7 Halloween Movies We Want to See as Full-Length Dance Productions

Listen, we love a good, heartwarming story. But here at Dance Spirit, we’re fans of when dance gets a little spooky, too.

There’s nothing like the physicality of live performance to give you the heebie-jeebies. It seems audiences agree: Dracula ballets are continuing to explode left and right, and we’ve seen our fair share of choreography in horror movies as of late.

Can you blame us for wanting more?

In no particular order, here are seven classic movies we’re dying to see reimagined as full-length dance productions (if only copyright weren’t an issue!):

Coraline (2009)

A plucky protagonist, a snarky cat, jumping mice, and perhaps the freakiest villain in all of animation history: It would take the right costume and set design—plus some major special effects—but just imagine Coraline onstage. The movie, based on Neil Gaiman’s novella of the same name, would make for a frightfully good ballet or dance theater work. Now where might we acquire some large mesh buttons?

The Addams Family (1991)

It’s already a musical. But the Addams-verse is massive, and we want to see a pure-dance production added to the list! Morticia and Gomez already have tango skills to flaunt, New York City Ballet legend Allegra Kent played Cousin Ophelia, and the entire family screams Fosse. (Would it be too much to ask for Thing to have a tap solo?)

Hocus Pocus (1993)

Sarah Jessica Parker is an outspoken fan of ballet, so maybe she could work some magic here. Disney’s Hocus Pocus would be a goofy romp of a dance production or a delightfully wicked musical. It was directed by Kenny Ortega, after all! Onstage flying effects are better than ever, and it’s high time we saw witches get solid choreography after centuries of appearing mostly as mime-heavy character roles.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Costume artists could have a field day with this one. Nutcracker alternatives continue to pop up every year, so why not dance-ify our favorite “Halloweenmas” movie? We’re already swooning at the idea of a Jack and Sally pas de deux. And a slinky, glow-in-the-dark Oogie Boogie solo? Sold. How is this not already a musical?

Corpse Bride (2005)

While we’re on the Tim Burton subject, why not Corpse Bride? Ballet is no stranger to undead love interests, nor to love triangles. (Ahem, Giselle!) But like Nightmare, this stop-motion flick would look great reimagined through a variety of dance genres, including musical theater.

Carrie (1976)

Okay, we know what you’re thinking. But let the special-effects team do what they do best, and just picture the modern or contemporary choreography that could bring this cult classic, adapted from Stephen King’s 1974 novel, to life onstage. We already know how powerful a mode of expression movement can be. If Carrie could have studied at the Martha Graham School, we think she would have.

Casper (1995)

We’ll end this list on a friendly note. Whether dance theater or ballet, we’d love to see this beloved film turned into a festive children’s production. It might be tricky to nail Casper’s signature see-through look from the movie, but who’s afraid of getting a little creative? Seeing this sweet, ghostly, star-crossed romance onstage would be worth it.