break dancing erupted and evolved on New York street corners in front of fascinated passers-by
Dance movies are nearly always powered by inspiration and competition. The
spotlight is on the performer, often from a rough background, who has to
overcome blocks thrown by parents, schools, and culture, to achieve his/her
earned place at the top of the pyramid. Although this movie has enough
impediments to stop the bravest souls, the filmmakers have wisely concentrated
on dance, not story. In “Step Up 2” the hurdles are centered on the clash
between classical and street dance.
America’s
musical contribution to the world has included the pure regional traditions of
jazz, country, blues, rap, and break dancing. Like basketball which started in
the country but refined itself in urban streets, break dancing erupted and
evolved on New York street corners in front of fascinated passers-by. Neither
the sport nor the dance was hampered by the confined public spaces that were
their practice studios. Now in its 15th generation, break dancing turns the
human being into an astonishing jumble of angles and joints. While the music and
the movements are essentially jerky, they coexist with a fluid grace that seems
nearly impossible. Breakdancers recognize no rules or limits to their
self-expression, and there seems no limit to their collective imagination.
Theirs is a wildly creative art form.
And so to
“Step Up 2.” Under the radar at the Maryland School of Fine Arts some dancers –
disenchanted with classical formality - are ready to be recruited to the streets
where a fierce, often angry dance competition unfolds periodically. The
competitions are announced without fanfare to the participants by text messages:
“Tomorrow night at eight.” The movie unfolds in a strong, straightforward
storyline that follows one group of dancers from the point of inception in the
dance school to a climactic victory in the streets. Whether focused on practice
or performance, this movie is all about the dancing; the story never gets in the
way.
Andie (Briana
Evigan) and Chase (Robert Hoffman), together now in dance and romance, recruit
the other rebels at MSA and begin the intensive practices that will lead to the
final showdown which will win over school officials as well as families. Because
the two are eminently likable and truly gifted, we are happy to watch them dance
with their talented peers in this latest incarnation of American break dancing.
Along the
way, a bit of magic happens: Adam G. Sevani lets go. Playing a curly topped,
slight, and slightly odd looking young fellow named Moose, Sevani jumps into the
music and lifts the movie right off the soundtrack. His arms and legs bend and
twist where long bones should be holding them straight; his joints are wickedly
mobile; grace runs all through his body. It’s a spontaneous explosion of limbs
and rhythm – completely unbound by tradition or formality. “Step Up 2” is made
to order if you want to see where street kids have taken this American dance
form that is limited only by talent and imagination.
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