How She Move - January 2008

How She Move is an energetic, gritty and ultimately inspiring coming of age tale about a gifted young woman who defies all the rules as she step dances her heart out to achieve her dreams. Featuring a fresh cast of new discoveries, this Sundance Film Festival hit marks the feature film debut of the electric RUTINA WESLEY, with street-style step sequences by top choreographer Hi Hat and special appearances by R&B singer-songwriter Keyshia Cole and comedian DeRay Davis.

An aspiring medical student whose drug addicted sister has recently died and who may be forced to relocate from a private school to the crime infested neighborhood in which she was raised enters a step-dancing competition in hopes of securing the funds needed to continue her education. Unable to afford the tuition needed to fund her private-school education, ambitious teen Raya (Rutina Wesley) returns to her family home in the city while reluctantly forced to reevaluate her future. Upon learning that the top prize for an upcoming step-dancing competition is $50,000, Raya uses her impressive moves to earn a coveted slot in her good friend Bishop's (Dwain Murphy) predominately male JSJ crew. Isolated from the local females due to jealousy and separated from her fellow dancers by gender, the ambitious dancer is subsequently kicked-off the team for showing off during a preliminary competition. Now, if Raya has any hope of realizing her medical school dreams, she will have to either earn back Bishop's trust or organize her own dance crew and start over from scratch.

Directed by Ian Iqbal Rashid
Produced by Brent Barclay, Colin Brunton, Jennifer Kawaja, Claire Prieto and Julia Sereny
Written by Annmarie Morais
Release Date: January 25, 2008
Genre: Drama
Rating: PG-13

Casts:

• Tracey Armstrong as Michelle
• Clé Bennett as Garvey
• Nina Dobrev as Tall Britney
• Romina D'Ugo as Selia
• Kevin Duhaney as E.C.
• Shawn Fernandez as Trey
• Brennan Gademans as Quake
• Jason Harrow as Himself
• Jai Jai Jones as Lester Johnson
• Tristan D. Lalla as Big Man Manny
• Daniel Morrison as Wayne
• Dwain Murphy as Bishop
• Mýa as Herself
• Rutina Wesley as Raya
• Keyshia Cole as Herself

Following her sister's death from drug addiction, a high school student is forced to leave her private school to return to her old, crime-filled neighborhood where she re-kindles an unlikely passion for the competitive world of step dancing.