Synopsis - - - - - -
A white girl and a black boy come from two different worlds and have been brought up in two different cultures. But they share the same passion - dance!
Sarah (Julia Stiles), a girl from a white middle-class family, grows up in a small town in Illinois, loves ballet from a young age, and dreams of going to the Julliard School of Dance and dedicating her entire life to ballet. However, her mother died in a car accident and she had to give up that desire. She travels to the South Side of Chicago to join her long-absent father Roy (Terry Kinney), a musician. There, she begins a whole new life, attending an inner-city middle school that is completely foreign to her.
Sarah, who is deep in the throes of losing her mother, is somewhat comforted by the fact that she has become good friends with her young black mother, Chenille (Kerry Washington). Cheryl's younger brother, Derek (Sean Patrick Thomas), is beautiful and smart, one of the most popular students at school and the "big star" of the Stampede Club, which is frequented by local blues musicians. Derek leads Sarah into blues music, and when they discover that they share a passion for dancing, they fall head over heels in love with each other. However, these two young people will have to overcome not only their skin color and cultural differences, but also the obstacles of their families and friends in order to continue their romance.
Sarah's father can't accept his daughter's relationship with a black classmate. And the black girls at school, especially Derek's old best friend Nikki (Bianca Lawson), are also very upset about it. Derek's childhood friend Malakai (Fredo Starr) is also very much against Derek's fling, and the impulsive lad is afraid that he will lose his friendship with Derek as a result.
As the school days go by, the couple realizes that the emotions and love they feel for each other will only end up crushing Derek's aspirations for a better life and Sarah's dreams of ballet.