Step Up

Tyler Gage is a young man from a rough Baltimore neighbourhood whose run-ins with the law land him in trouble. After he and a friend damage property at a performing arts school, a judge sentences him to community service there, cleaning and doing odd jobs. Out of place among the students, he keeps to himself until he meets Nora Clark, a ballet dancer preparing for a showcase that could shape her future. When her dance partner is injured, she needs a replacement, and Tyler's untrained street style turns out to suit the routine she has in mind.

Step Up was released in 2006 and marked Anne Fletcher's first time directing a feature, ahead of the films she went on to make. Duane Adler and Melissa Rosenberg wrote the screenplay, and the leads are Channing Tatum as Tyler and Jenna Dewan as Nora, with Damaine Radcliff, Rachel Griffiths, Deirdre Lovejoy and Alyson Stoner among the credited cast of 87. Made for about 12 million dollars, it took roughly 114 million worldwide, a strong return.

Audience response has been warmer than critical response. On IMDb the film holds 6.5 out of 10 from around 134,000 votes, and on TMDB it sits at 6.9 from fewer than 4,000 votes, while the critics' rating stands at 4.8 from 105 reviews. The contrast suggests a film that found its public rather than its reviewers, and it launched a series of dance-centred follow-ups.