West Side Story (2021): The 8 Best Characters, Ranked By Singing & Dancing Skills

Coming 60 years after the first film adaptation cemented itself as one of the great movie musicals of all time, 2021’s West Side Story has a large legacy of incredible song and dance numbers to live up to. Thanks to an impressive cast filled with highly talented singers and dancers who do their best to put their own spin on the classic source material.

With measured and striking renditions of the love ballads by Tony and Maria as well as big energetic group numbers like the Jets singing “Gee, Officer Krupke” or the Sharks and Rita singing “America,” the film is filled with impressive singing and dancing performances.

8 The Sharks

Despite being half of the central conflict, the Sharks do not get a lot of opportunities to show off their singing and dancing abilities. They mostly serve as backup singers and dancers, but they are included in some of the best songs in the Spielberg film such as “America.” They also get a brief moment to shine as they defiantly sing “La Borinqueña.”

Although they do not sing often, they do get some great choreography in the dance numbers and fight scenes. While the Sharks demonstrate some great singing and dancing ability, they simply do not get as many opportunities as some of the other characters in the film.

7 The Jets

Like the Sharks, many members of the Jets only get small moments to shine and are often used as just background singers and dancers. However, in a change from the previous West Side Story adaptation, they are given their own number to showcase their talents as they sing “Gee, Officer Krupke” without Riff.

Additionally, the songs involving the Jets often give multiple members the opportunity to contribute a line or verse such as in “Jet Song.” Their roles may not be as flashy or noticeable as some of the other characters, but they prove themselves more than capable in the opportunities that they are given in the film.

6 David Alvarez As Bernardo

As the leader of the Sharks, Bernardo gets the most screentime out of the gang, giving him more chances to show off his singing and dancing abilities than the rest of the Sharks. As a boxer, the role calls for speed, precision, and fluidity in all of his moves, whether he is dancing or fighting.

He makes the most of his moments in the spotlight, like his back and forth with Anita during “America” and his showy dancing during the scene at the dance hall. Smooth and energetic, he is clearly a talented performer.

5 Ansel Elgort As Tony

As the male lead of the film, Ansel Elgort as Tony is asked to carry multiple songs and musical numbers with his singing and dancing ability. In songs such as “Something’s Coming,” “Maria,” and “One Hand, One Heart,” he proves himself to be a limited but serviceable singer.

While his singing may leave some to be desired, Elgort is an excellent dancer who uses his physicality well in sequences such as his attempts to the gun away from Riff in “Cool.” Tony is an intelligent character and a compelling lead, even if his singing is not quite as impressive as some of the others in the film.

4 Mike Faist As Riff

Confident and outspoken, Riff never backs down and many of his song and dance numbers revolve around his fighting spirit. Songs such as “Tonight” and “Jet Song” do not ask him to venture out of his range and play to his strengths, setting him up for success.

He is also able to hold his own against Tony, matching his singing and dancing abilities in their song together, “Cool.” With his talent bolstered by his confidence and the songs allowing him to mostly stay in his comfort zone, he turns out one of the best performances in the film.

3 Rita Moreno As Valentina

Rita Moreno is an unquestioned star of the stage and screen who has established herself as one of the most talented singers and dancers of all time. At 90 years old, she plays Valentina in this version and does not get many opportunities to dance, likely due to her age.

However, she does get to sing the song “Somewhere.” Giving her the emotional song is a brilliant change that works better for the story and also allows the iconic performer to remind audiences why she is considered a movie musical legend.

2 Rachel Zegler As Maria

Making her feature film debut, Rachel Zegler takes on the female lead role of Maria. Given the nature of her role in the story, Maria is mostly involved in smaller, slower numbers. Because of this, she rarely gets to show off her dancing abilities. She does get to lead the energetic number “I Feel Pretty,” in which she gives the audience a peek at her dancing skills.

As a singer, she gives an outstanding performance, beautifully carrying the iconic ballads. Songs such as “Balcony Scene (Tonight),” “One Hand, One Heart,” and “A Boy Like That/I Have Love” all demonstrate her incredible voice. She is one of the most likable characters in the Spielberg movie and a clearly talented performer.

1 Ariana DeBose As Anita

Broadway star Ariana DeBose takes on Rita Moreno’s Oscar-winning role of Anita in this version and manages to live up to expectations, thanks to her tremendous singing and dancing abilities. Her dancing skills are most clearly on display in the big, vibrant numbers like “America.”

As a singer, she is able to capture the wide range of emotions of the character in moving performances in songs such as “Tonight” and “A Boy Like That/I Have A Love.” It is a demanding role that requires incredible versatility and DeBose is able to use her impressive singing and dancing abilities to perfectly convey the passionate optimism and heartbreaking pain the character experiences.

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