Plot

A dance teacher offers to conduct detention for a group of misfit students by teaching them ballroom dancing. He overcomes their insecurities and prejudices, to enter them in a dance competition.

In New York, the polite dance instructor Pierre Dulaine sees a black teenager vandalizing the car of the director of a public school and on the next day he volunteers to teach dance to students to give respect, dignity, self-confidence, trust and teamwork. The reluctant director Augustine James offers the troublemakers that are in detention expecting Pierre to give-up of his intentions. Pierre struggles against the prejudice and ignorance of the students, parents and other teachers, but wins his battle when the group accepts to compete in a ballroom dance contest.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

A former professional dancer (Banderas) volunteers to teach dance in the New York public school system. While his background first clashes with his students' tastes, together they create a completely new style of dance. Based on the story of ballroom dancer Pierre Dulane.—Anonymous

Based on a true story, the movie tells of the struggle of a dance teacher, Pierre Dulain (Antonio Banderas), to give to a group of problem kids a second chance by exploring their dance skills. One night Dulain is astonished to see a boy, Rock (Rob Brown) destroying his school director's car. The following day Dulaine goes to the school to ask for a job as a dance teacher. The director has little confidence in Dulaine's idea of helping kids (including Rock) in detention to reform through ballroom dance classes. Even the kids, who prefer hip-hop or rap, think it isn't a great idea. Despite criticism from students in his formal dance academy as well as from parents and fellow teachers who believe that the kids need more math and less dance, Dulain catches the students' attention with a tango session. After their initial indifference, they eventually compete in a dance contest; the important thing isn't winning, but making a difference.—Alejandro Frias

Pierre Dulaine (Antonio Banderas), introduces an exhibition from a class at his dance academy, where you see one girl, Caitlin (Lauren Collins) is especially awkward. Pierre also reminds the crowd about an upcoming competition. Rock arrives to the school dance, but the math teacher Mr. Temple (John Ortiz), accuses him of having a counterfeit ticket due to the obvious water damage. Principal James (Alfre Woodard) comes out, but given John's bad reputation refuses to allow him into the dance. Rock leaves and hooks up with his hoodlum friends who encourage him to rough up James car. In the meantime, Pierre is riding his bike home (still in a full coat and tails), and see's the car getting destroyed. Rock sees Pierre & flees the scene. Pierre sees Rock.

The next morning at school, kids filing through the metal detectors. Pierre is also entering the school. He makes his way to the office to speak with the principal, who is arguing with Mr. Temple who refuses to cover his detention shift and is trying to get funding for Pre-Calculus. He feels that only about six of the students in the school are worth his time, and certainly not the detention kids. While waiting, Pierre makes a point for rising and getting the door for every woman going in and out.

Pierre explains that he saw a crime committed by one of the students & reveals that it was James car. He offers to help by teaching dance to the students. James sees this as a solution to the detention problem. Pierre agrees, though when he is having Tina, his employee at the dance school, she says that Most of the students will want extra sessions preparing for the competition, and Caitlin's cotillion is coming up, for which she also needs extra coaching. He promises her that it will all work out. Principal James takes him down long hallways to the dank basement where the detention kids are. Rock is there, as well as Eddie. The principal bets Pierre five dollars that he will not come back after today, but does tell the students to do everything he says. He starts by trying to break them into partners, but there are a few conflicts. Big Girl and Mountain are a good size match, but are cousins. He ends up with Egypt, but she ends up with Kurd, whom she does not want to touch because who knows where his hands have been. He then sticks his hands in his pants, which does not help. Danjou and Ramos both want to be with Sasha, and LaRhette refuses to dance with Rock. They do not get very far, and when Pierre goes out there is not very much of his bike left.

The next morning he shows up to collect his five dollars from the principal, but also asks about Rock and LaRhette. He explains that Rock's brother was involved with some gang activity that escalated into a gang war, and one of the casualties was LaRhette's brother, an honor student. That afternoon Rock has brought a forged doctor's note saying that he can't dance due to a heart condition. He does see the others dancing to their own music in their own style, and is impressed, but cannot get them to cooperate until he turns up the volume on his music. Back at the dance school, Caitlin's mother is asking for help. Pierre dances with Caitlin, who has no confidence. She feels pressure because of the money her parents have put into the cotillion. When she says she just wasn't born to dance, he asks if she likes dancing, to which she admits yes. The next afternoon Morgan saunters down to detention and begins a very seductive tango with Pierre. The students are enthralled, and flock around Pierre, except for Sasha who runs to Morgan and gushes that she has never seen anyone move like that. The kids are more amenable to the lessons now.

Back at the dance school, Caitlin asks if she can go to the detention class. He agrees. This is fortunate because Egypt gets frustrated with Monster's size, and will not work with him anymore. Caitlin asks him to dance, and uses Pierre's line about liking to dance meaning that you were born to dance on him. Rock continues to sit on the sidelines. Pierre asks him why he keeps coming if he wont dance. Rock's answer is that if he does not attend detention he will be suspended, and will not be able to graduate. Rock is late for his job sorting garbage/recycling materials, and gets fired. He goes home and finds no food available, even though he gave his mother money to buy food. Apparently his father spent it on liquor. Rock bunks in the school boiler room. Without a job, he starts helping Easy by acting as a lookout for some theft and fencing operations.

LaRhette takes care of her younger siblings and that her mother is a whore. After an attempted rape by one mum's clients, she goes to detention class in the middle of night & starts dancing. Rock hears music and sees her there. They get busted for being in the school after hours. Rock calls Pierre, saying that he is his father. Pierre takes him home for the night. The next morning Principle James wants to suspend both LaRhette and Rock, but Pierre argues that is not what they need. They practice waltz and use a blindfold to practice trust. They start to bond, and have a lot in common. Pierre gets another visitor at his apartment, Kurd, who is concerned because he is starting to be attracted to Big Girl, but cannot show it because it would not be considered cool to like her, and yet it is hard not to show it when they are always dancing so close.

The detention basement gets flooded, so Pierre takes the group over to the dance studio while the repair crew dries it out. Everyone is having a great time until the evening class comes in. As they see the moves of experienced students, and find out that the contest has a $200 entry fee, they feel like all their time has been wasted. Pierre meets with Tina to go over the books, and they see that the school can fund the entrance fees for all the kids. He lets the kids know that the money is taken care of, but that they will really need to work hard as they have only started learning these dances compared to students who have been doing them for years. You see them practicing at home, on buses, sitting in other classes, and so on. One day Pierre comes out and his bike is back, a little pimped up.

Tina comes over with costumes from the school and helps outfit the kids. Caitlin lets Pierre know that Tina likes him. Monster apparently likes Caitlin, and asks if she is going to the contest. Her mother has arranged for her cousin to escort her. She still asks if he will practice with her, and he does. LaRhette and Rock will compete in waltz together, and Ramos and Danjou both dance with Sasha as Pierre tells them to work it out.

In the meantime, Mr. Temple is complaining about the waste of resources on this program. He has brought the parents association in for a meeting. Pierre does a brief demonstration with the Principal, and explains that dance teaches men to treat women respectfully, and women to demand respectful treatment. The parents have no objection to the program continuing. The night of the contest Rock has a job with Easy. He does go, but does not like that he is expected to shoot anyone who comes by. Easy asks if he is going to punk out, and without actually admitting pulling the triggers, says that is why Rock's brother died. Rock shoots the sprinkler system and gets a quick beating while the others run away.

At the cotillion, Caitlin makes her grand entrance down the staircase, willing herself not to mess up. She stumbles towards the bottom, but Monster catches her arms and steadies her. Thrusting her bouquet at her cousin, Monster leads Caitlin to a graceful entrance. Monster then tells her, "We've got to bounce" and they run off to the contest. For each dance, everyone competing goes, and then certain couples are called back to dance and be scored. The $5000 prize will go to the individual with the highest scores. The detention kids get several call backs and seem to be having a good time, except for LaRhette who is heartbroken that Rock is not there and that she will not get to dance. Pierre tries to comfort her with no success.

Sasha and Danjou get called back for the tango with Morgan and her partner, but feel like they need something extra, so improvise a three person tango with Ramos. It is very impressive and sexy, but impossible to judge since the rules are based on couples. They get no points and Morgan gets perfect tens. She says they should call it a tie, and gives Sasha the trophy, saying she has never seen anyone move like that. Sasha replies, "I'm sure".

The final dance is the waltz, and Rock bursts in as it starts, not in his tux, but still there. He and LaRhette dance and she feels wonderful, imagining that they are the only two there. Principal James has been watching and is thrilled. Pierre is happy too, but mentions that it was a lot of work. James offers to expand the program to more students. For the final dance Mickey takes over the sound system, putting on their music, and everybody dances. A note over the credits explains that Pierre's work led to a city wide ball room dance program for New York schools