Stepping Out

Mavis Turner once had a shot at Broadway stardom, but she put her career aside and settled in Buffalo, far from the theatre world she had trained for. She now sings in nightclubs, performing songs written by Patrick, and teaches tap dancing to a group of adults who show up to her class with more enthusiasm than skill. The students include married women, single women of various ages, and one man, and their progress is modest at best.

When the class learns it will perform at a charity gala on the same bill as professional dancers, the group has to pull together. The film follows their efforts to prepare for the event and the bonds that form among them along the way.

Lewis Gilbert directed the film, released in 1991, from a screenplay by Richard Harris. It sits between Educating Rita and Haunted in Gilbert's directing career, which also includes Alfie and several James Bond entries. Liza Minnelli leads the cast as Mavis, with Shelley Winters, Robyn Stevan, Jane Krakowski, Bill Irwin and Ellen Greene among the twenty-one credited performers. On TMDB it holds a rating of 5.9 out of 10 from 22 votes.