Stomp the Yard (2007)

User Rating:

4.2/10   

Director:

Sylvain White

Writers (WGA):

Robert Adetuyi (screenplay)
Gregory Ramon Anderson (earlier screenplay)

Release Date:

12 January 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

Beyond the pride. Beyond the rivalry. Beyond the tradition.

Plot:

After the death of his brother, An expert street dancer goes to Georgia to attend Truth University....

Plot Keywords:

Dancer | Death | Fraternity | Competition | Step Dancing

Awards:

9 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Nov. 14

4:00 PM

TNT

Cast

Columbus Short	...	DJ
Meagan Good	...	April
Ne-Yo	...	Rich Brown
Darrin Dewitt Henson	...	Grant (as Darrin Henson)
Brian J. White	...	Sylvester (as Brian White)
Laz Alonso	...	Zeke
Valarie Pettiford	...	Jackie
Jermaine Williams	...	Noel
Allan Louis	...	Dr. Palmer
Harry Lennix	...	Nate
Chris Brown	...	Duron
Oliver Ryan Best	...	Easy
Richmond Duain Martyn	...	Mark
Justin Hires	...	Byron
Sahr Ngaujah	...	Harold

Also Known As:

Steppin' (USA) (working title)
Stompin' (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for a scene of violence, some sexual material and language.

Runtime:

USA:115 min | USA:109 min | Argentina:109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Ireland:12A | Singapore:PG | Malaysia:U | Germany:12 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Argentina:13 | UK:12 (DVD rating) | UK:12A (original rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Sweden:7 | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #42761) | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:18

Filming Locations:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Company:

Rainforest Films

Trivia:

In the step tournament there was 2000 extras used as the crowd, but they didn't know that this was a movie so they were really cheering and booing the steppers

Goofs:

Continuity: When Sylvester wants DJ to lead the step at nationals, DJ tells Sylvester that he has waited for four years to beat Gamma Mu. In earlier scenes we can see that DJ has on a pledge jacket that says Spring 06 and Sylvester has one that says Spring 04. If Sylvester waited four years then his pledge jacket should have said Spring 02.

Quotes:

Duron: It's not just about you. It's about us, we're a team.
DJ: Well then this team' bout to double up on their asses!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Dance Flick (2009)

Soundtrack:

Sign Me Up

Dance 10, Story 4

STOMP THE YARD comes as a pleasant surprise to those of us who have yet to be introduced to 'stepping' - a sport/dance form that is not break dancing, not hip-hop, not modern dance, not clogging, not ballet, but instead is an exhilarating display of rhythm, physical dexterity, and creative choreography that makes this little film well worth watching.

The story is minimal and hackneyed and serves basically as an outline for the dance performances. DJ (the enormously talented dancer/actor Columbus Short) is sent from Los Angeles to Atlanta's Truth University after his conviction for street brawling, a fight in which his brother (Chris Brown) was killed. Once on campus DJ is works for his uncle as a gardener and is soon courted for his step dance skills by two rival fraternities. One fraternity gains DJ's attention and he pledges. Of course there is the requisite love conflict (the beautiful Meagan Good as April), who just happens to be the girlfriend of the rival fraternity step leader (Darrin Henson), and the usual undercurrent of familial dichotomies between DJ's humble background and April's influential father bring the tension to the front: the result is DJ's triumphant performance in the annual stepping competition between the two fraternities. The ending is predictable but sensitive and with a message.

The real star of the film is the magnificently choreographed and executed dancing, performed by the actual cast members. Director Sylvain White and his choreographers center their attention on the big sequences and the result is very fine entertainment. In addition to the gifted Columbus Short and Darrin Henson the cast includes such fine actor/dancers as Brian J. White, Ne-Yo, Laz Alonzo, Oliver Ryan Best, Richmond Duain Martyn, Justin Hires, and many others. It is difficult to resist the excitement of the commitment of this fine cast to the introduction of step dancing to the public at large. So much talent! Grady Harp