Ballet meets street dance. The dance film "Into the Beat – Your heart dances" does not reinvent the wheel, but scores with fresh charm.
Ballet meets street dance or hip-hop – you could already see that in "Save the Last Dance" from 2001. "Step Up" (2006), the film in which Channing Tatum (40) and his now divorced wife Jenna Dewan (39) met, combines classic dance with freestyle elements. Dance films are felt like sand by the sea. From July 16, "Into the Beat – Your Heart Dances" will be a dance film in German cinemas. But someone who exudes a fresh breeze of charm.
The dream of being free
Ballet talent Katya (Alexandra Pfeifer) diligently trains for auditions at the New York Ballet Academy and has a good chance of receiving the coveted scholarship. However, when she meets a group of street dancers, her world is turned upside down. The new dance style takes her heart by storm, because street dancing is free, explosive and without rules. Katya can finally express all her feelings. She also falls in love with the introverted Marlon, a gifted hip-hop dancer (Yalany Marschner).
He sees a lot of dance potential in Katya and asks her to take him to an audition with the world-famous street dance crew Sonic Tigers. Katya is completely absorbed in this new attitude towards life. The way back to the ballet seems impossible for them. But her father Victor (Trystan Pütter), a famous ballet star, has a completely different opinion. Which of the two will prevail in the end?
The chemistry is right
"Into the Beat – Your heart dances" lives from an untroubled storytelling, lots of cool moves and the chemistry between the two main actors, Alexandra Pfeifer and Yalany Marschner. The young actors harmonize in front of the camera so that they are relieved of their direct connection. Alexandra Pfeifer literally flourishes as Katya in the world of street dance. It is a welcome change that Katya is welcomed with open arms instead of strange looks at her first hour of street dancing.
Their counterpart, the mysterious Marlon, remains somewhat obscure, but at least it saves the criminal past. Marlon grew up without parents, less dramatic, but that doesn't hurt, on the contrary, it fits the plot. He manages to get Katya out of herself – sometimes you don't need more. The big dance scenes are the loudest and wildest, which brings the necessary impetus to the whole. However, the grand finale is almost disappointing in comparison – which could also be due to the choice of music. It seems out of focus as a climax and the end comes abruptly.
Conclusion
"Into the Beat – Your heart dances" does not reinvent the dance film genre, nor does it top anything that has existed before. The film by director Stefan Westerwelle (40) brings a breath of fresh air, garnished with a breeze of charm. Lean back, watch, rock with the rhythm and then swing your own leg again.