Year Released: 2008 Directed By: Jon Chu Starring: Briana Evigan, Robert Hoffman, Adam G. Sevani, Cassie Venture, Danielle Polanco, Mari Koda, Christopher Scott, Janelle Cambridge (PG-13, 98 min.)
In case you weren’t aware, there’s an epidemic plaguing our cities. I’m not talking about escalating crime rates or dilapidated schools, rotting infrastructure or political corruption. I’m talking about the threat of wandering bands of teen guerilla dancers turning our subways and street corners into nightclubs and generally flouting our belief in the need for a society where honest, tax-paying citizens can walk the streets at night without being performed at against their wills by kids in baggy pants gyrating wildly, twisting their bodies into pretzels, sliding about on their heads, and wearing baseball caps at insolent angles. This, anyway, is the world presented by the producers of Step Up 2 the Streets, Hollywood’s latest exercise in redemption through midriff-baring and hip-hop cross-marketing. The film’s two heroes, Andie (Evigan) and Chase (Hoffman), are from opposite sides of the tracks: She is from the streets of Baltimore; he is the scion of upper-class, performing-arts-school royalty. Together, they’re out to show all the keep-it-real street kids and blowhard stuffed shirts that, in a world of struggle, the best way to achieve peace and tolerance is to dance, dance, dance! Step Up 2 the Streets (the sequel to 2006’s Step Up, which, by the way, was written by Duane Adler, who also wrote Save the Last Dance, salsa picture The Way She Moves, as well as Make It Happen, yet another movie, due later this year, about a teenager finding her soul in dance – I have no point; I just can’t believe one man is responsible for all these movies) is everything you’d expect it to be: inspirational, melodramatic, cliché-ridden, and accompanied by a soundtrack with enormous profit potential. Its only novelty comes in the form of those renegade dance troupes prowling the city, shocking the squares during rush hour, and making a mockery of society’s rules. I, for one, had no idea this was going on. In fact, I didn’t even realize that break dancing on the subway was illegal until I saw this movie. Now that I do, however, I’m coming down firmly on the side of law and order. Because if we don’t stop these public dance-offs here and now, before too long we’re going to have an entire generation of kids seeking salvation as backup dancers for Justin Timberlake.
dancing is a way for the youth of america to express themselves, the older generation tends to not understand this and usually punishes dancers, especially if they are performing on the streets, as in the movie Step Up 2. Wouldn't everyone prefer that the younger generations dance, than do drugs or drink alcohol, or commit other crimes? i would prefer to dance. the other things i have mentioned (ex: drugs) are ways for people my age to either grab attention or make themselves feel better. dancing is a much better way to show the world who we are, dont you think? so if you dont enjoy the dancing, fine. you dont have to watch it, just walk away. but dont try to make the dancers stop, if its their passion and their expression of themselves, let them dance. maybe our dancing isnt even considered real dancing to you, but to us its more than real. its our life. we dont know what we would do without, and a young person with too much time on their hands can get into an awful lot of trouble. while many of the younger americans do dance, that doesnt mean that we wish to aspire to being a backup dancer to justin timberlake. most of the people i know dont like him anyways (sorry justin) and usually just make fun of him. his fans are largely based in the portion of the youth that DOES NOT dance. america is about freedom, freedom of speech is stated in the first amendment, or have you forgotten our rights? our speech is through dance, it is our voice, so don't take it away from us. you are free to have your own views on the topic, but i am free to disagree. i am 14, but i know my rights better than most adults do. while i love to dance, i wish to become either a CSI or a specialist anthropoligist, while writing novels on the side. so dont think that dancers are mindless thugs from the ghetto. maybe im not the richest person around, but i have dreams, dancing is one of them, take that away and you have just a shell of a person. america needs passion and diversity. dancing is nothing but passion. and diversity comes from acceptance, so accept our passion. accept us for who we are, dancers.
guestAug 07, 2008 - 04:35 am
"No sane man will dance." -- Cicero
I guess it's better to dance to "show the world who you are" than hanging around doing nothing, but still, these is way too much dancing. Nothing new really... How to present yourself to the world at this young age, how to "highlight" yourself? It's easier than learning to play piano. The time will pass and you most likely look back at all that dancing like something dull and disposable as these movies and dancing shows.
guestOct 12, 2008 - 04:22 am
I think your giving break dancers a bad name they do what they think is right. If your going to give us a bad name you might aswell say it to our face. cause your sayin that break dancers are trying to get in the way when there not m8 alryt
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