16 of the Best Lesbian and Bisexual Dance Scenes in TV History

Last week, we were treated to Derry Girls‘ prom episode and an AvaLance tango on Legends of Tomorrow, which set my mind twirling and whirling around some of my favorite lesbian and bisexual dance scenes. Women dancing together is actually a thing that’s still not too common on TV. Weirdly, we’re more likely to see actual sex. Maybe because dancing is so gendered it freaks people out even more than scissoring? Maybe it’s too intimate? Who’s to say! Either way, with the help of the TV Team, I’ve compiled 16 of the best queer dance scenes ever. Get ready to get some feelings, and, as always, we’d love to hear your faves in the comments.

Arthie and Yolanda, GLOW (208 “The Good Twin”)

A dream to build a life on.

Willow and Tara, Buffy (506 “Family”)

When love makes you literally levitate.

Stef and Lena, The Fosters (405 “Forty”)

There are so many great Stef and Lena swaying scenes to choose from, but their unapologetically sexy dancing at Lena’s major milestone birthday party is my personal favorite.

Paige and Emily, Pretty Little Liars (411 “Bring Down the Hoe”)

Emily didn’t want to end up with the mushy squash. 😭 (Runner up.)

Carmen and Shane, The L Word (302 “Lost Weekend”)

Raise your hand if this scene made you gay.

Brittany and Santana, Glee (313 “Heart”)

Cherish/Cherish

The Alvarez Family, One Day at a Time (113 “Quinces”)

In a show filled with moments that’ll make a person cry a bucketful of gay tears, Elena’s thwarted father/daughter dance that turned into a family celebration at her quinceañera stands alone.

Callie and Arizona, Grey’s Anatomy (720 “White Wedding”)

Callie and Arizona’s wedding wasn’t their happily ever after, but it sure was a watershed moment on television.

Maggie and Alex, Supergirl (213 “Mr. & Mrs. Mxyzptlk”)

On Valentine’s Day we dance with the girls we wanna dance with.

Eve and Annalise, How to Get Away With Murder (304 “Don’t Tell Annalise”)

A rare moment of carefree happiness for Annalise Keating, in a bleak world, with the only woman who ever saw straight through her. (I still haven’t given up hope on them and you can’t make me!)

Sara and Ava, Legends of Tomorrow (409 “Legends of To-Meow-Meow”)

The level of love and physical fitness on display here!

She-Ra and Catra, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (108 “Princess Prom”)

“Prom Princess” is the episode it becomes very apparent that She-Ra‘s queerness isn’t accidental.

Tina and Bette, The L Word (607 “Last Couple Standing”)

The best part of this beloved Tibette dance scene…

Alice, Tasha and Jamie, The L Word (607 “Last Couple Standing”)

… is the clenched jaw scowl on Bette’s face out in the audience when she realizes they’ve been out-danced by Alice and Tasha and Jamie and Salt-n-Pepa.

Quinn and Santana, Glee (414 “I Do”)

Two ends of the same bitch-goddess spectrum, colliding at last.

Everyone, Pose (Season One)

If this scene from the Pose pilot doesn’t convince you to watch all the dancing on the show, don’t talk to me ever again.

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Heather Hogan

Heather Hogan is an Autostraddle senior editor who lives in New York City with her wife, Stacy, and their cackle of rescued pets. She's a member of the Television Critics Association, GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, and a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer critic. You can also find her on Twitter and Instagram.

Heather has written 1718 articles for us.

20 Comments

  2. Heather Hogan, am I going to have to all-caps at you here?!

    I CAN”T BELIEEEEEEEEEVE YOU FORGOT Last Tango In Halifax, at the end of second series, at the wedding, where Kate asks Caroline up to dance, and they proceed to snog in front of everyone!

    Please take a thoroughly good look at yourself and life choices etc. etc. that led to this inexcusable omission.

      • a) no, nothing is sacred

        b) this wasn’t scolding, this was merely quality control to ensure HH maintains her dizzyingly high standards

        c) off to bed with no dinner for you QG, for talking back!

  4. That moment when you’re wondering why this list is lacking so many iconic dance scenes and then you realize they only happened in fan fiction.

  7. Thanks for putting a smile on my face this morning. None of these made me gay (I’m a bit long in the tooth for that.), but many of these made me gay, gayer, gayerer.

  8. So happy to see Pose on this list, especially the first ball scene. The dancing is one of many reasons I fell in love with the show.

  10. Can I politely point out that you have the wrong name for the LoT episode featured here? 4×09 is Lucha de Apuestas. Legends of To-Meow-Meow is 4×08.

  12. I will see your Calzona wedding dance and raise you their dancing in the apartment when they first started dating.

  13. Totally agree with Willow and Tara and the Sharmen striptease.

    I’d like to add the small dance between Spencer and Ashley (from season 2) in Ashley’s room, I think. Also Laura and Carmilla “dance like it’s 1698” scene. I know it wasn’t on tv.

  14. Spencer and Ashley dancing in South of Nowhere. I think it was in Chelsea’s studio? It was just the two of them and they were slow dancing and being goofy with each other. That scene meant everything to little confused me.

    • Oh my Gods I feel like an idiot for not mentioning the Heart Of Darkness dance! Thanks for reminding me.

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