Dance AU

Tropes and genres
Synonym(s)	Dancer AU
Related tropes/genres	Dancing in Fanworks, Alternate Universe
Related articles on Fanlore.

Dance AU is a multifandom trope. It covers fanworks in which characters are professional dancers and/or choreographers, students or teachers at a dance school, or enter dance competitions (when said characters do not do these things in canon).

As of 11/09/2020, out of the 2700 uses of the AO3 umbrella tag, 1350 were (also) specifically tagged Alternate Universe - Ballet.

Generally the dancing plays a part in the work's plot.

Example Fanworks

Fanart

• Art - Merlin in the dance studio by Candymacaron (Merlin, 2014).
• The Best Thing That I've Ever Had, For Real by heartofsunrise (Bandom, Frank Iero/Ray Toro, 2017).
• Learning to Fly (Fanart) by Descaladumidera (MCU, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange, 2019).
• Nile Freeman || Dance AU mood board, by ink-phenix (The Old Guard, 2020).
• so, enemies to lovers-dancers au?? am i right? art by noenoaholi (The Old Guard, Joe/Nicky, 2020).
• Jesper and inej as ballet dancers AU by phy-be, Shadow and Bone, 2021.
• Miraculous Moves by starrycove (Miraculous Ladybug, 2016).

Fanfiction

• His Perfect Partner (on AO3) by fountainofthought. (Glee, Kurt/Blaine, 100k, 2012.)

  After five disappointing seasons on Dancing with the Stars, professional dancer Kurt Hummel finally has his chance at ballroom glory. With actress and fan favorite Kim Schrodinger as his partner, Kurt vows to channel all his focus into winning that mirrorball trophy--distractions, including men, be damned. Enter Blaine Anderson, a gorgeous, confusing pop star who may turn out to be the biggest distraction of them all.

• Dancing With The Moon by starsandgrace. (Teen Wolf, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, 11k, 2013.)

  Dancing With The Stars AU. Stiles Stilinski, former child star, has been strong-armed into participating in a reality show by his agent in an attempt to raise his profile and actually get him some work as an adult. With champion dancer Laura Hale on his arm, Stiles might even stand a chance of going all the way. Their only obstacle (aside from Stiles' complete inability to cha cha cha) is Lydia Martin and her professional partner—Laura's brother, Derek.

• Take Me to Church by neversaydie. (MCU, Steve/Bucky, 125k, completed in 2015.)

  Steve Rogers is a struggling artist. It's not as romantic as it sounds.
  What Steve really wants is a job as a session musician. He can play enough instruments that he could make a decent amount of money doing it, but in New York there are just too many talented musicians and not enough jobs to go around. So he takes jobs in hipster bars, hotel lobbies, at weddings and bar mitzvahs and office parties.
  If he gets one more request for Let it Go, he swears he'll find it within himself to punch a child.
  He lives in a tiny, shitty apartment with Sam, who was his sort-of-boyfriend for a few weeks until he decided Steve's very domestic relationship goals weren't for him. They're still pretty much best friends, luckily for Steve, because when the regular pianist at Sam's dance company runs away to Canada he's recommended his roommate and got him the job before Steve even knows about it.
  Dancers. Steve's going to have to spend his days with dancers. Great.

• Shut Up and Dance With Me by wittyy_name. (Voltron: Legendary Defender, Keith/Lance, 250k, completed in 2018.)

  Lance and his friends have been regulars at the Altea Dance Studio for years.
  Not just for classes, but to hang out, practice, and spend time with good people who love dancing. Every year, they audition to be one of the few representing Altea at the regional dance competition. Lance always auditions solo, but this year he misses out on auditions and blows his chance to participate. And so does his self-proclaimed rival, Keith.
  Luckily, Shiro comes up with a brilliant plan: convince Lance and Keith to audition as a duo.
  With a little convincing, and a lot of effort, these two might just be able to pull it off and go to regionals... or they might crash and burn.

• Hold Me Closer by balanceds. (One Direction, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, 36k, completed in 2014.)

  Louis Tomlinson is one of the most promising dancers of the English National Ballet, on track to become the youngest principal dancer in the company's history. That is, until forces conspire to significantly complicate his life, including: a surprise ballet, an unfairly attractive guest choreographer, and being pushed into a rivalry with his best mate. Featuring lots of wine, dancing, pining, and a happy ending.

• Liberté, Egalité, Demi-plié by darrenjolras. (Les Miserables, Enjolras/Grantaire, 71k, completed in 2017.)

  He has sworn never to go back to the ballet world. He has no intention of dancing again. But somewhere the Fates are having a real party laughing down at him, because one minute Grantaire's living his life in peace and the next he's - choreographing a new ballet of the Iliad?

Podfic

• (podfic of) Choreographer!Gerard and his Frank by crazybutsound; Bandom, Frank/Gerard, 8 minutes (2012).

• Tchaikovsky's Nightmare by readbythilia; Teen Wolf, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, 3 hours (2015).

• How Still I'd Been Before (Podfic) by blackglass; Brave (Disney), How to Train Your Dragon, Tangled, Rise of the Guardians, Frozen crossover, gen, 16 minutes (2015).

Archives & Fannish Links

• Alternate Universe - Dance tag on AO3