Driven to Dance

I enjoy good films about dance. The fact that this one includes Juliet Doherty convinced me to watch it. Unfortunately, it was a disappointment. Though the main character, Paige (Doherty), has a passion for dance, the real focus of the film is the conflict between Paige and her mother, Lynda (Kaitlyn Black).

Paige's parents are separated and on the verge of divorce. Lynda is a bitter woman who takes her frustrations out on her children, especially Paige. Lynda's behavior is abusive, and others see that, but can do little to intervene. Paige's dance instructor does what he can and, eventually, makes a positive impact.

Doherty's dancing is the best part of the film, but the entire film feels incomplete and the ending is abrupt. See "High Strung Free Dance" for a better representation of Doherty's talents.

Juliet is a beautiful ballerina and my young dancer enjoyed the brief moments of dance. Everything else was awful...stilted speech and awkward scenes. It was painful to watch. 😞

Loved Juliet Doherty in High Strung 2 and enjoyed seeing her in a different role.

The script, score and coherence of the movie is though very limited. The story had potential and there are many interesting aspects but it didn't quite come together.

Really dfficult to get through this - i enjoy ballet and all kinds of ballet movies, but not this one. the drama/acting is just so below anything i have ever seen. juliette is a beautiful dancer, but she does very little dancing in the movie. the movie is trying too hard to be a story, and it just doesnt work. i seek out movies, old and new, with or about ballet, and this one falls way short. bad script. bad execution.

A beautiful, talented, spectacularly smart young woman has dedicated her life to dance. Everyone envies her. Her dance instructor may or may not have a candle-lit shrine to her in the back of his studio. She drives a brand new Lexus despite the fact that she isn't out of high school. She is perfection incarnate.

She has no friends, because who would want to be friends with a beautiful, talented, spectacularly smart young woman with a hot car. Her most vicious enemy is her psychotically spiteful mother, who is mysteriously only five years older than she is.

But then, tragedy! Life comes crashing down around her after she gets a couple of B's on her math. Yes, B's. Suddenly she is forced to give up dance forever, ostensibly because they have no money (the Lexus must be a lease) but mostly because her mother literally hates her. Then her dad announces he wants a divorce, and no one can be surprised why.

Luckily her math tutor is the same age as she is, hunky, and plays a soulful guitar. That's as far as I got before this epic tale of a privileged white girl crashing into the depths of slightly less privilege made me run from the room weeping at the injustice of this cold, uncaring universe.