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Audrey Hepburn -

Audrey Hepburn was top of her class at Arnhem Conservatory in the Netherlands during WWII, but had to stop due to her physique not suiting a professional career.

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Deborah Kerr -

Deborah Kerr from 'The King and I' (1956) trained as a ballet dancer and at 17 made her professional dancing debut in London. Of course, acting would eventually become her focus.

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Mads Mikkelsen -

Actor Mads Mikkelsen started as a gymnast and ballet dancer, but chose to hide it from his fellow classmates because he was embarrassed.

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Natalie Portman -

Natalie Portman studied dance until she was 13. Her dance background helped her become the lead in 'Black Swan' (2010).

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Channing Tatum -

It's no surprise that this 'Step Up' (2006) hunk began as a dancer. But it's also true that 'Magic Mike' (2012) is just as close to home-Channing Tatum also used to work as a stripper.

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Vin Diesel -

Vin Diesel has kept his previous life as a break dance coach a bit of a secret, but it existed. He performed on the streets of New York as a young adult.

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Penélope Cruz -

The Queen of Spanish Cinema, Penélope Cruz was first a ballerina at Spain's National Conservatory before she turned her talents to acting.

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Brigitte Bardot -

The iconic Brigitte Bardot attended the Conservatoire de Paris before gracing our screens. Her continued preference for ballet flats in everyday life made ballerina pumps trendy.

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Diane Kruger -

Diane Kruger attended the Royal Ballet School and aspired to be a lifelong dancer. But she injured her knee and instead turned to modeling and acting.

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Elisabeth Moss -

Elisabeth Moss went to the School of American Ballet in New York. She has also produced a documentary called 'Ballet Now' (2018).

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Catherine Zeta-Jones -

Catherine Zeta-Jones was a national tap-dance champion as a child, which won her roles in London's West End.

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Christopher Walken -

Christopher Walken was also a tap dancing prodigy, and even performed alongside a young Liza Minnelli. But he eventually ditched musicals when they became unpopular.

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Colin Farrell -

Colin Farrell was a professional country line dancer, and also dabbled in Irish dancing as a kid.

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Madonna -

Madonna moved to New York first to become a professional dancer, but her singing triumphed.

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Christian Bale -

Christian Bale was the only boy in ballet class at the Royal Ballet School in London, apparently attracting many young ladies.

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Charlize Theron -

Charlize Theron trained as a ballerina in South Africa before she transitioned to the world of acting.

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Mia Wasikowska -

'Alice in Wonderland' (2010) star Mia Wasikowska would have been a professional ballerina were it not for a bad ankle injury at the age of 14.

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Neve Campbell -

Neve Campbell attended the National Ballet School in Canada before hitting the big screen.

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Jamie Bell -

Jamie Bell played Billy Elliot precisely because he was a child dancer. He said that the film was very similar to his own life.

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Jennifer Garner -

As shown by her 'Thriller' performance in '13 Going on 30' (2004), Jennifer Garner is a great dancer. It's no surprise, really, since she started when she was a kid.

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Zoe Saldana -

The Queen of Film Franchises was a professional ballet dancer, but had to stop because she did not have the right feet for it.

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Alfonso Ribeiro -

Alfonso Ribeiro, who played Carlton in ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,' was a tap dancer, and even did a Pepsi ad with Michael Jackson.

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Kelly Bishop -

'Gilmore Girls' star Kelly Bishop trained as a ballet dancer at San Jose Ballet School and performed as a dancer before her acting career took off.

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Jessica Brown-Findlay -

'Downton Abbey' actress Jessica Brown-Findlay began ballet at the early age of two. Sadly an ankle injury at 17 caused her to hang up her pumps.

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Jenna Elfman -

'Dharma & Greg' actress Jenna Elfman started ballet at the age of five, and has appeared in many music videos as a result.

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Kat Graham -

Kat Graham was a backup dancer before she made her name in 'The Vampire Diaries.' As a dancer, she appeared on stage with the likes of Missy Elliott and Bow Wow.

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Heather Morris -

Before she landed a role on 'Glee,' Heather Morris was a backup dancer for Beyoncé. She later received a perfect score on 'Dancing with the Stars.'

Sources: (Women's Health) (The Delite)

See also: Gymspiration: Female celebs who lift weights

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