Street Dance 3D

StreetDance 3D is the new British dance film, the first British dance film since… ever (no, Billy Elliot does not count). It is directed Max Giwa and Dania Pasquini, the duo’s first film since… ever. As the title may suggest it is the first 3D dance film since… ever (hold on for Step Up 3D, released later in the year folks). Anyone who watches Britain’s Got Talent may well see some familiar faces, but for the rest of us it’s a pretty fresh bunch. As well dance the film is backed to bursting point with music, many viewers will probably already be aware of N-Dubz, Cheryl Cole, the Sugababes and Lethal Bizzle; and fans of British R&B may well be aware of all of the rest of the artists that have their work featured here. Now to readers who haven’t seen the film this opening paragraph may well either put them off completely or make them really excited and want to jig about in anticipation. A third reaction, which would also have been my reaction, would be to have a rather blank expression. Familiar with American dance movies, the rest was new to me.

The plot in ‘StreetDance’ can be picked up from the trailer by anybody with functioning eyes and ears, but I will write it out for you here in case you haven’t seen it or just like to read my writings (you weirdo). Carly (Nichola Burley) is left in charge of her new dancing crew following their abandonment by previous leader and her now ex-boyfriend Jay (Ukweli Roach). She has to get the crew ready to win the UK Street Dance Finals which are just weeks away – no small task with legendary dance crew The Surge (Flawless) looking to defend their title. Worse still, the group no has nowhere to rehearse, leaving them somewhat DOOMED to failure. However Carly has a chance meeting with ballet teacher Helena (Charlotte Rampling), who offers to let the crew rehearse in a swanky ballet studio – however that is “providing you use my dancers in your routines”. Will Carly pull through; form up a shocking new ballet-street dance routine that wins her crew the competition? Well, yes, this isn’t a mystery thriller here people. There are some twists along the way though that I won’t spoil for you.

So the plot is basic and somewhat sidelined in favour of all-out dancing – which is kinda to be expected in a dance flick. In an action film at least some semblance of a plot is usually necessary, but in a dance film the dancing is supposed to tell the story. Ok, that was lame, but the point is that the story isn’t important. Neither is acting for that matter, a toweringly emotional Shakespearian reading of the line “leave him, he’s not worth it” (actually said within the film) would be downright bizarre. Rampling is a veteran and is one of the few professional actors in the movie; for what it’s worth I think the Thomas (Richard Winsor) character was well acted too.

So how about the dancing? Well it’s pretty darn impressive – the one thing that 100% is not an option to fluster though or flunk out on and the movie delivers it. The ‘Diversity’ dance crew has their own section and are impressive; Carly’s crew, made up of most of the main characters, are excellent; almost stealing the show are the ‘Surge’ boys, who are basically the muse Terpsichore come back to Earth in the form of several black men. ‘admin’ told me he thought there was too much dancing in the movie, which is an asinine as to say that a porn film has too much sex in it.