Featuring
Blessin Giraldo, Cori Grainger, Tayla Solomon, Gari McIntyre, Paula
Dofat. Directed by Amanda Lipitz. (2017, 83 min).
Confessing
a bit of ignorance, I wasn't even aware that "Step" was
a thing, not in the organized sense, anyway. But this
combination of drill-team cadence, body music and interpretive dance
is practiced in many high schools, with teams regularly meeting to
compete in regional competitions.
Step
is a documentary that follows one particular team from a Baltimore
charter school, focusing primarily on three seniors who've been on
the team since the school opened. It's an impoverished neighborhood where families struggle to even keep the lights on and groceries
in the house. The school's step team (founded by Blessin, one of the
seniors we follow) is really the only temporary escape these girls have.
 |
| Hall monitors from Hell. |
But
this film is about more than just preparing for an upcoming
competition. The all-girls school where they attend has a goal to
help 100% of their graduates move on to college. This is no
small feat, considering some of the obstacles these girls face both
in and out of school. In fact, a majority of the film's emotionally
affecting moments - and there's a lot of them - come from the
financial & academic obstacles they're forced to overcome.
However,
the climactic Step competition against numerous other schools (and
have previously never come close to winning) does bring things to a
rousing conclusion worthy of any fictional sports movie you'd care to
name. The filmmakers' affection for its subjects is infectious - even
when they're being typically-stubborn teenagers - and one can't help
but root for them to emerge triumphant. Step might also
inspire similarly-aged kids who believe their own problems are
insurmountable.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
FEATURETTES:
"Step is Life"; "The Lethal Ladies of BLSYW"
"LETHAL
LADIES" MUSIC VIDEO
DELETED
SCENES
AUDIO
COMMENTRY - By director Amanda Lipitz
DIGITAL
COPY
KITTY CONSENSUS:
PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS
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