What Do The Critics Say?

"There is apparently a large step dancing culture in the US. With its trite story the film is never going to impress the average critic, but there is energy and passion that make the film work for its target audience, and the choreography is inventive. Cast delivers simply drawn characters and the intensity of the milieu works in favour of the film's bold ambiance." Andrew L Urban URBANCINEFILE "Before you read any further, you have to understand that I’m just a fat white kid from the suburbs. So, for me, when you say 'step dancing', I immediately think of Michael Flatley and The Lord of the Dance. The story is at times glaringly predictable and unbelievably convenient. However, the film is impeccably paced and doesn’t bore. The characters work for what they are and the acting is decent enough throughout. And even though I really can’t relate to what’s going on in Paramount Vantage’s new urban drama "How She Move", I found the film to be somewhat enjoyable." Kevin Carr 7M PICTURES "The dancing is worth sitting through the talking." Chris Hewitt ST PAUL PIONEER EXPRESS "Though the story is predictable, How She Move has two key assets: powerful dance sequences and an emphasis on education." Claudia Puig USA TODAY "Despite flawed plot clichés, dancing Takes Center Stage in "‘How She Move". Carefully mastered steps are combined with an outrageous physicality to create movement that is part tap, rhythmic gymnastics, military precision and even pratfall comedy. Kids, it’s an old-fashioned dance off, and despite being about the contemporary and very urban stepdance craze, it has all the hope, dreams, choreography and clichés of a golden-age Hollywood musical revue." Adam Fendelman HOLLYWOODCHICAGO.COM

"The dance scenes in How She Move are so vibrant and infectious that they glide the movie past its script problems. Rutina Wesley, a Juilliard graduate in her first starring film role, is a wonderful dancer with real screen presence. She convinces as a young woman so driven that she'll do whatever it takes to win step-dancing competitions and pay for private school herself. Once the dancing starts in earnest, it's easy to focus on it and Wesley's winning lead performance rather than on would-be grittier aspects of the story." Carla Meyer SACRAMENTO BEE "Don’t go for the plot. Go for the dancing. It’s electrifying." Jason Heck KANSAS CITY STAR "Doesn't exactly break any new ground. But the terrific dance numbers on display should please its teenage target audience." Frank Scheck HOLLYWOOD REPORTER "Move has heart, respect, and some incredible acting newcomers, making it late to the party, but ending up the best feet-first creation yet." Brian Orndorf eFILMCRITIC "How many times can you watch the same movie with different actors and a new title? If it's a dance musical and the dancing's good, the answer's obvious: As many times as they can keep cranking 'em out. No one went to see Astaire-Rogers movies for the plots, and no kid is going to go to "How She Move" for its hackneyed inspirational story line about an inner-city good girl who wants to step bad. When the cast starts clomping atop a car, their synchronized bodies joining with the booming cross-rhythms, we're sold. A grittier, slightly more real-world version of movies like Step Up, Stomp the Yard, and Save the Last Dance." Ty Burr BOSTON GLOBE

The Inside Story Stepping, an intensely rhythmic, percussive and expressive form of dancing that began as a way of connecting people in Africa, has suddenly become a major phenomenon across North America. It was first seen in the U.S. in the nineteen twenties when college students called it 'marching', but it wasn’t until Spike Lee’s "School Daze" that stepping first hit the big screen. Since then, stepping has become hotter and hotter: not just among university students and not just in hit Hollywood films such as "Drumline", "Stomp The Yard" and "Step Up" but on the streets as well, in inner cities where stepping is increasingly becoming both a thrilling form of competitive art and a way for a talented few to literally 'step up' into a more promising future. For director Ian Iqbal Rashid, fresh off the sensational reviews of his debut indie film "Touch Of Pink", stepping was a way to tell a raw, honest, urban coming-of-age story with plenty of grit but also lots of dynamic style. Having fallen in love with such iconic and inspirational dance films as "Saturday Night Fever" (1977), "Fame" (1980) and "FlashdDance (1983) as a kid, he’d long dreamed of one day making that same kind of heartfelt, music-driven, culturally authentic story that merged movement, music and the rhythms of the human heart; but for a different generation. So when he came across Annmarie Morais's (TV'S "Hotel Babylon" & "Kink in My Hair") dance-fueled but character-focused screenplay, "How She Move", about a fiercely driven, young Jamaican immigrant who discovers that stepping in an all-male crew might be her ticket out of a dead-end neighborhood, Rashid himself was powerfully moved. He was impressed by how the story of "How She Move" interwove elements of a young woman taking a risk to become who she really is with themes of friendship, family and class and, most of all, heart-pounding, hypnotic dance sequences that intensified the tale’s volatile mix of emotions with sheer motion. Rashid who, like the film’s lead character, grew up in urban Toronto as an immigrant (his family having sought asylum there from his native Tanzania), recalls "I saw "How She Move" so clearly as I was reading it. I love dance and music, and dance tells so much of this story, so much texture and emotion are played out through it. Yet, the film also speaks to the scars of migration, a theme that very much interests me and runs through all of my work. I was also drawn to it because it’s a story that talks about different ways of winning; and how winning doesn’t always look how you think it’s going to look." The story of Raya Green’s complicated, rousing quest to step her way out of despair and into her own identity began with the passion of rising young screenwriter Annemarie Morais. Morais, herself a Jamaican immigrant who grew up in Canada, developed a deep love of stepping while studying at Canada’s York University. Although she claims to be rhythmically challenged, (she's never stepped competitively), Morais became a passionate fan of step competitions. "Step is so much about personal expression," she says. "There’s so much energy and such a strong sense of community feeling in it. Morais, who in 1999 became the first ever Candian to win the prestigious Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting when she submitted her script "Bleeding", compares steppings growth with that of Hip-Hop. "The same way that hip-hop became the voice of a generation, I think step is bringing out a certain expression of our past and our present through dance in a powerful way," she says. Morais next tasted success with the award-winning short documentary, "Steppin To It". That compelled her desire to write a screenplay that would have a young black woman as its central heroine. Thus was born Raya Green, the fiery, fiercely intelligent young woman who thought her plan to escape a rough-hewn immigrant community was all in place; until her sister’s death from a drug overdose changed everything and brought her back home to start all over again. Morais wrote from the heart and from the intimate emotions of her own personal experience, but she also felt instinctively that the themes of the film would be universal. "I think everybody knows what it’s like not to know what to do with your life," she explained. "Everybody knows what it’s like to have family pressures that you just don’t know how to get out of, and relationship pressures, and all these expectations and huge life decisions that you have to make when you’re that age." Morais set her story in a unique locale few filmgoers have seen: Toronto’s 'Jane-Finch corridor', an area of low-income and public housing that became a melting pot of multi-ethnic culture in the middle of the city, teeming with new, often impoverished, immigrants from across the globe. She first took the idea to Jennifer Kawaja and Julia Sereny of Canada's Sienna Films because she was enjoying working with them on other projects and thought they might be interested in the subject matter. "Jennifer and I are both great fans of dance films," says Sereny, who notes "the dance is integrated into the roots of the story and the emotions; whether it be passion, humor, tragedy, defiance, or stubbornness; are clearly reflected through those sequences. The dance is an extension of each of the characters, not separate from them." Kawaja recalls: "We thought a lot about the themes and ideas that are in the film, especially the idea that if you come from a disenfranchised community, the most brutal thing that can happen to you is that your hope is killed, your ability to dream is killed. The story is a very delicate balancing act between these themes and the life-affirming joy of dance." It was Kawaja and Sereny who brought the project to director Ian Iqbal Rashid. Having recently produced his debut film, the award-winning comedy "Touch Of Pink", which starred Golden Globe winner Kyle MacLachlan ("Twin Peaks"), they thought he would have an affinity for the material. They were on the money. "I really liked the central character, Raya, and related to her in so many ways," he says. "And then I started doing more research into the whole stepping culture, and that really moved me, too. This is a story about kids who are yearning for a better life, which is a classic theme in a lot of musical and dance films. It truly becomes a coming-of-age story that is realized through dance numbers." The strong personalities and awe-inspiring dance styles of the young characters form the heart of "How She Move", so getting the right cast was a priority. It set off a search across North America, in both the U.S. and Canada. "The process of finding the cast for the movie was like a movie itself," notes Sereny. The first and biggest challenge was casting Raya Green. Rutina Wesley, freshly graduated from Julliard’s theatre school, emerged as the filmmakers first choice. "When I first met with Rutina, it was like manna from heaven," says Rashid. "Not only did she physically look like the character that Annmarie described in her script, but to me she had the emotional essence of Raya as well: intelligence without pretension, warmth without ever seeming like she was trying to ingratiate herself, and a simple, natural beauty. There’s something quite serious about her and world-wise. Also, she could really dance!" With a mother who was a Las Vegas showgirl and a father who is a musician, Rutina already had rhythm and dance deep in her blood. For Rutina, the role was everything she ever yearned for. "To combine my two passions, acting and dancing, at the same time in my first movie was amazing," she says. "I couldn’t have dreamed of any more. I am just so thankful to Jennifer and Julia and Ian for cracking that door and letting me come through." Rutina had to work extremely hard at the dance and choreography, practicing until she was sore, but it paid big dividends, allowing her to shine even among the great dancers who form the Jane Street Junta (JSJ) and the Kin-Dreadz teams. She admits, "The toughest part for me was feeling like a true step, slash, hip-hop dancer and I was incredibly frustrated sometimes. But once I got more comfortable and confident in my steps, Raya just came out of me." Everyone on the set was amazed by the way Rutina seemed to become one with the role. "She gave it her all in every take, and with an incredible intensity and focus," Rashid remembers. "She doesn’t believe in holding back or pacing herself." "When we cast Rutina she had never even been in a film before," Kawaja stated, "but she had a kind of control and reserve that usually only more mature actresses have. She also has a way of carrying herself in the world, like her brain’s always working, and that’s exactly who we wanted Raya to be. She’s tough, but feminine." Tré Armstrong, a dancer who has toured with Missy Elliot and who had originally joined the production as a choreographer was cast in the role of Raya’s former friend Michelle. "The story was so real to me and the kids I went to high school with," Tré says. "And what really made the story stand out to me is that it has a female hero. You rarely get to see a strong woman of color in a hero position, so to find a story with so many powerful women characters who have their own strong sense of self and confidence really drew me." Heating up the rivalry between Raya and Michelle is Bishop, the talented head of the JSJ dance crew, played by another newcomer, Dwain Murphy, who hails from the Caribbean island of Dominica. "Dwain initially came in to audition of one of the smaller parts," Rashid recalls. "“But he was so good, we kept bringing him back for bigger and bigger parts. In the end, we just handed Bishop over to him." Dwain had all the charisma and confidence of Bishop. What he lacked was dance experience. "Zero, zip, nada," is how Dwain describes his previous work in dance. "I shake my booty in the club like everyone else, but that’s it." He was up to the challenge. "For me, pushing myself five days a week, eight hours a day, routine after routine after routine until my knees couldn’t take it any more," he said. "I loved it. A lot of people don’t realize how emotional step is. It’s more than the stomping of your feet to make a rhythm. It’s a very passionate thing." Synopsis

Bursting with raw talent and intelligence, Raya Green, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, has always been the family's one great hope. She won the rare chance to break out of their drug and crime-infested neighborhood when she was accepted into the exclusive Seaton Academy. But when her sister dies of an overdose, the family is shattered and Raya is forced to return to the place she tried so hard to escape. It's not easy to go back, especially when one-time friends, including the tough minded Michelle, see Raya as a stuck-up traitor who left the community behind. Feeling trapped and looking for a way out, Raya learns about a step competition with a $50,000 cash prize that could change her fate. Most of the crews that win the big money are all male, forcing Raya to fight her way in as the sole female member of the Jane Street Junta, led by the reining local champ, Bishop.

The Verdict "It's time to come clean. Why? To be totally honest, I'm starting to really enjoy these 'dance' flicks. And, may I add, I'm terribly impressed by the energy, dedication and most importantly, the one thing that should never be understated, the sheer athleticism of the cast members who perform these exciting dance routines. Sure, the dialogue isn't everyones cup of tea, but who the hell understood us when we were teenagers. And yes, I'm the first to admit that the storylines all seem to be from the same school of thought. But I'm hooked and, I'm as excited as the day I had my first dance lesson at the local church hall. While there were so many benefits to be gleened by attending those classes I soon came to the realization that I'd never 'cut the mustard'. It came as a terrible shock when I was informed I had a major impediment which would preclude me from ever becoming Adelaide's answer to Donald O'Connor. I had been born with two left feet. The news didn't get any better for me and dancing. One instructor would later inform me I had total disregard for dance etiquette. Dance lessons at the old church hall, which by the way included free supper, came to an abrupt end when the Minister (who bore a remarkable resemblence to the late Dick Emery), took my dad aside and told him there had been complaints from the God fearing young ladies who taught in the classes. Perhaps it would be better if I took lessons somewhere else. Dad asked the obvious question: Why? I remember my bemused Dad nearly choking on a lamington when the right reverent man of the cloth blurted out, "because he has two left feet and more hands than an Octopus has tenticles." Dance and I never connected from that day forth. The point I'd like to make is, unlike me, being afflicted with two left feet is something the dancers in "How She Move" don't have to contend with. And, they know how to make the right moves. Recommended. 3 1/2 STARS." Who's Who?

Rutina Wesley Tre Armstrong Boyd Banks Clé Bennett Ardon Bess Conrad Coates Eve Crawford Shawn Desman Nina Dobrev Kevin Duhaney Brennan Gademans Ingrid Gaynor Balford Gordon Patrick Hayes Malvin Jacobs Rogue Johnston Jai Jai Jones DeRay Davis Keyshia Cole

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Raya Green Michelle Mike Evans Garvey Uncle Cecil David Green Seaton Teacher Trey Tall Girl in Bathroom E.C. Quake Pam Green Neighbourhood Guy Customer Scrawny Guy DJ Lester Johnson Himself Herself

Run Time 94 minutes Rated M [AUST] Copyright ©2008 - Paramount Pictures - All Rights Reserved ©2008 All Rights Reserved - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - Protected by Australian, International, Copyright & Trademark Laws.