How She Move (2007)

Following her sister's death from drug addiction, a high school student is forced to leave her private school to return to her old, crime-filled neighborhood where she re-kindles an unlikely passion for the competitive world of step dancing.

Director:

Ian Iqbal Rashid

Writer:

Annmarie Morais

Stars:

Tre Armstrong, Boyd Banks, Brennan Gademans

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tre Armstrong	...	Michelle (as Tré Armstrong)
Boyd Banks	...	Mike Evans
Clé Bennett	...	Garvey
Ardon Bess	...	Uncle Cecil
Conrad Coates	...	David Green
Keyshia Cole	...	Herself
Eve Crawford	...	Seaton Teacher
DeRay Davis	...	Himself
Shawn Fernandez	...	Trey (as Shawn Desman)
Nina Dobrev	...	Tall Girl in Bathroom
Kevin Duhaney	...	E.C.
Brennan Gademans	...	Quake
Ingrid Gaynor	...	Pam Green
Balford Gordon	...	Neighbourhood Guy
Patrick Hayes	...	Customer

Storyline

Unable to afford the tuition needed to fund her private school education, Rayanna or Raya (Rutina Wesley) returns to her family home in the city while reluctantly re-evaluating her future. Upon learning that the top prize for an upcoming step-dancing competition is $50,000, Raya uses her impressive moves to earn a coveted slot in her good friend Bishop's (Dwain Murphy) predominantly male JSJ crew. Isolated from the local females due to jealousy and separated from her fellow dancers by gender, the ambitious dancer is subsequently kicked-off the team for showing off during a preliminary competition. Now, if Raya has any hope of realizing her medical school dreams, she will have to either earn back Bishop's trust or organize her own dance crew and start over from scratch. In the end, she eventually learns "how she move".

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Plot Keywords:

step dancing | dance | african american | stepping | dance contest | 

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Taglines:

Set your dreams in motion.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some drug content, suggestive material and language

Details

Country:

Canada USA France

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 January 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ritmos del barrio

Filming Locations:

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$3,957,471 (USA) (25 January 2008)

Gross:

$7,070,459 (USA) (21 March 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sienna Films, Celluloid Dreams, MTV Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

In the final dance scene, the windows in the car disappear and reappear during shots.

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Quotes

Raya Green: It's funny, isn't it? How one moment can change a million after it.

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Connections

References CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000)

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Soundtracks

"Monster"
Performed by Saukrates
Written by Saukrates (as Karl Walloo) (SOCAN)
Published by Lounge Music and Warner/Chappell Music Publishing
Courtesy of Blacksmith Music Inc.
Under license from Universal Music Canada Inc.

User Reviews

One Moment Can Change A Million After It

I must give How She Move a near-perfect rating because the content is truly great. As a previous reviewer commented, I have no idea how this film has found itself in IMDBs bottom 100 list! That's absolutely ridiculous! Other films--particular those that share the dance theme--can't hold a candle to this one in terms of its combination of top-notch, believable acting, and amazing dance routines.

From start to finish the underlying story (this is not just about winning a competition) is very easy to delve into, and surprisingly realistic. None of the main characters in this are 2-dimensional by any means and, by the end of the film, it's very easy to feel emotionally invested in them. (And, even if you're not the crying type, you might get a little weepy-eyed before the credits roll.)

I definitely recommend this film to dance-lovers and, even more so, to those who can appreciate a poignant and well-acted storyline. How She Move isn't perfect of course (what film is?), but it's definitely a cut above movies that use pretty faces to hide a half-baked plot and/or characters who lack substance. The actors and settings in this film make for a very realistic ride that is equally enthralling thanks to the amazing talent of the dancers!