Chinese title
Street Dance Junior
Pinyin
jiē wǔ shào nián
Original title
Stomp the Yard
More Chinese titles
Dancing with Passion
Solo Dance Forest ..... Taiwan translation
More foreign titles
Steppin' ..... (USA) (working title)
Stompin' ..... (USA) (working title)
Steppin .... .France / USA (working title)
Stepping - Dalla strada al palcoscenico .... .Italy
Stompin .... .USA (working title)
Film Genre
Drama / Dance/Cabaret
Length
115 mins
Country/Region
USA
Language of Dialogue
English
Colors
Color
Sound Mixing
Dolby Digital Surround DTS SDDS
Rated
Rated PG-13 for a scene of violence, some sexual material and language.
Rated
Singapore:PG Germany:12 Philippines:PG-13 Malaysia:U Ireland:12A USA:PG-13
Production Cost
14,000,000/estimatedShooting Date
March 27, 2006
Cast and Crew Table
[edit]
Director
Sylvain White Sylvain White
Writer
Robert Adetuyi ..... (screenplay)
Gregory Ramon Anderson ..... (earlier screenplay) (as Gregory Anderson)
Cast
Meagan Good Meagan Good .... .April
Darrin Dewitt Henson Darrin Dewitt Henson .... .Grant (as Darrin Henson)
Columbus Short .... .DJ
Ne-Yo .... .Rich Brown
Chris Brown Chris Brown .... .Duron
Brian J. White Brian J. White .... .Sylvester
Laz Alonso .... .Zeke
Valarie Pettiford .... .Jackie
Jermaine Williams .... .Noel
Producer
Rob Hardy .... .executive producer
William Packer .... .producer
Porter Versfelt III .... .producer: EPK
Carl Clifford .... .line producer
Original Music
Tim Boland
Sam Retzer
Photography
Scott Kevan ..... (director of photography)
Editing
David Checel
Casting Director
Tracy Byrd
Twinkie Byrd
Art Director
Jonathan A. Carlson
Set Designer
Joseph Litsch
Costume Designer
Keith G. Lewis
Keith Lewis
Visual Effects
Rocco Passionino
Assistant/Assistant Director
Robert Ballentine .... .second second assistant director
Danny Green .... .second assistant director
Mark Anthony Little .... .assistant director
Production and distribution
[edit]
Recording format
35 mm
Wash format
35 mm
Format
35 mm film anamorphic widescreen
Production company
Rainforest Films [USA]
Distributor
Screen Gems Inc. [USA] ..... (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina [Argentina] ..... (2007) (Argentina) (theatrical)
Sony Pictures Releasing [Netherlands] ..... (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
Buena Vista International ..... (2007) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
Sony Pictures Releasing [Singapore] ..... (2007) (Singapore) (theatrical)
Other Companies
424 Post ..... sound post-production
Artists' Addiction Records [USA] ..... soundtrack
Release Date
United States
USA
January 12, 2007
Singapore
Singapore
March 15, 2007
United Kingdom
UK
2007 March 16
Malaysia
Malaysia
March 22, 2007
Australia
April 12, 2007
Mexico
Mexico
April 27
France
France
May 16, 2007
Germany
Germany
May 17, 2007
Brazil
May 18, 2007
Spain
Spain
May 25, 2007
China
June 1, 2007 ..... (limited)
Sweden
Sweden
June 1, 2007
Netherlands
June 7, 2007
Germany
Germany
June 21, 2007
Argentina
Argentina
June 28, 2007
Italy
July 6, 2007
Spain
Spain
July 6, 2007
Japan
Japan
September 22, 2007
Synopsis
[Edit]
In Los Angeles' dragon-ridden underworld, there is a group of street-dancing teenagers who are obsessed with the hip-hop culture, twerking to their heart's content, and overdrawing their youth through dance. Here, is the black dominated world, has a strict hierarchical division, between gangs and gangs in addition to dance, armed combat has become a common occurrence. DJ Williams, known as the King of Dance, has just experienced a club fight caused by a dance battle, and the most painful thing for him is that his brother, whom he has been caring for, was accidentally killed in the bloodshed. ...... physically and mentally exhausted DJ decided to change the environment of life, he came to Atlanta alone, and entered the highly reputable black school, the Truth! University to further his education, and although his talent and ambition for dance was enough to make him a top dancer, yet due to the fact that DJ felt too confined at the school and the pain of losing his brother, he kept himself hidden. It is in this new environment, which is completely contrary to his personality, that DJ discovers the world of "step dancing". "Tap dancing is a traditional dance that has been passed down among black people living in the United States, derived from the historic African boot dance, and combines precise steps, hand clapping, and foot movements. At Truth University, the winner of the traditional Step Dance Championship has been the main target of competition between various "fraternities," and when DJ inadvertently revealed his dancing talents at a local club, he quickly caught the attention of the two dominant and fiercely competitive fraternities and became one of their most popular members. When a local club inadvertently reveals DJ's dancing talents, he quickly attracts the attention of two dominant and fiercely competitive fraternities, who are vying for his membership, and the beautiful schoolgirl April's special attention to DJ causes suspicion in her boyfriend, Grant, who is also the school's star step dancer.
After DJ decides to return to the stage and joins one of the fraternities, his bold street style brings a whole new look to step dancing and makes the competition increasingly fierce. ...... However, DJ's arrogance and overly self-centered stench soon alienates him from his new friends, and Grant takes advantage of this to set up a trap to keep him in the step dance. DJ learns not only to put away his bad temper, but also the redefined sense of brotherhood he learned in the fraternity, and DJ's freestyle style of dancing takes step dancing to a higher level.
Reviews
[Edit]
It's better to watch the movie than Coldplay's music video.
--Veteran fan
Dave Scott's choreography is dynamic and imaginative. It's a shame that so little is known about "step dancing," and that makes it less enjoyable to watch.
--The Hollywood Reporter
The story is clichéd and the relationships are weak, which is what makes "Tap Dance" so great.
--Entertainment Weekly
FILM REVIEW
With the global popularity of street dance, street-dance movies have become a separate genre of film. 2004's street-dance-themed film You Got Served was the first of its kind. The street dance movie "You Got Served" came out in 2004 and became the first street dance movie to be made. This film has a much stronger cast than that year's "You Got Served", and at the same time, it intends to take street dance to a whole new level, upgrading it from a form of entertainment for black people to amuse themselves in the neighborhood to a competitive sport with the ability to exercise the body and the mind. The insertion point chosen in this movie is different from the main line of previous street dance movies. Although it has not departed from the contradictory way of expression of competition, the process design has got rid of the form of previous movies which only focuses on the performance of competition scenes, and at the same time, the enhancement of the plot also makes the movie have more inspirational flavors. In addition, the film's dance moves are designed to be delicate and spontaneous, and many of the difficult street dance moves are breathtaking, definitely worthy of the majority of street dance enthusiasts to vigorously pursue, beyond the year's classic morale is very sufficient.
Behind the scenes
[Edit]
About the movie
This kind of professional type of film, in addition to the exhilarating dance series of scenes, the layers of the story itself is also very important. Of this, producer Will Packer is very proud to say, "You're sure to be enthralled by the story the film tells, as it's an emotionally mature drama interwoven with a rich backdrop of love, class traditions, and rivalry between black college fraternities."
The camera follows protagonist DJ Williams from the streets of L.A. to the upper class of Atlanta, where he is still in a state of ignorance about the so-called college environment, but through the fraternities he slowly begins to gain some awareness. There are many different elements throughout the movie: the love between DJ and April, the rivalry between the fraternities, and the unforgettable step-dance routine that is always interspersed throughout ...... Ultimately, you can see the effect DJ has on the fraternities, and how the fraternities have a negative effect on him - what is it about the fraternities that sustains the brotherly love? of camaraderie?DJ will tell you from his own personal experience.
While director Sylvain White is a native Frenchman, he knows no less about step dancing than Native American blacks: "My father was a member of a fraternity in college and danced this way, so to be able to make a movie about it means a lot to me. As a director, it's important to have enough passion for what you're making, and I have that passion for step dancing, and that's one of the main reasons why I'm directing this movie." Meanwhile, White, who directed I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer, is a man with a keen interest in the positive: "Is there anything more energizing than college life? There are kids here with extraordinary intellects who are in the prime of their lives. And, here is a simple and pure love story where two people from different life backgrounds are attracted to each other and possess an irrepressible spark."
Because of director Sylvian White's indelible passion for step dancing, he decided to make a movie that was as authentic as possible: "For the American public, step dancing isn't popular, and since the movie gives us a chance to tell the story, why not present this colorful world in its richest and fullest form? ...... Of course, if you, like me, happen to be an avid fan of step dancing, trust me, you won't be disappointed just the same." Indeed, there hasn't been a movie of this kind depicting black college life at all since School Daze, directed by Spike Lee in 1988, so Streetsbloggers should be about more than just step dancing per se, but also about restoring in a realistic way the fraternities that are formed for a variety of different purposes-student organizations that are entirely about helping and serving the community organizations. Like the set of scenes depicted in the movie: as the DJ navigates the student album display room in the school's auditorium, where the history and beliefs of all fraternities are documented, from Martin Luther King, Jr. to Rosa Parks to Michael Jordan, and from great leaders to contemporary astronauts, successful businessmen, actors, and politicians, representing a cultural legacy. It's this kind of detail that I believe White is trying to utilize to convey the true soul of this story.
About the Casting
The casting of the movie was made difficult by the fact that the movie was incredibly demanding in terms of dance. Director Sylviane White knew that there was no room for compromise, and that in order to star in the film, someone must be a professional dancer, in addition to being an amazingly gifted performer who could perfectly convey the story's central message. As White describes it, "There's actually a lot to be said about the choice of actors, because that choice often shapes the fate of a movie's success, and it's especially challenging when it's such a very obviously professional type of movie. So we needed an all-around actor who could stretch the emotional needs of the character, but also possessed a very high talent for dance, because, this movie resolutely does not allow the use of any kind of stand-in actors."
Silvian White and producer Will Packer then searched the country for the right person for the role, truly hoping they would find the right kind of lead with the right combination of star quality, acting talent and dancing prowess, and it was good to know that they had met Columbus Short ...... White remembers his first encounter with Short: "He was a very special performer, with a different screen presence, and was exactly what we had been looking for. I couldn't wait to ask him if he could dance, and he didn't say a word, just looked at me with a smile and then completely overwhelmed me with an amazingly difficult dance move."
The movie isn't Columbus Short's first connection to the big screen; you can find him in "War of the Worlds" and "Admission" respectively, though he's been more involved in, well, TV series -- even so, Short's acting career actually began on Broadway. And before he returned to Los Angeles, he worked as a dance instructor for a number of films and TV shows. Streets Boys was Short's first lead role, so the role of DJ was not only hugely appealing to him, but also meaningful: "DJ is a multi-layered, deep character, made challenging precisely because of the conflict in his inner world.DJ discovers stepping for the first time while struggling to adapt to his new surroundings, and also finds true love for the first time."
And the challenge of the step dance itself became another attraction for Columbus Short to join the movie: "I've actually been studying jazz stomping for almost two years now, and there are so many similarities between the two dances that I felt confident that I could handle it, even though I had never been exposed to step dancing before. The director, choreographer and all the dancers, including myself, came together to create this mix of hip-hop style stomping that is so different, or at least not what you would expect."
Producer Will Packer also echoed the casting choice of Columbus Short: "The character of DJ has to have the punch of his peers first and foremost, and the gangsta of a street boy, but most importantly, he has to be able to make you applaud him with his flashy dance skills ...... Short This is one of those people who, as an actor, is very much a showman, but also genuine and sharp, the kind of quality talent that you'll never forget. It was a delightful experience to be able to work with him, and he has enough energy and ideas to work well with others. One day, he walked onto the set and suddenly asked the dancers to throw themselves into the air, and then, they literally threw him so high ...... When you see this set, you wonder how these kids can pull off such difficult maneuvers without the help of a wigwam. But Sean did it, he was thrown into the air and landed back on the ground safely."
Introduction of the Main Cast
With a street-dance-themed movie, the director doesn't seem to matter anymore, and no one pays attention to how convoluted the refusal to hire is, the most important thing is whether or not you can get the heavyweight street dancers to show the actual street dance. Celebrity actor Columbus Short was the rumored boyfriend of Britney Spears many years ago, and this handsome black guy is an all-around entertainer in TV, movies, and dance. And Meagan Good was by no means a bad dancer. In addition to both the male and female leads being street dancers that the guys know well. Layo is also a must-mention actor in the movie. This ace producer, who once lived behind the scenes and created pop gold for many top singers, has now come to the front line to release his own album, and in a few months has already earned the title of R&B's new generation of idols. This time is his debut in the movie industry, although only a supporting role, but also absolutely used by the distributor as a selling point of the actor.