Streetdance Family ***
Dirs: Debbie Shuter,
Adam Tysoe. With: Entity Allstars. 87 mins. Cert: 12A
Not strictly
affiliated to the established British urban franchise, this cheery documentary
nevertheless rotates in similar circles, tracking U-16 dance crew Entity from
their Barking clubhouse to the world champs in Bochum. Directors Debbie Shuter
and Adam Tysoe shake up the usual contest-doc choreography by remaining open to
the element of surprise. While the kids bust spectacular moves, the mums get
tiddly on the sidelines, and the UK’s Streetdance Ambassador is revealed as a
greying Greg Davies-alike named Derek. Objectivity is soon abandoned – the
filmmakers’ son Ethan is in this troupe, so onscreen graphics deploy the first
person plural – yet that’s a small sacrifice set against the heartening community
spirit evoked either side of the camera: here are people working against the
odds, with presumably limited resources, to give these youngsters a rare sense
of achievement. More so than any BGT
montage, it makes backflips and voguing seem an urgent, possibly even
life-altering concern.
Streetdance Family opens in Odeon cinemas nationwide from today; for details on venues and ticket availability, click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment