The Step Up 3D Aftermath

After its $15.5 million opening weekend, Step Up 3D has become a conundrum. It's puzzling. The first two movies in this trilogy made $20.7 million in 2006 and $18.9 million in 2008 for their respective opening weekends. Now, ticket prices are higher with 3D screens. So does that mean fewer people went to see Step Up 3D this past weekend? It appears so. Questions are floating around about if the mainstream audience's appetite for dance on screen is dwindling.

More than any other movie in the trilogy, Step Up 3D had a remarkable marketing push. Jon M. Chu and his team gathered momentum from the viral videos of ACDC Crew vs M&M Cru in 2008. Then, there were the LXD performances on So You Think You Can Dance, The Ellen Show, the TED conference, and the Oscars. The LXD series premiered on Hulu in July. All of these events should have built a dedicated audience for Step Up 3D. So why didn't they show up at movie theaters this past weekend?

In Hollywood circles, the movie's soft opening weekend would be considered not-so-good news. If the film was a co-financed production between Walt Disney Pictures and Summit Entertainment at $30-35 million, then it's possible that the film could break even further down the line. But it could become a point of reference for studio executives to not greenlight more dance films. That doesn't bode well for street dancers who are pursuing careers in the film industry.

What Jon M. Chu and his creative team have accomplished is remarkable though. More than any other movement in recent entertainment history, this group of filmmakers and dancers have invaded the media outlets in full force. They've fought valiantly to get dancers in the spotlight and that is admirable. There have been few other filmmakers who have spoken up for dancers or championed their cause.

There could be several reasons why moviegoers didn't come out to see Step Up 3D. Higher ticket prices. The need to save money. Overexposure of dance onscreen. Or it could have been a combination of these reasons. The disturbing realization though is if we're entering a new season when street dancing is no longer seen as marketable entertainment. Will audiences turn their backs on seeing the way dance is portrayed on screen? Will they demand more well-written and well-acted dance films? These are discouraging questions that we must face as a community.

The future is uncertain. For the dancers in Step Up 3D, they will likely continue to book gigs and work in the entertainment industry. Perhaps the film will open up doors for them to be flown out around the world to teach workshops. So much good will come out this. But the question remains - will there be more mainstream dance films greenlit for production in the near future?

The LXD & Step Up 3D Arrive

Now that we're in early August 2010, it's safe to say that the media maelstrom of The LXD and Step Up 3D have arrived. Hulu has hosted the first season episodes of LXD while today many dance fans are flocking to theaters to see the third film of the Step Up trilogy. What does this all mean for the millions of aspiring dancers around the world? We now have new role models in the public spotlight.

Aspiring poppers will want to wait through the end credits of Step Up 3D to watch popper Jsmooth's finger tut solo. Madd Chadd stands out among the cast for his dimestopping and robotic isolations. And Pandora gets the full 3D treatment, delivering a fast-paced tutting solo right in front of the audience's faces. We get the feeling that aspiring poppers will be rewatching these scenes over and over on DVD or via downloaded versions of the film. That's especially true of Jsmooth's solo which extends for several minutes.

Surprisingly, it's the poppers who will stand out and likely influence a new generation of dancers. Our mainstream audiences have been saturated with bboy tricks for over three years now via America's Best Dance Crew. It's the poppers who haven't been seen in the forefront. And now, folks are finally going to see poppers who have street credibility in the underground scene. None of them got famous from any of the popular reality TV shows.

In 2003, You Got Served sparked public interest in the whole dance crew battle scene. And young teenagers got their first feature film glimpse of abstract dancer Elsewhere. Will Jsmooth, Madd Chadd, and Pandora become the new role models coming out of Step Up 3D? We're in a different time now where dance fans can quickly Google and Youtube their favorite dancers. We can learn about their past accomplishments and see them performing or battling in grainy videos online. Seven years after You Got Served, dance fans are information-saturated every day all the time.

That's where The LXD comes in. This progressive online series features the power of soloists whether it's bboyin', poppin', krumping, contemporary, or hip hop freestyle. Aspiring dancers now have more frames of reference to study and connect with their idols. Despite early negative reviews from some of the audience, the LXD series has been welcomed by its target audience. And it looks like the whole machine is going to keep going. This is a good thing for aspiring dancers who are hungry for inspiration and role models.

Will this empower street dancers more in the entertainment industry? It certainly gives them more exposure. It's kind of cool to be on the cusp of a new wave of inspiration coming from this online series and feature film because it's starting a whole new cycle. Young dancers in their teens are going to be consuming these moving images and will be influenced. The dancers of The LXD and Step Up 3D can be proud that they're already making a difference on a new generation.

Inclusiveness in Our Community

It breaks our hearts to see that there's still a barrier between the street dancing community and the collegiate choreography scene. How can we make a difference here? In the past year and a half, we've explored some of the differences between both worlds. The street dancing community has always been a wily, unstructured group that doesn't function around any one institution or organization. Meanwhile, the collegiate choreography scene thrives on a structured world of showcase competitions, rehearsals, and the college life. One is raw and uncensored; the other is organized and built around academic affiliations. You could say they're from two different worlds.

So why even care about making a connection between these worlds? The street dancing scene has thrived on its own for over thirty years. And the collegiate choreo scene in LA and Orange County has been growing since the early 90s. Different strokes for different folks, as the phrase goes. We've been okay staying within our comfort zone. But what we're missing out on is an opportunity. It may be difficult to blend a street dance competition with a showcase. But learning from each other is never a loss. Both communities have strengths that the other can benefit from. Poppers, bboys, and lockers in the street scene have a courage and fiery freedom in their freestyling. They have a history and foundation to build on. They have a raw spirit. Collegiate choreo dancers have an eye for mobilizing a large group of people on stage. They are community-oriented and their teaching methods are designed to educate many students at one time.

We're not proposing that the street scene or the collegiate scene make over the other in their own image. Both should retain their true identities. But why not start an ongoing dialogue to educate and share with each other? There's evidence of misinformation among the collegiate crowd on solid foundation for street styles. The plethora of videos on Youtube are an example. And the street scene can often misjudge choreo dancers as "biters" while overlooking the skills choreo dancers have in creating pleasing images of many dancers moving together. We could influence each other in positive ways that we haven't even imagined yet, if we were only open to starting a conversation.

That's all it takes. A few leaders from each community to start talking and sharing and understanding together. Are we as open-minded as we think? Are we subconsciously insecure about our own skills if we constantly bash others who are different from ourselves? It may be human nature to be afraid of someone not like us. But we still can have a choice to decide on how to act on that fear. We can either turn away from each other or take a chance and listen.

The Search for Wisdom

How do we bring change in the street dance community? Can we avoid the mistakes of the past and build on the wisdom of our predecessors? Wisdom is what we need. We're desperate for it. Only with wisdom can we start to build a different future for the next generation of dancers.

Why is wisdom important? The young often rail against their elders about inflexibility, outdated perspectives, and unfair prejudice. The elders complain that the youngbloods lack maturity, experience, and thoughtfulness. We see these patterns in other communities besides dance. At the heart of this conflict is a breakdown in communication. Whatever side you're on, it's easy to only look through your own lens. And in doing so, we can jump to hasty conclusions, form judgements, and act on them without considering the validity of others' perspectives.

Street dance is nearly over thirty years old now. Enough time has passed where there are at least three generations intermingling. You could call them the old school, the middle school, and the new school. With so many people involved, it's surprising that we're still making the same mistakes as thirty years ago. Jams are still unorganized and run off schedule. Money is a corrupting factor that divides former friends. And nasty gossip ruins the feel-good vibes of our dance.

We need wise leaders to step forward. In each of our communities, there is a desperate need for men and women, regardless of age and generation, to start shepherding the masses. These leaders were meant to influence, coach, educate, and mentor the unwieldy souls in our dance community. If you feel you're heart stirring, if you feel a burden for our fellow brothers and sisters in the dance community; then you have something to offer. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise.

Can we stop asking for change and start thinking about how to be part of the solution? If each of us is gifted uniquely with distinct talents, then it's possible that we can apply them to influence our dance community in positive ways. Yes, many of us are lazy. Or we're intimidated to take on risk. But there is a great need for wisdom right now. That kind of wisdom can bring an inner peace to each of our souls, which is deeply longed for if we're honest with ourselves.

Leaders, please stand up and dream big. You have the power to bring change.