Film

Make Your Move

Name: Make Your Move
Genre: Music
Released: 2013
Cast: Derek Hough, BoA, Will Yun Lee, Wesley Jonathan, Izabella Miko

Dance musical

A 2013 dance film following rival dancers caught between warring underground clubs in New York. It's shot through with club energy and choreography, trading plot coherence for pure movement. If you want dancing over everything else—story, character, logic—this delivers the goods unironically.

TMDb rating

2.9

If you liked this

Step Up2006

The template for this exact story: street dancers, class clash, romance, and genuinely thrilling choreography that justifies its own existence. It earns the sentiment.

But The melodrama is thick, and the plot runs on coincidence. If you need your films to make logical sense, this will frustrate you.

Honey2003

Jessica Alba in a music video masquerading as a film. Pure dance spectacle, fashion, and club energy without pretending to be anything deeper. It's what it is, joyfully.

But The acting is thin, the story is thinner, and it moves at music-video pace. Narrative non-starters might bounce off it.

You Got Served2004

Underground dance battles filmed with real style and swagger. The choreography is sharp, the dancing is genuinely impressive, and it captures crew competition with authenticity.

But The plot is skeletal and the dialogue can be rough. It's really a dance exhibition wearing a thin story.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Make Your Move

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

La La Land2016

Both use dance as their primary language, but La La Land speaks in heartbreak and ambition where Make Your Move speaks in spectacle. It's the opposite register—the serious version of what happens when you stake everything on being a dancer.

A modern musical about two artists in Los Angeles chasing dreams while falling in love. Damien Chazelle films dance with operatic swoons. The choreography is inventive, the cinematography gorgeous, the mood melancholic.

But It's slow and deliberate—nothing like the propulsive energy of club dancing. It's more interested in what dance *means* than what it *feels* like. Some find it pretentious.

Footloose1984

The spiritual ancestor of all dance-as-rebellion films. Kevin Bacon, Flashdance-era energy, and a soundtrack that defined a generation. It's camp now, but it's also genuinely fun.

But The social anxiety subplot hasn't aged gracefully. The gender politics will make you wince occasionally.

Beat Street1984

Hip-hop and breakdancing in early 80s New York. Real cultural weight, actual dancers, and a lived-in sense of place. It moves like a music documentary with a story threaded through.

But It's dated in every sense. The plot is secondary to the cultural snapshot, which might feel slow if you want drama.

Center Stage2000

Ballet students at a New York conservatory competing for spots. Genuinely beautiful dance sequences and a cast that can actually move. It's earnest in a way that lets you settle in.

But It's a pretty standard training montage wrapped in ballet. If dance school politics don't grip you, the story won't either.

Flashdance1983

The primal text: welder by day, dancer by night, music video aesthetics in a feature film. Jennifer Beals, that water scene, and a soundtrack that slaps. Pure 80s euphoria.

But There's almost no plot. If you need narrative momentum, this will feel like an extended commercial. The gender dynamic is also very 1983.

Save the Last Dance2001

Julia Stiles learns hip-hop after a ballet injury. Cross-genre fusion, genuine chemistry, and dance sequences that blend styles interestingly. It's a comfort watch that earns its ending.

But The romance is paint-by-numbers and the cultural tourism angle doesn't sit great in retrospect. It's very 2001 in ways that show.

Bring It On2000

Cheerleading as competitive dance. It's funny, the choreography is sharp, and it doesn't take itself seriously—which is exactly when teen films work best. Kirsten Dunst at peak charm.

But It's lightweight and the satire of competitive cheerleading culture won't land if you care deeply about it. Some will find it vapid.