"Shh-hh." "?" "I've got rhythm ?" "?" "I've got music ?" "?" "I've got my man ?" "?" "Who could ask for anything more?" "?" "?" "I've got daisies ?" "?" "In green pastures ?" "?" "I've got my man ?" "?" "Who could ask for anything more?" "?" "?" "Got rhythm, got rhythm, whoo, got rhythm ?" " ?" "I've got rhythm ?" " ?" "Got attention, whoo, ow!" "?" "?" "Got rhythm, got rhythm ?" "?" "One, two, three ?" "?" "Who could dance with us or who could stand with us?" "?" "?" "Look at us tonight, we lookin' fabulous ?" "?" "Freshed it up to def and we just movin' ?" "?" "Out on the town putting on our dance shoes-in' ?" "?" "One foot in and one foot out ?" "?" "Sexy salsa, what's that all about?" "?" "?" "well, listen, after I take it back to old schoolin' ?" "?" "Like Lena Horne, all them cats was coolin' ?" " ?" "I've got rhythm ?" " ?" "Whoo!" "?" "?" "I've got-got-got rhythm ?" "?" "M.C. will lead but, yo, I can't take it ?" "?" "When that young thing like to shake it, shake it, shake it ?" "?" "When she move forward then she back that thing up ?" "?" "And I got a beat on point and live on something ?" " ?" "Come on... ?" " ?" "'Cause my hood is greasy ?" "?" "It ain't easy ?" "?" "But for tonight gonna be a'ight ?" "?" "Whoo-whoo ?" "?" "One, two, three ?" "Ladies and gentlemen." "?" "I've got my man ?" "?" "Who could ask for anything more?" "?" "?" "Who could ask for ?" "?" "Anything ?" "?" "Mo-o-o-o-ore?" "?" "Jay, get out here." "Your father needs to use the bathroom." "Aw!" "help clean him up for me, Jay." "You good, Pop?" "You got it, Pop." "Oh Pop!" "Come on, man." "Gigi, catch it." " One mike break." " Hide my purse so when somebody tries to steal it, at Ieast they have to work for it." "This puppy's got a bark, kids!" "?" "One-two, one-two, one, two, three-- ?" "Thank you." "Thank you." "Now it is with great pride that I introduce the highlight of the evening-- our student exhibition!" "BIaine Academy students, please, take the floor." "Dancers ready?" "Don't forget the new turn." " ?" "Let's go ?" " ?" "talk to 'em, Drag ?" "?" "Look here, dawg, I'm d-r-to-the-izzay ?" "?" "I'm born a "G," if I ain't in the club, I'm on the streets ?" "?" "And if I ain't in the Benz, I'm on my feet ?" "?" "And I'm probably the most slept on on the East ?" "?" "But I'm still in the club, throwin' it up ?" "?" "Fightin' break out in the club, they knowin' it's us ?" "?" "Damn, who dat?" "Drag and 'em, same nigga ?" "?" "walk through any block and don't know half of them ?" "?" "I Iike it when the girls grab the boys and their bodies get loose like this ?" "?" "I Iike it, I Iike it, I Iike it, I Iike it ?" "?" "That's why I ask the Lord ?" "?" "In heaven above ?" "?" "What is this thing called love?" "?" " ?" "Whoo!" "?" " ?" "Let's work-- ?" "?" "Jae MiIIz-- some call me "The Statue" ?" "?" "worldwide hustler but I'm from the area ?" "?" "Rose gold sit on my neck, rose gold sit on my wrist... ?" "Let's go, Iet's go." "What're you trying to pull, son?" "I ain't pulling nothing, man, it's a real ticket." "It just got wet, that's all." "Just turn around and go home, all right?" "Hey-hey!" "Look, man, I paid for my ticket, you're gonna let me in." "I am?" "Come on, man." "Get off me!" "Hey-hey, get off me, man." " Ah!" "Get off me." " calm down, son." " What's going on here?" " I got it, Augustine." " It's under control." " This fool won't let me in." "Watch your mouth." "You're not going in this dance with your attitude." "For what?" "The ticket's real." "Everybody else's punkass is going in there." "Everybody else's punkass does not have your history, Jason RockweII." " That ain't even right, man." " Keep talking." "Give me a reason to kick your butt out of my school." "Give me one." "Whoa!" "You!" "Whoa, what?" "!" "What's poppin', playboy?" "Whassup?" "What, you good?" "Yeah, I'm cool." "Yo, what's up, man?" "Ain't seen you since your brother's service." " almost a year now, dawg." " Yeah, almost." "You're not dancing?" " No." " Miss James punked you again?" "Sh-- whatever, yo." "Check it-- we rolling." "You down?" "That ain't yours, man." "Looks like Miss principal left you a little present, baby." "She in there enjoying your party." "You feel me?" "Whatcha gonna do?" "Gonna get some justice, right?" "Now's your chance, son." "Know what I'm saying?" "Take the goddamn iron and leave this bitch a little message." "I ain't messing with you, man." "You're reckless." "Pussy!" " Oh shit!" " Damn!" "Bag that shit, brother." "Hit that shit!" " Oh, that's gonna be expensive, boy." " Just smash that!" " Let's go, dawg!" " Shit." "Is that your car, man?" "No." "So what you running up on me for?" "What was he thinking?" " ?" "You wanna see how we flow?" "?" " ?" "Here we go, here we go ?" " ?" "Gimme dough and do a show ?" " ?" "Here we go, here we go ?" " ?" "Your guy nearly got mad ?" " ?" "Here we go, here we go ?" " ?" "timberland and Dirtbag ?" " ?" "Here we go, here we go, yo ?" "?" "Here we go, yo, here we go, yo, here we go, here we go ?" "?" "They call me dirty dirty but I shine so clean ?" "?" "Push birdy birdies but I got a new scene ?" "?" "Me and Timmy T dropping' out a limousine ?" "?" "while the girls throw their hips, they zipping their blue jeans ?" "?" "We slip in their blue dreams, and it feels so good ?" "?" "I shouldn't have another but I thank I would ?" "?" "My location, conversation, relation that made me hood ?" "?" "The rotation of my records every second made me good ?" "?" "I ain't trying to have relations, Dirt trying to wood ?" "?" "Strong penetration, it hurts when it's good ?" "?" "should I choose you or your girl?" "I choose both ?" "?" "call Timmy and enforce, my nigga, it's time to go ?" " ?" "You want to see how we flow?" "?" " ?" "Here we go, here we go ?" " ?" "Gimme dough and do a show ?" " ?" "Here we go, here we go ?" " ?" "Your guy nearly got mad ?" " ?" "Here we go, here we go. ?" "What you here for?" "A funeral or somethin'?" "I don't want it pimped, I want it fixed." "AII right, you've got somewhere to be and it is not in my hallway." "Get there and get there fast." "paul Lopez, put a belt in those pants." "I do not want to have to see your drawers." "Good morning." "Chin, if I see you on that cell phone one more time, it's mine." "Eddie French, in my office, you know why." "Augustine, have you made a decision yet on my calculus lab?" "Joe, do you really think I can get special funding for your six kids when I have all the rest of them to worry about?" "My six are the ones that have a chance." "They're smarter than" "You know how I feel about "smarter than."" "There's kids out there selling drugs, doing the calculus in their heads." "Now if you want to open up that lab to the rest of them," " maybe we could swing a grant." " Are you serious?" "Yes, I'm serious." "Augustine, we have to honor the kids that are excelling, not neglect them." "Joe, we operate on limited resources-- morning, Gretchen." "Yo, son, who died?" "apparently, your manners." "Excuse me, sir, was that lady the principal?" " Yeah." " Thank you." "Uh-huh." "You mean "You're welcome," right?" "Uh-huh." "And what's this I hear about you baiIing out on detention today?" "I'm not giving up my math club time to babysit a bunch of delinquents." "Excuse me, those kids need your attention as well." "But the ones who try actually deserve it." "Yo, son, what the hell you do that for?" "She wasn't carrying nothing'." "She could've opened the door her damn self." "It's called courtesy." "Yeah, well, it makes you look like a punkass." " You think so?" " Damn straight." "Man, punkass moves like that won't get you no play around here." "Trust me, I've tried it." "Oh, I've got plenty of play." "You're kidding, right?" "Did you see that?" "Every single one of them smiled at me." "Yeah, but you didn't get no numbers." "I didn't ask for no numbers." "Whatever." "What about KIine?" "He hasn't taken detention in months." " Out with the flu." " Cranky-butt Lewis?" " Jury duty." " Again?" " What are you looking at?" " Mr. DuIaine." " Friend or foe?" " Too early to say." "But check this out." "He's been doing that for everyone." "And he stands every time a woman walks past." "Freak." "It's just my luck." "Have security standing by." "Mr. DuIaine." "Come on in." "Eddie, sit your ass down." "So what can I do for you?" "You're not a parent, you're not a sub, you're certainly not a cop." "How can you tell all this?" "If I depended on the students to tell me what's going on, we'd all be in trouble." "I've got five minutes, Mr. DuIaine." "Yeah, um..." "I ran into one of your students on, eh, Saturday night" " How nice for you." " Yeah... he was vandalizing private property." "Did you file a police report?" "No." "I felt I should come to you." "It's the wrong move." "I try to prevent crime from happening, but once it does, the police are who you want to talk to." "So... good day." "That's it?" "That's it for me." "Gretchen'II show you out." "Oh oh oh, hold on, uh... who should I talk to about this?" "probably one of your students, right?" "You must have a Iot of angry kids at this school." "Now if your kids were as important to you as your car" "Excuse me for caring about my car, Mr. DuIaine." "And do not talk to me about angry kids like you are some kind of expert." "This is my school." "I decide what is or is not a priority." "And these kids?" "Are they your priorities?" "Honor roll?" "Those kids are dead, Mr. DuIaine." "Each and every one of them killed since I have been here." "I keep them right there to remind me of why I'm tired, and why I keep coming to work and why I have no time to waste." "I'm sorry." "Sorry." "please excuse me." " Mr. DuIaine?" " I would Iike to help." "There are numerous ways community members can help the students of John Drake High school." "There is a tutoring program." "There's Big Brothers." "There's the math center, the language skills lab, book club, DARE outreach" "Y-yeah, I-I'm sure these are fine programs, uh... but I have my own methods." "AII right, uh..." "I want to teach your kids to dance." "believe me, the one thing they do know is how to dance." " ballroom?" " What did you say?" "He said, "ballroom."" "Uh, yeah." "waltz, fox-trot, all the basics." "It would be great for them." "Okay, where is the camera?" "If you are talking about teaching my kids the fox-trot," "I must be on television." "AII right, um, your kids, your call." "Thank you." "Good morning." "Mr. DuIaine!" "Wait." "If you are serious," "I just might have an opening for you." "You meet me back here at 3:00 sharp." "3:00?" "I'm not a particularly patient woman, Mr. DuIaine, either you want to help out or you don't." "I'II rearrange my schedule." "I see you sneaking out on me, Joe L." "We have kids in there for everything from stealing someone's bag, to cheating on exams" "Hector, home safe-- to possession, vandalism, to rearranging somebody's face." "basically, if you get-- hat!" "Hat!" "If you can think of a way to cut a corner and collect a dime, the kids in detention are all over it before we have had our morning coffee." " Detention?" " You said you wanted to help." "believe me, these kids could use some." "Everyone else calls them the school rejects." "They're in here for the rest of the term." "In case you were wondering why the scenic tour, detention's far from a beauty spot, but it's the only space we have available after some knucklehead burned up the study hall." "On purpose?" "I got five bucks saying you won't be back tomorrow." "Miss James, what, you springing us for good behavior or something?" "No, I'm not, Mr. Epps." "Listen up, everybody, this is Mr. DuIaine." "Mr. DuIaine here is running your detention and you will do whatever Mr. DuIaine says." "That's what you think." " Yeah, right." " They're all yours." "Hey, gimme, gimme the ball." " Let's go, man." " Wow!" "Right there." "Yo, follow that queen." "Let's go." "Pay attention, pay attention." "Okay, a'ight." "My name is Pierre DuIaine." "But you-- you can call me Pierre." " Pierre?" "!" " You don't sound French." "Yeah, uh..." "my mother was Spanish, my father was French." "I understand six languages." " I speak five." " Give me that." "AII of them with a Spanish accent." "Um, so... you are?" "Sir." "That's Jason RockweII." "Yeah, but you can call him Rock, Pierre." "What about you, mademoiselle?" "LaRhette, LaRhette DudIey." "Very nice to meet you, LaRhette." "So what kind of teacher are you?" "Yeah, what'd you do they made you run detention?" " I asked to be here." " Punkass move number two." "I teach..." "ballroom dancing." " What?" "!" " ballroom dancing?" "And you... are going to Iearn ballroom dancing here in your detention." "Nothing this wild ever happens in english." "Or biology." "The wildest thing yet is that I said yes." "You did what?" "I'm gonna arrange you by height." "You... and you." "Yeah, together." " No freaking way." " Ooh!" "Mr. Epps, was it?" "And the lady to your right," "let's have you and you together." "You two together." "HoI-hoId on a sec." "Why I can't be with her?" "Not at this time, sir." "Yeah, bu-but everybody know Danjou can't dance." " Are you a dancer, sir?" " What, tu no sabes?" "I can shake it." "Then I suggest you shake it with the partner I assigned." "Look, nobody wanted to host the detention hall." " This is a joke." " If I turn it over to Mr. DuIaine, we get our detention halls for free." "Detention is meant to be a place where the kids who need to spend extra time in school do just that-- spend extra time in school." "Not dancing around." "Joe, do you know any of our students that are gonna want to do ballroom dancing?" "absolutely not." "exactly." "I think I just discovered the cure for cutting class, and for cheating, and for any number of miscreant behaviors." " To the fox-trot!" " To the fox-trot!" " You and... yes, you, together." " hold up, that's my cousin." " I can't dance with my cousin." " Yeah, man." "You know what?" "Me and Big girl can switch." "I'II dance with Monster." "Oh no, man..." "And you, sir, will be with this lovely lady over here." " No, he won't." " Ooh-ooh." " More cousins, right?" " hell no!" " Uh-oh." " Yo, I can't dance with him, for real." " Put me with anybody else." " AII right" " She's trash, that's why." " You shut the hell up." "Hey hey hey hey." "Yo, roll up!" "I don't want to be here anyway." " Hey, hoId" " Bye." "We're out of here, son." "AII right, we are finished for today." "Argh... tsk!" "Did you see what happened to my bike?" "Nope." ""Nope, nope."" "How does this work in with the lesson schedule?" "And the new students and caitlin's cotillion?" "And Morgan always wants more time before a competition." "We can rearrange." "It'II be fine." " That's your plan?" " Mm-hmm." ""It'II be fine"?" "Just when this place was starting to do well, Pierre." "These kids probably don't even want what you're offering." "Did you ask them?" " Did you?" " Huh-uh." " Pierre!" "Pierre, we have an emergency." " We'II talk about this later." "Ahem, ladies, what a pleasure." "Hey." " We've got to do something, Pierre." " Mother!" "She's not getting any better, in fact she may be getting worse." "Oh, she'II be fine, Mrs. Spencer." "She just needs a little time is all." "Time's running out." "This cotiIIion is a huge event." "Now CaitIin's father and I have spent a fortune on the party." "AII of our friends are coming and I will not have her looking like a..." "I just" " I just want CaitIin to feel secure all right?" "I understand." "please." "Maybe I'm not made to dance." "caitlin, do you Iike dancing?" "Then you were made to dance." "Mr. DuIaine, I want to dance more than anything." "It's just..." "I know I suck." "No no!" "My mom and dad paid so much for my Iessons" "Right there is the problem." "You need to dance for yourself, not for anybody else." "AII right." "Very slow, all right?" "?" "Are you ready?" "Ready ready ?" "?" "I need everybody to report to the dance floor right now ?" "?" "AII my ladies say one, two, hands in the air ?" "?" "Put your right hand up, put your left hand up ?" "?" "Put your right hand up, put your left hand up ?" "?" "Put your right hand up, put your left hand up ?" "?" "Put your right hand up, man, man ?" " ?" "It's whatever, whatever ?" " ?" "Get it poppin', get it poppin' ?" " ?" "Whatever, whatever ?" " ?" "Get it poppin' ?" "?" "It's whatever, Iike a four-aIarm blaze ?" "?" "And I'm hotter than -- that work at the Days Inn ?" "?" "people try to make hits that make people bop ?" "?" "I make hits they play, then people be shot ?" "?" "Whatever, whatever, whatever, whatever ?" "?" "Whatever. ?" " I know." " she's on the other line right now." " May I ask who's calling?" " Let me call you back." " Good morning." " Good morning." "I believe you owe me five bucks." "And I believe I am seeing things." "A little early for detention." "Thank you." "Yeah, uh..." "we need to talk." "This is LaRhette's twin brother." "He was an honor student, but we lost him to drugs." "He was a good kid, just poor as hell." "He got in the way of a crew led by this fooI-- who's Rock's brother." "Raymond RockweII was the most screwed up evil kid I ever knew." "What started out as a fist-fight turned into a little gang war and when it was over, some kids were hurt, some were dead." "TybaIt sIays Mercutio." "This isn't Shakespeare, Mr. DuIaine, it's public education." "Thank you." "Thank you very much." "You know who wrecked my car, don't you?" "Might have been either black or Hispanic." "Let me know if you remember." "?" "The way you sip your tea... ?" " Shoot me." " What is this?" " ?" "The memory of all that... ?" " Man, what's that noise?" "That noise is the work of the great American songwriters" " Ira and George Gershwin." " Who?" "Some of the many amazing artists you'II be dancing to." "Yo, man, I need the remix." "AII right, everyone, stand up!" "Step forward." "?" "The way you haunt my dreams ?" "?" "No no, they can't take that away from me... ?" "AII right." "Maybe I'II just give you a chance to absorb Gershwin." "?" "...meet again on the bumpy road to love ?" "?" "still, I'II always ?" "?" "always keep the memory of... ?" "He likes it." "?" "The way you hold your knife... ?" "Okay, can you turn it off now?" "Excuse me?" "I am afraid I can't hear you." "?" "The way you've changed my Iife ?" "?" "No no, they can't take that away from me ?" "?" "No, they can't take that away ?" "?" "From me-- ?" "classic ballroom consists of these dances-- the tango, the rumba, fox-trot, swing, standard waltz, merengue and, of course, the Viennese waltz." "These dances were danced by the fiercest warriors." "Oh, the Viennese waltz?" "Sounds fierce." "AII right, all right, how many of you think this style of dance is weak?" "Two votes for me." "Ladies and gentlemen, you have been misled." "Miss LaRhette, would you do me the honor?" "Nah, I don't think so." "MademoiseIIe, please, come on." "Okay... in ancient times, it was believed that any man who could kill with speed and accuracy should be able to dance with grace as well." "ballroom dancing is... for kings and empresses." "It is the dance of strength, of romance and love." " Thank you, it was lovely." " Uh-huh." "I believe the appropriate answer to that is, "You're welcome."" "Uh-huh." " AII right." " Look, son, you're talking about a bunch of rich white folks, sIave-hoIders." "I mean I've never seen Martin Luther King" "You're right, you're right, you're right." "Correct." " You know?" " Some were." "But the tango, the milonga, and even the rumba were first danced in some form by Africans." " Oh-ho!" " Here we go." "Why is it that every time you want to fly something by us, you claim it's got ties to Africans, but every time you get scared or mad, you blame it on African killer bees?" " African EboIa virus." " Right." "Freaking West nile fever." "AII right, all right, what if I told you these dances will make you look very cool?" "I'd say you're full of shit." " What is this, Mr. RockweII?" " A doctor's note." "I can't dance, I got a heart condition." "I see... interesting man, your doctor." "Not many physicians write notes on three-hoIed paper." " Busted." " Partners, please." "No?" "AII right." "No, hey, okay, hey hey!" "Now, ballroom dancing is about two bodies moving as one." "I'm down with that." "gentlemen, please, take your partner's hand." "hold up, how the hell do I know where his hands have been?" " Here, I'II show you, see?" " Oh, no no!" " Now you know." " No." "No no no." "That is not right." " Now that's "ball" room." " You are nasty!" "welcome to the fox-trot, people." " Step a little closer." " ?" "I've got rhythm... ?" " AII right." " ?" "I've got music... ?" "Yo, why we got to use that?" "My grandparents don't even listen to that stuff." "That stuff give us the perfect fox-trot rhythm." " ?" "Who could ask for anything more?" "?" " Good good." "Now, ladies, start on the right foot," " going backward." " ?" "I've got daisies... ?" "Men on the Ieft, stepping forward." " Two slow steps back." " ?" "I've got my man... ?" " ?" "Who could ask for anything more?" " Two quick ones to the side." "It goes like this-- slow, slow," " quick, quick, slow, slow." " ?" "old Man trouble... ?" " Quick, quick, slow, slow." " ?" "I don't mind him... ?" " Quick, quick, slow, slow." " ?" "You won't find him... ?" "Quick, quick, good." " ?" "Around my door... ?" " Come on, guys, quick, quick." " Stop!" " ?" "I've got starlight... ?" "Sir, sir, sorry, just let me just show you, eh?" "Everybody!" "please." "Why I always got to demonstrate it?" " Because you can do it." " ?" "I've got my man... ?" " ?" "Who could ask for anything more?" "?" " slow, slow, quick, quick, slow, slow, quick, quick, slow, slow, quick, quick..." "slow, quick, quick-- hi, Mommy." "Go in back." "I'II be there in a minute." " Kids eat?" " Baby had a second bottle." "I fed them at like 6:00." "We'II talk when I'm through." "slow, slow, quick, quick, slow... ?" "New eyes grilling, your blood's spilling ?" "?" "tell me, little homie, what's the reason?" "?" "?" "That can lead to freeway squeezing ?" "?" "What you fake it for?" "?" "?" "Here we go-- one, two, three, four, five, six, seven ?" " ?" "Kick in the door ?" " ?" "Yeah and rhyme for the legend ?" "?" "Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one ?" "?" "This is my twelfth album, but your man's not dizz-un ?" " ?" "What you want?" "?" " ?" "Defaces the coupes and the Lincs ?" " ?" "What you get?" "?" " ?" "Top models that Garbo in the mink ?" "?" "Whoever want it, I take it to the brink ?" "?" "It's funny but I needed philly money, we had a link, Iet's go ?" "?" "New eyes grilling, your blood's spilling ?" "?" "tell me, little homie, what's the reason?" "?" "?" "That can lead to freeway squeezing ?" "?" "What you fake it for?" "?" "?" "24s kiIIin', ain't no ceiIin' ?" "?" "Move, little homie, see the hootchie leaning ?" "?" "L.L., I keep birdies feenin'. ?" " What you doing?" " Why the hell's the music off?" " Here he is" " Iife of the party." " Dude is so whacked." "Here we go." "Du-Iame." "You don't have to stop." "That was amazing." " Thank you." " You're welcome." "Now guys, why can't you put that emotion and energy into my style of dance?" "That's impossible, man." "really, why so?" "'Cause your music sucks." "It's corny." "There ain't no feeling in it." " No feeling?" " Huh-uh." "How can you say that?" " Lena Horne, Joe williams," " Who dat?" "Nat King CoIe-- these songs are all about love." "Maybe you love different than we do." "Look at you, you're all flowers and things." "talk to your woman all sweet, saying shit trying to make her feel nice, well, we ain't got no time for that." "We want to get right down to the ill na-na." "Love is universal, my friend." "We just may look for it different ways, hearing different songs." "Yeah, whatever." "This is what you think about love, right?" "?" "Won't you fly me to the moon... ?" " Hmm... smooth, romantic." " ?" "And let me play among the stars... ?" "I would call that a love song." "I couId dance to that." "Dance to this." "?" "Now shake that ass out ?" "?" "Make that cookie pop, shake it down to the floor ?" "?" "And make that cookie drop, shake that ass out ?" "?" "Make that cookie pop, shake it down to the floor ?" "?" "And make that cookie drop ?" "What you think about that, Mr. ballroom man?" "?" "She want it on the ball, use your dirty little head ?" "?" "To hustle on the floor... ?" "I didn't see you on the floor today." "If you're not going to dance, why bother even showing up?" "If I don't go to detention, then I can't go to class, and then I can't graduate." "What d'you want from me anyway, man?" "I know you know who I am." "glad to know you are so observant." "Now, if you'II allow me" "hold on, man." "Don't be doing me no favors." "I don't owe nobody nothing, I don't get down like that." "So I'm-a ask you again-- what you want from me?" "I think a simple, "Thank you for keeping my ass out of the slammer"" "might be appropriate, Mr. RockweII." "Nobody gives something for nothing." "I'II see you in cIass-- tomorrow." "AII right, Iet's begin." "caitlin, are you all right?" "would you be all right if you were me and you had to have a cotillion?" "Don't lie." "It's like everyone here is a beautiful swan and then boom, I'm the butt-ugIy duckIing." "Sweetie, if you don't want a cotillion, why don't you just tell your parents to call it off?" "I'd want one if I couId move like her." "It's like sex on hardwood." "I would kill to dance like that." "Uh, excuse me a second." "Morgan?" "?" "Now run and tell your mama and your daddy how your shit is weak ?" "?" "50 deep-- damn nigga, this ain't what you want in life... ?" "I mean, the deepest darkest parts of me," "like the blood through my veins and arteries," " we see the fact" " Yo." "?" "The presidential shit is what I mean ?" "?" "Chop, chop-- yeah, I'm back on the block, on the block ?" "?" "We've got it ready for you straight-- ?" "Check this out!" "Check Mr. DuIaine, just getting his flirt on." "You can't do that." "Thank you, Morgan." " Did you see that?" " How'd you do that?" "That was amazing." "I've never seen anybody move like that." "I'm sure." " Teach me how to do that." " Okay." "AII right, all right." "Listen, listen to me, listen to me now." "Try to get her number." "How many of you men would Iike to handle a woman like that?" " Ooh." " Two times for me." "Good good." "And ladies, how many of you would Iike the power to drive your man to distraction?" "Why are you showing us what Miss Uptight could do when she got parents who give her lessons and the other crap she wants?" " That was not the point." " Oh, it ain't?" "No." "You could be just as good." "If you work at it, of course." "And for those of you who already think you'II be good enough, there is a citywide competition at the end of the term." "Now, the winning couple splits $5,000." "hold on, hold on, are you talking ducats?" " Uh-huh." " Five Gs?" " That's right." " Yeah, I'm with that." "But I thought you said it wasn't about the money, teach." "Money for dancing?" "But only if you're good, right?" "Yeah, only if you're good." " Positions, please." " Let's get busy." " Let's review the fox-trot." " Yo, I thought we were gonna tango." "Oh, no no no no, the tango must be earned." "You, Mr. Ramos, cannot handle the tango." " Yet." " Ooh-ooh." "Heard you had a hell of a class today." "I Iove the tango." "How do you hear about my class?" "I hope you understand what you're doing, Pierre." "Yes, I understand very well." "Just be careful of what you're promising." "Everyone is entitled to a little culture." "To me, dance is like life." "No, that's where you're wrong, Mr. DuIaine." "Life, for these kids, is like a fight to stay alive and a hustle to make ends meet, not ballroom dancing." "AII right, ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much." "See you on Thursday, okay?" "Thank you." "We need to talk schedule and financing" " Mr. DuIaine." " Yeah?" "Morgan said the kids you teach uptown are a bunch of no-taIent Iosers." "Ah, you can't always believe what Morgan says." "I'd really like to join them." "?" "fall back, get down, lay down ?" "?" "Sit down, stay down, head round ?" "?" "Hey now-- does a nigga wanna get a little off his mind?" "?" "?" "I'm a nigga that'II hit a nigga off his time ?" "?" "Brains in the air, flame to the hair ?" "?" "'Cause the game ain't fair, and I'II take it there ?" "?" "With the right one, baby ?" "?" "Got that?" "We tryin' to light one, baby ?" "?" "I run shit here... ?" "What the hell are you looking at?" "?" "I run shit here... ?" " ?" "If you wanna see me prove it... ?" " What?" " She was staring at me." " ?" "Watch how quick a nigga lose it ?" "?" "Make you get all my shit and have you fearing for your life... ?" " The furnace is whacked." " AII right." "class, this is, uh, caitlin Spencer." "She'II be joining us for the day." "Yo, thought we saw the Iast of your visitors." "well, caitlin is... different." "Think of her as a foreign exchange student." "hold on, where did the equipment come from?" " Oh..." " Didn't you" "Yeah, I bought it from a friend." " Yeah." " Uh-huh." "You're trying to tell me you actually bought all this for detention?" "No, well..." " Yeah, it's all good." " I got it for Christmas." "We'II pretend I believe you." "Now, put on something I can work with, please." "And guess what?" "Positions, please." "AII right, here we go." "AII right." "Eyes over here, eyes over here." "Today, we rumba." "And... quick, quick, slow." "Quick, quick, slow." "That's the basic rumba." "Eddie..." "Eddie!" "Dance with caitlin so I can show you." "Oh, man, no, hell no, I'm not dancing with her." "Look, I know I'm not the best dancer in the world or anything, but your girl right here is just pitiful." "Yeah a-a-and another thing-- we don't need any more white-bread tourists seeing how the other half lives." "We don't." "White bread?" "I'm sorry, do you own a mirror?" "AII right, Ramos, you dance with caitlin." "I'm so fly I can make anyone look good." " Thank you, sir." " Uh-huh." "AII right." "Attention and... quick, quick, slow." "Quick, quick, slow." "Quick, quick, slow." " Quick, quick, slow." " How are you doing?" "Quick, quick, slow." " Quick, quick, slow." " You like this?" "Nice jump." "You could have used that in class today." "Rock!" "Just a second." "The night you destroyed Augustine's car..." " why did you do it?" " Because it felt good." "That's all?" "Why are you in my business, man?" "It's hard to lose someone you love." "It hurts." "It's easy to think that something in the street can fill the bad feeling inside, but you know what?" "It won't." "You need to stop acting like you know my Iife." "Stop assuming I was talking about your life." "What are you doing here?" "Not everyone has ulterior motives." "In my world they do." "And if our worlds ain't that far apart, you would understand that." "You come around here with your fancy suits on, your slick little dance moves, you think you're better than us, don't you?" " No no, you don't know who I am." " Oh, I don't know anything, huh?" "You can know about me, but I can't know anything about you?" "I got work." "You're late again, rockwell." "Yeah, I know, I've been getting caught up with some stuff at school." "I-it's not going to happen again though." "Damn right it won't." "Let me take this opportunity to thank all of you for being with us." "Good luck with the decisions that you make now." "You know, why do you stay with someone who cheated on you?" "It seems to make no sense and yet..." "How come you're here?" " I got fired, Ma." " What did you do?" "Where's the food at?" " I gave you money for food, Ma." " Now you know I tried, Jay." " I try, I can't do it aII" " Come on, I don't want to hear that." " I can't do it myseIf" " Hey-hey." "What's with all the yelling?" " I'm hungry, Pop!" " You, lower your voice." "Where's the food at?" "And why am I busting my ass all day while you in here drinking on yours?" " You know I'm sick." " I know you're drunk." "You've been like that ever since Ray died." "That ain't no excuse." "people out there sicker than you still supporting their families." "...You have in a sense the same sickness..." "You know what?" "You ain't even worth it." "That's why I'm busting my ass at school every day to make sure I'm nothing like you." "If that's the reason you're not leaving the person who's cheating on you, then for your own sake, you should seek help." "If you don't, then you're cheating." "You're cheating yourself." "You get out of this house." "Get out!" "Yo, G!" "Whassup, man?" "Say-- you wanna ride?" "Yeah." "?" "See, I know you Iike my swagger ?" "?" "Oh, you know I'm strapped when I come through ?" "?" "Chain hanging like all Baba, oh ?" "?" "Know me, you know how I do ?" "?" "The way that I move ?" "?" "You're never gonna get it, 'cause I'm too smooth ?" "?" "You're never gonna get it, I thought you knew ?" "?" "You're never gonna get it, 'cause you ain't got a clue ?" "?" "You're never gonna get it, get it, get it. ?" "Thank you very much, ma'am." "?" "I wanna spaz out, throw a brick ?" "?" "Sucker-ass, Iiquored glass house in the suburbs ?" "?" "I know the time comin' child support gonna bust in ?" "?" "To try to find somethin', but no... ?" " ?" "I know your mama don't understand ?" " What are you doing here?" "?" "I ain't getting busy dissin' events, but she knows... ?" "I'm here for dance class." "Oh, you think you're one of us now?" " No." " Oh, you want to go back downtown and tell your little rich-ass friends what it's like to slum with us?" " No." " Then what?" "Look..." "I want to be here... not because I'm slumming, but because I feel better up here than I do where I Iive." "So what you got in the suitcase?" "?" "Stop, mami, work that ass out and get it on the floor... ?" "?" "I spit fire till the day that I die-a-- ?" "Gimme that mike, dude." "What are you doing, man?" " I'm flowin'." " You can't rap." "?" "Hey, lemme hear you say I Iike that, yeah... ?" " What happened to George and Ira?" " Hey, they retired, man." "Demo time!" "?" "Lemme hear you say-- I Iike that, yeah ?" " ?" "What ya think about it?" "?" " ?" "I Iike that ?" "?" "Yeah, what ya think about it?" "?" "You're looking a little confused." "It's simple really." "We scratched two different joints together." "But the underbelly of the beats are all the same." " See, watch." " ?" "Yeah, what you think about it?" "?" "Yeah, it's the bottom beat that I'm dancing to now." "But I can change it up though." " Yo, E!" "flip it." " ?" "..." "Rose gold sit on my wrist ?" "?" "Dash, no, you and your --, you better stop ?" "?" "I Iike it when the music come on so we can just rock like this ?" " ?" "Yeah ?" " ?" "I Iike... ?" "?" "I Iike it when the beat just pumps so we can just move like this-- ?" "I mean, it's simple." "You can take out the underbelly and dance to the top of the beat, or you can take out the top and dance to the underbelly." "It's crazy, right?" "It's tight." "Yes." "Yes... ?" "If I ain't in the club, I'm on the streets... ?" "two songs..." " working together?" " Yeah." "?" "I Iike that... ?" "This is a beautiful idea, yeah." "Yeah, it is." "Which means, we could use, Iet's say... your music with..." " my music and then back to your music." " Wha-aat?" "Let me try something." "Uh, this one." " AII right, see if this works." " A'ight." " Number four." " This better be something new." "?" "The way you wear your hat... ?" "Now these are the basic beats for salsa, right?" "Good good, now I want you to fall in and count with me." " ?" "No, they can't take that away... ?" " UnderbeIIy of the rhythm only." "AII right?" "Good." "Now, partner it up." "Yeah yeah, come on." "?" "Your boy's crazy, man... ?" "Eyes off of the floor." "Your soul is not in your feet, all right?" " ?" "Lemme hear you say it-- ?" " ?" "The way you wear your hat ?" "?" "Wonder-- wonder-- wonder what's the winning ?" "?" "Homie, you'II always be a runner-up... ?" "Monster, you're too big." "Every move you make, it's like the Rocky Mountains." " I'm sorry." " Mr. Pierre, I need another partner." " AII right and-- - ?" "They can't take that away... ?" "Wanna dance with me?" "Better not." "Didn't you see what just happened?" "They call me Monster for a reason." "I'm just not made to dance." " Monster, do you Iike dancing?" " Yeah, I guess so." "Then you were made to dance." "?" "I Iike that ?" "?" "I Iike when the music come on ?" " ?" "So we can just rock like this ?" " ?" "I Iike that ?" "?" "I Iike it when the beat just pumps so we can just move like this ?" " ?" "I Iike that... ?" " Whoa!" "What is the name of that move you just did?" "It ain't got no name." "What you're looking at is history in the making." " Good, just do it." " ?" "follow the leader ?" "?" "Rose gold sit on my neck, rose gold sit on my wrist ?" "?" "You and your --, you better stop ?" "Guys... why don't you try just to dance together?" "You know, try." "Come on." "?" "follow me into a solo ?" "?" "Get in the flow and you can pitch it like a photo ?" "?" "Music makes mellow, maintains to make melodies for M.C.s ?" "?" "Motivates the breaks ?" "?" "I'm everlasting, I can go on for days and days ?" "?" "With rhyme displays that engrave, deep as x-rays ?" "?" "I can take a phrase that's rarely heard ?" "?" "flip it, now it's a daily word... ?" "AII right, walk forward." "Everyone and... ?" "Let me hear you say, now you know what I'm 'bout ?" "?" "Come on, Iet's go, whatcha think about it?" "?" "?" "I Iike that, I Iike it, I Iike it ?" "?" "Let me hear you say, yeah ?" " ?" "Whatcha think about it?" "?" " ?" "I Iike that ?" " ?" "I Iike it, I Iike it ?" " ?" "Let's work ?" "?" "Come on. ?" " See ya later, black." " AII right, man." "The place is always a mess around here." "You never listen to me no more." "Is that too much to ask?" "Get your old lazy ass up away from that TV and do something around here." "I thought Santy claus was supposed to foot the bill for the tree." "He does ordinarily, but this year we're doing it for him." "You just try and think of yourself as one of Santa's little helpers." "Who is it?" "It's WoodIey." "You know, your mama's friend." "My mom's not home yet." "Yeah, I know, she told me to wait." "A'ight." "Take a seat if you can find one." "There's a branch on the right side that spoils the shape." " Which one?" " This one right up here." "Fred, would you go down in the basement, get your saw and cut that off for me?" "It's a little unbalanced." "Oh, now, honey, maybe we can hang something there." "He don't have to go all the way down to the basement to get a saw." "Look, honey, the tree has to be balanced, you know that." "We can't have one branch out Iike" "I ain't gonna ask you where you're getting this money from." "It's none of your business." "My mom said she was coming." " What, you want a soda or something?" " Huh-uh." "Just tell me something." "Where do you sleep?" "Right here." "The kids share the bedroom." "You wanna make some money?" "Come on, you know what I'm talking about." "You're your mama's daughter, ain't you?" "Whatever you've got with my mom has to wait till she get home, all right?" "Come on, mister." "I didn't mean no harm by it." "Yeah, whatever." "Nasty" "Listen, I offered to pay you." " Get out!" "Get out!" " I should just take it from you." "What you're gonna do, girl?" "What you're gonna do?" " Get off of me!" "Get off of me!" " Hey!" " Mommy!" " What's going on here?" "?" "When I was just a little girl ?" "?" "I asked my mother ?" "?" "Who'II I be ?" "?" "will I be pretty?" "?" "?" "will I be rich?" "?" "?" "Here's what she said to me-- ?" "?" "Que sera, sera ?" "?" "Whatever will be ?" "?" "will be ?" "?" "will be ?" "?" "The future's not ours ?" "?" "To see ?" "?" "well, well, well, well ?" "?" "Come ?" "?" "Que sera ?" "?" "Que sera... ?" "What the hell are you doing here?" "I couId ask you the same thing, but I couId already see." "?" "When I grew up and fell in Iove-- ?" "You know what?" "Leave it on, I'm gonna go." "But you didn't answer my question-- what are you doing here?" "Oh." "well, I was down the hall, you know, practicing my fox-trot and then I heard your music, so I figured" "Go to hell!" "You wanna know why I'm here?" "'Cause I can't go home." "My pop's been drunk ever since your punkass brother" " and his friends rolled up on Ray." " Don't talk about my brother!" "He was sick to begin with, then your dumbass brother had to do some" " I said, don't talk about my brother!" " He was a crack dealer." "He only dealt to bring food into our house." " Ever since my daddy-- - "Daddy"?" "!" "How do you even know who your daddy is?" " Everybody know your mom is a ho." " Don't talk about my mama!" "hold it." "What's going on?" "Step away from her." "hello?" "What?" "You could have warned me you told them I was your father, I mean..." "Don't trip, nobody cares about who your real pops is around here anyway." "obviously not." "Where I come from, when a person gets woken up in the middle of the night, they get answers." "So what you want to know?" "Let's start with... why call me?" "You're the only one I couId think of who might come down and get me." "Need I ask you why you were living in the boiler room?" "Man, if she never came down there, everything would have been cool." "unbelievable." "You know... maybe you two have more things in common than you think you do." "My son, come on." "Hey, man, it's just for the night, you know, so don't think I'm gonna come to your class or anything." "An-and we ain't kicking it." "We ain't friends." "I got it." "And maybe I snore a little, I don't know..." "Oh, that's okay, 'cause I know I snore." "It's a nice place you've got here." "I'm gonna have me a spot like this someday... someplace clean." "You can get whatever you want, Rock." "No, only some people get the shit they want." "That's true." "And those are the people who show up to get it." "Anybody ever tell you you talk too much?" "Yeah... they did." "Good night." " That's not the point." " No, the point is they need help, not suspension from school." "Oh, really, please tell me, Professor DuIaine, exactly what kind of help it is they need?" "So, as your principal has made me your executioner, you will report to me every morning here at 7:30 A.M." " for a private session." " What?" "!" "Whatever problems you have with each other, you can work out as partners." "Sometimes the best way to conquer an enemy is to get right up in his face." "I'd rather be dead than up in his face." "You know what?" "I feel the same way." "You know, guys, you're lucky." "Common emotions can be very powerful." "This is an excellent beginning, starting now." "please, take the dancing position." "please... come on." "Let's see this." "We are just going to move, very simply." "Let's just, uh, walk." "No no no." "LaRhette, the man leads." "It is the woman's job to follow." "Oh, so if he gets to lead, then he's gonna think he's boss?" "No, but he's not." "You see, the man proposes the step." "It is the woman's choice to accept by following." "Now, to follow takes as much strength as to lead." "Good?" "AII right." "Let's do it again." "Come on, come on!" "Now, Rock, just walk." "Just forward, just walking." "Yeah, forward." "Just walking, Iike that." "Here you go." "Yeah, you know how to walk." "Now walk back." "There you go." "?" "You're dancing, you're dancing... ?" "In the corte position of the tango, you must hold your partner much closer." "Now boys, don't get too excited." "And girls, don't get too scared, all right?" "Now, your leg goes here, gentlemen." "And ladies, your upper right chest touches his, Iike so" " You're so far back." "Move up." " Uh, yeah." "The top of your thighs must stay glued to each other for perfect balance." "That way, this is possible." "Good fIys." "Come on, dance together." "There are multiple positions for the tango." "So where're you going?" " What's up, yo?" " What are you doing here?" "Some hottie in the office gave me your 411." " I-I was eating... supper." " After me, huh?" "Are you all right?" "I'm a'ight." "It's just, uh... it's just for a player like me, man, I gotta keep them girls on lock, you know?" "Uh... what exactly are you saying, Kurd?" "Me and Big girl, man... you know, with the thighs touching together and shit?" "Is that a problem?" "hell yeah, it's a problem." "I'm done for if the homies find out I Iike her." "Uh, uh-- just-- thank you." "Everybody else thinks Big is, well, you know, not exactly the hottest female around?" "It is only what you think that matters." "Yeah, easy for you to say, man." " You already a freak." " Thank you." "Look, I don't know how it happened." "One day, it was just like whoa!" "Uh, listen, having the courage to follow your heart..." " Yo!" " ...is what makes a man a real man." " That's what" " Whoa, yo man, who's this hottie?" "Uh, that is my wife." "Thank you." " Your wife?" " Yes." "Lucky man." "Where's she at?" "She died, five years ago." "Oh." "So uh... so are you Iike Buck WiIding anyone else now?" "No, I am not." "The waltz." "It cannot be done without trust between partners." "well, then it's just not gonna happen." "But trust must be earned, LaRhette." " Good luck with that." " AII right, I have something here that is gonna help." "Don't put that thing on my eyes!" "I'm asking you to do something very courageous." "Besides dance with him?" "There." "Come on." "Now Rock, you have the-- over here." "You have the opportunity to use every bit of strength and skill you possess, not to dominate her, but to take her on a journey." "It is a Iot to ask." "If and how you take the journey-- that's entirely up to you." "He's gone?" "Yeah." " You down?" " I guess." "Wrong way." "You always start forward and I start back." " AII right, yeah." "I can figure it out." " I'm just trying to help." "I wish he'd tied that thing around your mouth." " You ready or what?" " Okay!" " Okay." " O-kay." " I saw that." " What?" "!" " What are you smiling for?" " Shut up, I'm not." "AII right, you're not." "Set it down right there." "AII right, hit it, Tommy!" "AII right, people, no street shoes on the dance floor, please." "?" "Hey you!" "?" "?" "Come out here on the floor!" "?" "?" "Let's rock some more ?" "?" "Come out-a here on the floor ?" "?" "Honey, Iet's rock some more, yeah ?" "?" "Now when you get out here, don't ya have no fear ?" "?" "Put your hands on your hip and let your backbone slip ?" "?" "And work out!" "?" "?" "Ah, ma-mama, move up!" "?" " ?" "First step ?" " ?" "Honey, move back ?" " ?" "Second step ?" " ?" "shuffle to the Ieft ?" "?" "Third step... ?" " cool!" " ?" "wobble to the right ?" "?" "Fourth step... ?" "I mean, it's corny but, you know, it's cool." "?" "But it's a natural fact ?" " ?" "Ha!" "I Iike it like that... ?" " Right, practice your turns!" "?" "Yeah-hh ?" "?" "Round and around and around and around ?" "?" "Round and around and around and around... ?" "?" "Round and around and around and around ?" "?" "Round and around and around and around... ?" "?" "Ahh-hh, ahh-hh ?" " ?" "Ahhhhh!" "?" " Um, 5:30 p.m." " hello, Morgan, how are you?" " ?" "Don't you know, don't you know?" "?" "Get dressed and join them on the floor." "You're kidding, right?" " Uh... no." " ?" "Where we stop, nobody knows, yeah!" "?" "?" "The band is swinging on the stand ?" "?" "We're moving in, we're moving out, then we'II step back now... ?" "Can I talk to you for a minute?" "Uh, certainly." " In private." " ?" "Yeah-hhhh... ?" " Okay." " ?" "Baby, Iet's shout!" "?" "?" "Shout, baby!" "Shout shout ?" " ?" "Honey, Iet's shout!" "?" " ?" "Shout, baby ?" " ?" "Ah, baby, Iet's shout!" "?" " I have just one small question." "What the hell are you doing?" "well, it's kind of complex to explain what's going on." "?" "Shout all night long!" "I gotta have it... ?" " Bounce, dawg, I'm cuttin' in." " What?" "Don't talk about me like I'm invisible." "I'm standing right here." "well, what?" "This dance taken?" "?" "Work all night long... ?" "Come on, man, don't trip." "Dance." "?" "Work out, baby ?" " ?" "Work, baby, work out ?" " ?" "Work out, woman ?" " ?" "Work, baby, work-- ?" " ?" "Shout and turn the joint-- ?" "You know what?" "By the time the Academy students warm up, the other kids will be done" "I'm so sorry." " Sorry." " You all right?" "You cool?" "No no, I'm-I'm not cool." "Look around you." "This is an advanced class, a real class." "You guys are just taking up time and space I paid for." "You see that?" "That's what ballroom dancing looks like." "What you're doing doesn't even come close." "Yeah well, Iet's see who comes close at the competition." "The competition?" "You guys are going to compete?" "Yeah." "What, you surprised?" "Worried maybe?" " What's going on here?" " If you want to shell out 200 bucks apiece to get slaughtered, fine by me." "hold on, man, hold on." "$200, what is she talking about?" "Everybody, back on the floor, come on." " What for?" " Excuse me?" "hell yeah, excuse you." "What you teaching us, dude?" "Some bargain basement two-steps while these kids got the real moves?" "No no, Ramos, Ramos, the steps are all the same." "They've simply been doing them longer, that's all." "C'mon, c'mon." "How are we supposed to compete with something like that?" " Game over, Iet's roll." " No no no, wait wait wait!" "No no no, you've been wasting our time, homes." "Making goddamn fools out of all of us." "You knew all along we couldn't do this thing." "That is not true!" "What I have taught you has value." "Where?" "Not where I Iive." "I can't believe this... you've got fourth percentile general math and reading scores, and you've got kids wasting time dancing around." "I've got no choice but to report you." "That's yours." "It was like, uh, constructed in the 1920s." "I didn't know you liked architecture." "Oh, you Iike architecture?" "How'd you Iike my bedroom?" "Shut up!" "Why are you such an ass?" "Forget both of you." "I can't take this no more." " What the hell was that, man?" " Forget you too, man." "Leave your Iove-triangIe problems to yourself." "This sucks." "Good afternoon, everyone." "Positions, please." "Yo, dance class is over, man." "No, it is not." "It is just beginning." "Your dancing is becoming... so good that I neglected to tell you, and I am sorry for that." "But if you really want to compete... you're gonna have to kick some serious ass to win." "These kids have been dancing for years." "And there is a whole city more who are better than they are." "Yeah, so what the hell are we supposed to do?" "Surprise them." "Everyone competing expects nothing-- nothing from you, so you have nothing to lose, except everything you have achieved so far." "Look, I'm being honest with you, competing on any level is tough, and good dancers make it look easy." "So what we need to focus on now is not winning or losing, but doubting." "So if you're not sure, then sit down, just stay home." "But if somewhere you see a dot, a glimmer of belief in yourselves, then you might have what it takes to win." "You really think so?" "Oh yes." "It is the strongest secret weapon there ever was." "Yeah, well, belief is fine and all, but what about that $200 entrance fee?" "I mean I can believe all I want, but I still can't make a dollar out of 15c." "I'II find a way to handle it." " You would do that?" " Even for the school rejects?" "It's funny..." "I Iook around this room and all I see is choices." "Choices waiting to be made." "Not a single reject." "Maybe a punkass or two." "I'm in." "well?" "You guys with me or what?" "Mr. DuIaine?" "Miss James needs to see you." "Miss James." ""Terminated."" "These are the parents of the kids in my class?" "No, they're not." "This is a meeting of the Parent Teacher Association." "Oh." "So none of you have even seen firsthand what my class is all about, right?" "Okay, stop calling it a class, it's detention." "These are the kids that need the most help of all and you're with them doing the cha-cha-cha" "What are you doing to help them, Mr. temple?" "Don't pretend you care about these kids." "Let's be clear here." "What exactly is this about?" "What this is about is wasting time with something that is totally impractical." "When are these kids ever gonna ballroom dance?" "It's ridiculous." "It's impractical, as you say." "It's creating a dividing line where some kids are entitled to Iearn about art and are entitled to your time and others are not." "please, Mr. DuIaine, we've all heard enough of your dance-is-Iife philosophy." "I get it." "To do something, anything, is hard." "It's much easier to blame your father, your mother, the environment, the government, the lack of money, but even if you find a place to assign the blame, it doesn't make the problems go away." "I'm trying something new." "I'm trying it." "So now you're gonna come to this school, tell us about our kids, our problems and how you're gonna fix them with a box-step?" "No." "I'm just gonna show you." "Uh, Augustine, please, could you?" "Mr. DuIaine!" "This is absurd." "Augustine!" "Joe, shut up, it's my body." "AII right." "Don't worry." "We're gonna just move." "Here you go-- just like this..." "very simple." "And now we're gonna walk a little bit." "Yes, we're gonna walk, we're walking." "Are we walking?" "No, we're dancing." "So you know how to walk, you know how to dance, yeah." "You see..." "if she allows me to lead, she's trusting me." "But more than that, she's trusting herself." "Now, if your 16-year-oId daughter is strong and secure and trust herself, how likely is she to let some idiot knock her up?" "And if your son... can learn to touch a girl with respect, how will he treat women throughout his life?" "beautiful." "Thank you." "We've got names on this piece of paper of parents who have decided" " to terminate your class." " So, ladies and gentlemen, this is what I do here at this school." "I teach dance." "And with it, a set of rules that will teach your kids about respect, teamwork and dignity." "And that will help to give them a vision of the future they could have." "A vision of the future they could have." "Are there any questions?" "Do you teach adult classes?" "I suppose the studio could cover all the fees." "Great." "Are you sure you really want to do this?" "T-A-N-G-O." "T-A-N-G-O." "I don't care if you think this is stupid, all right?" "Count it out so you can feel the beat." "Let's go." "Don't give up." "T-A-N-G-O." "They'II be giving you points on technique, style" " and originality." " T-A-N-G-O." "Better if you put them together now." "T-A-N-G-O." "Danjou, what is wrong with you?" "You're not even trying." "I don't know why you're wasting my man's time, you ain't winning nothin'." "Leave him alone, okay?" "He's getting it." "No, homes, I'm getting it." "I got it, Mr. D." "Both of you are so stupid." "That's it!" "You boys will be banned from the competition unless you can all work together." "How are we gonna do that?" "From this point on, you will both partner Sasha." "You will equally decide who dances what." "You sweat through it, you work it out." "Positions, please." "Let's go." "Come on." "And guess what?" "Count it out" "T-A-N-G-O." "Hey." "Hey, what's up?" "What you doing?" "Just trying to get a head start, because I've got math stuff to do when I get home." "By the time I get my baby brother fed, get Donny through his homework" "So it's just you and your mom handling stuff at home?" "Look, if you're about to crack on my mom" "No, it's not even like that." "I don't mean no disrespect." "What I said before about your mom, that was just before." "Yeah, it is just me and my mom handling stuff." "My pops left when me and Treyvaughn were 1 2." "My mom was pregnant with Donny." "We did a'ight for a minute, but... then the Iast few years, Treyvaughn decided to start helping out." "Before Ray got hit, my pops got sick." "So I had to start working." "Where you work at?" "I'm just doing some odd jobs for a family friend right now." "Hey, LaRhette." "I'm sorry about what happened to your brother." "Yeah, me too." "For yours." "Stand clear of the closing the doors." "So what's the deal?" "You going to the competition next Saturday?" "I can't, it's the same night as my cotiIIion." "Oh... what's a cotillion?" "A stupid dance where the whole world gets to look at you and see what a throwback you are." "Come on now, you ain't hardly no throwback, caitlin." "So do you have someone to take you to this cotiIIion?" "Yeah, this stupid jerk cousin I hate named philip." "Forget it, why don't you just let me take you?" "I'd love that, really, but..." "I don't think I can." "I mean, it's cool we dance together after school and everything, but there is just no way anyone, especially my mom, would understand." "Oh, it's okay." "would you be willing to help me practice for it anyways?" "?" "Whoa ?" "?" "Whoa ?" "?" "Whoa ?" " ?" "Can you feel it in your body, oh?" "?" " ?" "Can you feel it?" "?" " ?" "Can you feel it in your body, oh?" "?" " ?" "Can you feel it?" "?" "?" "'Cause I can feel it in my body, oh ?" " ?" "It feels good to my body, oh ?" " ?" "Oh, this is it ?" " ?" "You've got to keep it moving ?" " ?" "Don't stop ?" "?" "Once you get moving, don't quit ?" " ?" "Next thing you know you on top ?" " ?" "You on top ?" " ?" "So hop to the rhythm that we-- ?" " ?" "Rock ?" " ?" "Get loose and express what you got ?" " ?" "What you got ?" " ?" "At least you've got to give yourself a shot ?" " ?" "A shot ?" " ?" "Hey, never give up, and-- ?" "One, two, three." "?" "Can you feel the hi-i-igh-i-igh?" "?" "?" "I can feel the hi-i-igh-i-igh ?" "?" "Can you feel the hi-i-igh-i-igh?" "?" "?" "I can feel the hi-i-igh-i-igh ?" "?" "Can you feel it?" "?" " ?" "Can you feel it in your body, oh?" "?" " ?" "Can you feel it?" "?" " ?" "Can you feel it in your body, oh?" "?" " ?" "Can you feel it?" "?" " ?" "'Cause I can feel it in my body-o ?" " ?" "I can feel it ?" " ?" "feels good to my body-o, we go ?" "?" "To my body, to my body, to my body-o ?" "?" "Body, to my body, b-b-body-o ?" "?" "Dabadada-dada ?" "?" "Dabadada-dadada... ?" "?" "TaIataIa-taIataIa- doo-be-doo ?" "?" "LaIadadoo-Iadadadah. ?" "Oh yeah, black Eyed Peas on The LIZ." "If you feel it, I can feel that." "Traffic on the eights, on 800 W-LIZ." " Hey, I got a question." " What's up?" "So... are you gonna do the competition with me or what?" "Pierre wants me to waltz and I need a partner." "You want me to do it?" "I'm asking you, right?" "Why?" "Does what I want count now?" "No." "You know what?" "It'II be worth it to see their faces when we all roll up." "They'II probably hide the orchestra." "You think there's gonna be a orchestra?" "Yeah, I mean..." "I guess." "Oh!" " My bad." " It's all right." "You know, you look different when you dance." "How?" "Like calm, Iike..." "like you're at peace or something." "well yeah, that's 'cause when I'm dancing I'm in my moment." "What's that mean?" "It's just this place where it gets all silent and I forget about everything bad." "And it just feels good." "AII right, come on." "And one and two and three" "AII right." "Don't do it anymore." " AII right." " Don't do it anymore." "This is like EIvira's dress." " Those are mine-- be careful." " cool!" "Not this bright pink one, I'm not!" "Put that one down, because it does not go with my dress." " You look good." " Hmm." " Wow!" "Sexy." " hello hello." "Okay, try this one." "Tina?" "Thank you." "?" "Let me tell them, Iet me show them, Iet me tell them ?" "?" "Ya ya-ya-ya ya-ya-yah... ?" "Fasten this up." "Nice." "You know, it kills her when you do that." "What was that?" "Tina-- the hand on the shoulder thing... it kills her." "Look, I know how you love to talk about... romance and magic and two bodies moving as one and everything." "But let me see if I can make you understand something... she likes you." " Look what I found on the street." " Eddie, Eddie" "I'm just playing, Mr. D. These was on hold for my brother's wedding." "But we've got to be real careful with them, get them back on time or my ass is family history, you feel me?" "Hey, look what I got, y'aII." "Whassup?" "Whassup?" " Ah!" " Shoot it, shoot it!" "Man, shoot it!" "Oh-ho-ho no." "On Saturday?" "You said this Saturday?" "Yeah, this Saturday, fool." " Shoot it." " He's being lazy." "Yo, you playing or what?" "Get up, get up!" "Game point, game point." "Nice bike." "Thank you." "You're welcome." "Good evening and welcome to the 25th annual Grand ballroom Competition." "I see many many familiar faces here tonight." "And a whole lot of new black ones." "So at this time, if you'd Iike to warm up, please, take a partner and join me on the dance floor for our first aII-in waltz." "Our orchestra this evening is under the direction of Frank Laurence." "please, give them a very warm welcome." "Man, she knows she wrong." "You ought to give it to her though, the girl is bad." " Dancers, ready?" " Ready?" "Yo, Ease, this don't feel right, man." " If somebody comes" " You shoot 'em." "What d'you think I gave you the piece for?" "To play with?" "I ain't about to shoot nobody." "So what you gonna do?" "Dance 'em outta here?" "Give me that back." "If you're gonna punk out, punk out now." "You understand me?" "Like your goddamn brother, dude." "He got hit because he punked." "Now I'm not saying that I did it, so... you gonna be like him, huh?" "Huh?" "No." "Good." "handle your business, man." "The next category will be the salsa." "Dancers, ready?" "Whoa, dawg." "Come on, man." "What you gonna do with that?" "What'd you do that for?" "Doing what my brother should have done when he had the chance." "I'II kick your ass!" "Man, we gotta go!" "You know who you're messing with, son?" " Huh?" " We gotta go, Easy." "I'II hit his ass again." "Get off of me." "You messed with the wrong brother." "Leave that fool there." "Come on, man, Iet's go." "Numbers 14, 21 2 and 346 remain." "AII others, please clear the floor." "Presenting our next deb" "Oh my God, here she comes." "CaitIin Spencer." "Don't freak out." "please, don't freak out." "Don't screw up." "please, don't screw up." "please, don't freak out." "Don't freak out, please." "Don't freak out." "Don't freak out." "please, don't freak." "Just make it to philip now." "That's all you have to do." "Where's philip?" "please, don't freak out." "Don't freak out." "please don't" "Oh!" "That's not philip." "Now, come on, we've got to bounce." "The next dance is the tango." "AII competitors, please." " I better take this one, son." " No, I got this." "I got tango." "Yeah, but you can't dance it, junior." "Look, Sasha, you decide who the better man is." "Danjou, come on." "Remember, ladies and gentlemen, that the $5,000 grand prize is awarded to the couple scoring the highest in any single round." "And I'II announce the winners at the end of the evening." "And now-- the tango." "Are you holding up?" "I'm fine." "I'm sure he's got a good reason." "It's not even about him." "It's me." "I feel so stupid." "people have been leaving me hanging my whole life." "I don't know why I thought this would be different." "You really made me believe magic can happen anywhere, Mr. D." "I guess you just didn't mean with me." " Very well done." " Yeah!" "please show your appreciation, ladies and gentlemen, for these wonderful dancers as we wait for the results." "Numbers 111 and 21 3 stay." "AII others, please clear the floor." "couple 111 took home the $5,000 grand prize" "last year in this category." "Morgan Fisher and Travis Drake." "Danjou, I don't think we can beat them." "I'm sorry, but I don't know what else to bring." "Listen, you need to stop worrying about what they got and bring to the floor what we got." "Joining them is couple 21 3" "Mr. Danjou Epps and Miss Sasha Keane." "This is their first appearance at this competition and we wish them well." "And now let's turn it over to Frank Laurence and the orchestra with our tango selection this evening-- "La Cumparsita."" "What?" "!" "?" "How much I'd Iike to take you home ?" "?" "How much I'd Iike to take you home... ?" "?" "Introducing the best of the best ?" "?" "And when the kick drum kick and it's in your chest ?" "?" "And then it gets real deep within it ?" "?" "We gonna get 'em, we shake and vibrate, and take the rhythm ?" "?" "Work-work-work-work work-work-work-work. ?" "Whoa!" "Now that's what I'm talking about." "Thank you." " Thank you, ladies and gentlemen." " Bravo!" "well!" "Wasn't that exciting?" "Let's see what the judges have to say." "The judges have awarded Miss Fisher and Mr. Drake straight 10s in all categories." "unfortunately, as this is a competition for couples and not teams," "Miss Keane, Mr. Epps and Mr. Ramos could not score." "What?" "!" "The round, therefore, goes to Morgan Fisher and Travis Drake." " That's a bunch of bull!" " This perfect score puts them firmly in the lead for the grand prize again this year." "Thank you, ladies and gentlemen." "Thank you." "Miss Fisher, if you please." "Let's call this round a tie." " It better be a tie." " A tie!" "I've never seen anybody move like that in my Iife." "I'm sure." "That was a very convincing performance." "I'm a pro." " That's a very unexpected development." " Yes!" "So, ladies and gentlemen, a tie." "The grand prize may be shared this evening." "Never a dull moment in ballroom dancing as you can see." "Our final competitive dance is the waltz." " Excuse me." " I'm sorry, sir." "I've really got to get in here." "I'm in the competition." "Excuse me, sir, look, sir," "I'II deal with it, okay?" "Thank you." " Where's LaRhette?" " Where's LaRhette...?" "Oh, Mr. D, I already know what you're thinking, man, but I showed up." "I'm here, you know what I'm saying?" "Mr. D, look, sometimes you talk about making choices and everything and tonight I probably made a real wrong choice," " but" " Here." "Thank you, Pierre." "You ready?" "Pierre, I never thought it was possible." "honestly, Augustine, I had my doubts." "It took a Iot of work." "But it was worth it." "I have to thank you for allowing me to do this" "Oh, don't start your thank-you speech just yet, DuIaine." "We need to make your program permanent." "And it's going to take even more work." "I'II see you in my office Monday morning at 9:00." "?" "It was fascination ?" "?" "I know ?" "?" "Seeing you alone ?" "?" "With the moonlight above ?" "?" "Then I touch your hand ?" "?" "And next moment ?" "?" "I kiss you ?" "?" "Fascination turned... ?" "?" "To... ?" "?" "Lo-o-o-ve. ?" "That's it for the competition, folks." "It's been a wonderful evening and while we wait for the waltz scores and the grand prize results..." " Miss James." " ..." "let's relax and have some fun..." " Hey Rock, are you enjoying yourself?" " ...with one more dance." "Yeah, yes I am, uh... about your car... you know something about my car." "As you make your way to the floor, ladies and gentlemen..." "I'm real sorry, Miss James." "...let's take a moment to thank our hosts again this year:" " Let's not spoil tonight." " the beautiful Lamont hotel." " It's okay." " As always, it gives me great pleasure" " to introduce our fine musicians..." " For now." "...led by the incomparable Frank" "Oh, shut up." "It's time for the tie-breaker." "?" "Put your hands up ?" "?" "Go!" "?" " ?" "Baby wanna ride?" "?" " ?" "You know she'II get it ?" " ?" "Hey baby, wanna ride?" "?" " ?" "You know you're fated ?" "?" "Hey baby, wanna ride?" "Let's ride ?" "?" "Sure you can dance, I'm-a chiII, I'm-a smoke ?" "?" "But you know how they think when they drink from that Hennessy and cokes ?" "?" "When they drip on my kicks, man, they got me like, uh!" "?" "?" "She act like she couldn't hear me right ?" "?" "When I came in the club, all the people go good ?" "?" "I just came in the club just to leave with her ?" "?" "Swizz got to calm me down like, yeah ?" "?" "Money frontin' in the back, say ?" "?" "Found Thunder, what does Shiggy say?" "?" "?" "He said he didn't care, then he called her a -- ?" "?" "Drag back in the swing of things ?" "?" "I'm back up in the club but I ain't got to bring my things ?" "?" "And I Iike the way she shake that thing, yeah ?" "?" "Might be easy for you to break that thing, yeah ?" "?" "And I stay in a New York state of mind ?" "?" "Let me see you dance one more time ?" "?" "We about to party, hands in the air ?" "Care to dance, Mr. DuIaine?" "Uh..." "let them have this one." "I'II sit it out." "?" "Yes, I Iove to dance ?" "?" "I don't wanna stop ?" "?" "I can feel the heat ?" "?" "Ooh, it makes me hot... ?" "What if we just... walk?" " ?" "Hey baby, wanna ride?" "?" " ?" "You know she'II get it ?" " ?" "Hey baby, wanna ride?" "?" " ?" "You know you're fated ?" "?" "Hey baby, wanna ride?" "Let's ride... ?" "?" "I can do that, I can do that ?" "?" "I can do that, I can do that ?" "?" "I can do that, I can do that ?" " ?" "Hey baby, wanna ride?" "?" " ?" "You know she'II get it ?" " ?" "Hey baby, wanna ride?" "?" " ?" "You know you're fated ?" "?" "Hey baby, wanna ride?" "Let's ride... ?" "?" "Throw your hands up ?" "?" "What?" "?" "?" "What?" "?" "?" "What?" "?" "?" "Yes, I Iove to dance, I don't wanna stop ?" "?" "I can feel the heat ?" "?" "Ooh, it makes me hot ?" "?" "Yes, I wanna let go ?" "?" "But I'm in control ?" "?" "I'm ready to ride ?" "?" "Watch my body go ?" "?" "Ooh-ooh, ah-ha ?" "?" "I know you wanna see me do my dance ?" "?" "Ooh-ooh, ah-ha ?" "?" "Come and check me out as I do my dance ?" "?" "Ooh-ooh, ah-ha ?" "?" "I know you Iike the way I do my dance ?" "?" "Ooh-ooh, ah-ha ?" "?" "Watch me as I work it, Wisin ?" " ?" "Hey baby, wanna ride?" "?" " ?" "You know she'II get it ?" " ?" "Hey baby, wanna ride?" "?" " ?" "You know you're fated ?" "?" "Hey baby, wanna ride?" "Let's ride ?" "?" "I can do that, I can do that ?" "?" "I can do that, I can do that ?" "?" "I can do that, I can do that ?" "?" "I can do that, I can do that... ?" "?" "Yeah, that's right-- oh, you gotta show me that ?" "?" "could you-- could you-- could you teach me?" "?" "?" "Show me that again?" "?" "?" "could you-- could you-- could you teach me?" "?" "?" "You take the lead ?" "?" "Straight up, do you have rhythm underneath your feet?" "?" "?" "Does the beat flow through that fine body?" "?" "?" "Do you enjoy sweating all on me?" "?" "?" "Did you just bust that move freestyIin'?" "?" "?" "Do you do much choreographin'?" "?" "?" "You're widening' out, boy, great timing' ?" "?" "I Iike a man who can dance ?" "?" "Shake it, shake it, twist it like you're breakin' ?" "?" "Pop it like your bones are dislocated ?" "?" "Ride me like you hold me, turn me around slowly ?" "?" "Drop me to the floor, pull me up again ?" "?" "Shake it, shake it, twist it like you're breakin' ?" "?" "Pop it like your bones are dislocated ?" "?" "Ride me like you hold me, turn me around slowly ?" "?" "Drop me to the floor, pull me up again ?" "?" "You rock me, swing me, bang me ?" "?" "Teach me how to-- how to how to flow, how to roll ?" "?" "What have you got?" "?" "?" "Teach me how to-- how to-- ?" "?" "could you-- could you-- could you teach me?" "?" "?" "Teach me how to dance ?" "?" "I can do that, I can do that ?" "?" "I can do that, I can do that ?" "?" "I can do that, I can do that ?" "?" "I can do that, I can do that ?" "?" "Excuse me while I check out your style ?" "?" "You move so good, all I can do is sigh ?" "?" "You're making me start to fantasize ?" "?" "Shake it, shake it, twist it like you're breakin' ?" "?" "Pop it like your bones are dislocated ?" "?" "Ride me like you hold me, turn me around slowly ?" "?" "Drop me to the floor, pull me up again ?" "?" "Shake it, shake it, twist it like you're breakin' ?" "?" "Pop it like your bones are dislocated ?" "?" "Ride me like you hold me, turn me around slowly ?" "?" "Drop me to the floor, pull me up again ?" "?" "Straight up, do you have rhythm underneath your feet?" "?" "?" "Does the beat flow through that fine body?" "?" "?" "Do you enjoy sweating all on me?" "?" "?" "Did you just bust that move freestyIin'?" "?" "?" "Do you do much choreographin'?" "?" "?" "You're widening' out, boy, great timing' ?" "?" "I Iike a man who can dance ?" "?" "Shake it, shake it, twist it like you're breakin' ?" "?" "Pop it like your bones are dislocated ?" "?" "Ride me like you hold me, turn me around slowly ?" "?" "Drop me to the floor, teach me how to dance ?" "?" "could you-- could you-- could you teach me?" "?" "?" "Teach me how to-- how to-- ?" "?" "could you-- could you-- could you teach me?" "?" "?" "Teach me how to dance, Iet me get your number please ?" "?" "I don't care if there's a fee ?" "?" "Book me now, I really need ?" "?" "You to teach me how to dance ?" "?" "Swing me, bang me ?" "?" "Teach me how to-- how to-- ?" "?" "How to roll, what have you got?" "?" "?" "Teach me how to dance ?" "?" "Teach me-ee... ?" "?" "Teach me how to-- how to-- ?" "?" "could you-- could you-- could you teach me?" "?" "?" "Teach me how to dance. ?" "?" "It was fascination ?" "?" "I know... ?" "?" "And it might have ended ?" "?" "At the start ?" "?" "A passing glance ?" "?" "A brief romance ?" "?" "And I might have gone ?" "?" "On my way ?" "?" "Empty-hearted ?" "?" "Empty-hearted ?" "?" "It was fascination ?" "?" "Oh, baby ?" "?" "Yeah-hey ?" "?" "My fascination, girl ?" "?" "Oh-oh ?" "?" "Turned to Io-o-o- ?" "?" "O-o-o-oh-oh-ove ?" "?" "Fascination ?" "?" "I know... ?" "?" "And I might have gone ?" "?" "On my way ?" "?" "Empty-hear-rr-ted ?" "?" "Fascination ?" "?" "Oh ?" "?" "And I know ?" "?" "I know, baby ?" "?" "And my-- my fascination ?" "?" "My fascination ?" "?" "Turned to Io-oo-ve ?" "?" "Fascination, oh... ?" "?" "My-- my-- ?" "?" "My fascination, girl ?" "?" "Turned to love. ?"