Filmed entirely in the cities of Miami and Miami Beach, ‘Step Up Revolution’ takes full advantage of South Florida’s unique and visually arresting locations, from the ultra‐modern skyline and iconic palm trees to the gritty, colorful ethnic neighborhoods and serene beaches.

“Setting the movie in Miami was one of the first choices we made,” says Matt Smith. “It’s an American city, but a really sexy city with a long‐established dance culture. It was the perfect locale.” The area’s instantly recognizable backdrops telegraph glamour, youth and the contrasts at the heart of the film’s story.

“’Step Up Revolution’ is a love story set among the haves and have‐nots of Miami,” producer Jennifer Gibgot says. “Miami has an extremely wealthy population, as well as some of the most fabulous luxury hotels in the world. It’s an aspirational American city, a place where people experience wealth and glamour and excitement. In the movie, we see the contrast in the lives of the people who stay in those hotels and the people who actually live in Miami and serve them.”

Miami’s balmy climate and outdoor culture lend themselves to the wide‐open vistas that the producers envisioned for their flash‐mob settings. “We tried to incorporate as much of Miami as we could,” says Smith. “We built big, big sets and put lots of people on them. Whether it’s in the business plaza or on top of the containers or on Ocean Drive, we expanded the world of this movie in ways we never have before.”

Production Designer Carlos A. Menéndez is a Miami native who knows and loves his hometown, and enjoyed showing it off in ‘Step Up Revolution’. “Miami is a magical city,” he says. “Geographically it’s stunning. It’s surrounded by water. There’s an interesting mass‐transit system and bridges. The Port of Miami hosts containers from all over the world as well as the cruise liners that come and go. And you’ll never see skies like this anywhere else. The cloud formations are spectacular.”

It also has a uniquely Latin flavor, according to Menéndez. “There’s a tremendous Cuban influence in Miami, obviously. But there is also influence from the rest of the Caribbean and South America. It’s a huge melting pot for all these cultures with a tremendous local music scene. There’s great music and great dancing on any given night.” In no place is that more apparent than on the set for Ricky’s Club Habanero, the old school Miami club that Sean and Eddy have been going to since they were children.

“This is not the kind of place you’d find out on Ocean Drive,” says Smith. “It has a sense of culture, and history. This is where these kids grew up and developed their eclectic musical taste. It’s the kind of place filled with families, old men playing dominos, guys playing various instruments there at night. It’s not South Beach, it’s Old Miami.”

Menéndez infused the set with some of the city’s signature color and variety. “The walls are lined with photos and we’ve layered textures and color throughout. There is even a fivelayer diorama of Havana on the back bar.” The fictional Miami Museum of International Art and Culture was created on a soundstage for the ambitious, multi‐layered dance piece that first sparks Emily’s interest in The Mob.

“The stage was pretty amazing,” says Smith. “We had a giant glowing jellyfish that descends into the middle of the museum. As it lifts its tail, you see the tutus of our electric ballerinas rising up. We have living sculptures, people who emerge from paintings, and all kinds of surprising artistic set pieces.”

And in anticipation of shooting the finale, Menéndez fabricated a scale model of the shipping yard so that he, director Scott Speer, choreographer Jamal Sims and cinematographer Karsten “Crash” Gopinath could coordinate the scene before ever setting foot on set. “It was difficult pulling together all the different disciplines—choreography, cinematography, direction, stunts, parkour,” says Menéndez. “I gave Jamal Sims tape dots so he could show us on the model where the dancers were going to be. He put them pretty much everyplace!”

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Each container had a platform mounted and secured for the dances. “We even concealed a trampoline in a container,” production designer Carlos A. Menéndez explains. “In the end, what mattered most to me were safety and the dance. Those were the first two things on my checklist. The third was showcasing the most amazing views of Miami we could get.

The arrangement of the containers was crucial. They were set to frame downtown Miami and Miami Beach in the background.” The designer also had to keep in mind that the 3D cameras came with extra equipment that needed to be concealed. “Crash has a specific style of lighting, which is fantastic,” he says.

“I have a specific design style. We worked it all out together. There were three 3D cameras with a tremendous amount of gear attached, which made it a whole different game than a regular movie. I was constantly trying to hide all of that.” Scott Speer had never shot in 3D before and credits director of photography Karsten ‘Crash’ Gopinath and the film’s stereographer Nick Brown with guiding him though the process. “I had to learn to shoot in a different way than I would for conventional 2D,” he says. “But I was lucky enough to have an amazing crew.”

Dance lends itself naturally to 3D, says Brown, and the filmmakers were able to maximize that effect with innovative camera work. “Scott and Crash were very open‐minded about trying new things and shooting in unconventional ways. We were able to create volume and depth that is totally comfortable to watch.

“We set shots up specifically to get the most out of the 3D medium,” he continues. “It’s not used for gag effect, like a hand sticking out in front of the screen. We’ve created moments that look really, really good. The choreographers had to be aware of creating layered dances, so we could get a lot of depth in the shot, but for the most part they choreographed the piece and then we figured out the best way to capture it in 3D using the camera positions and moves.”

Producer Jennifer Gibgot was amazed at how successfully the dances translated to the screen. “I didn’t anticipate the dance looking this good in 3D,” she says. “We were able to take specific moments in the choreography and utilize the 3D and the dancers to heighten the effect. It makes it a more exciting moviegoing experience, that’s for sure!” With a fourth ‘Step Up’ film now under her belt, Gibgot never ceases to marvel at the endurance and commitment of the performers who make them possible.

“Dancers are the hardest‐working people in the business,” says Gibgot. “They are one of the reasons I love making these movies. They don’t make a lot of money; they do it strictly for passion and nothing stops these kids. They love what they do so much that they show up every day excited to do it. It doesn’t matter what you throw at them—and we’ve thrown a lot. In fact, even if the cameras aren’t rolling, they’re still dancing. They can’t stop themselves!”

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Each time Jennifer Gibgot and Adam Shankman have launched a new ‘Step Up’ film, they have made sure to match and then surpass the energy, diversity and complexity of the previous film’s dancing. But with ‘Step Up Revolution’, they have outdone all their previous efforts by scaling up the production values and bringing in more different styles of dance than ever before.

“From the very beginning, it was important to me to include the full spectrum of dance in this movie,” says director Scott Speer. “I believe everyone is naturally a dancer. And every style of dance is really about communicating. The Mob blends many different styles of movement into their flash mobs, including non‐dance styles like parkour, which incorporates vaulting, rolling, running, climbing and jumping. I don’t think anyone has brought all of these different aesthetics together in a film.”

By juxtaposing the different styles, Speer believes that he not only shows how well they can work together, he also emphasizes the individual strength of each discipline. “They’re almost at their best when they’re all cut up against each other,” he says. “You really appreciate the hard‐hitting hip‐hop when you see it set up against the elegance of contemporary dance. That’s when you can best understand how universal dance is, which is one of the most powerful ideas in this movie.”

To pull together all the various elements, the producers brought back Jamal Sims, the prolific actor, dancer and choreographer who staged all three earlier films as well the recent remake of ‘Footloose’, the Madonna: Sticky & Sweet Tour and ‘Hannah Montana: The Movie’. “He has always done incredible work for us,” Gibgot. “We’ve been proud to watch him grow professionally.”

Sims was encouraged to take his creative spirit to the limit—and beyond. “A big part of our evolution has been introducing new dance styles in each film,” Sims says. “Scott’s approach was that whatever I could dream up, he would try and make happen. He wanted to take as many different kinds of dance as possible and make them work together.” Sims brought in a diverse team of choreographers to help realize Speer’s ambitious vision, including Chuck Maldonado, Chris Scott and Travis Wall. “Bringing other choreographers in ensured that the numbers all have a unique look and feel,” says Sims.

“For example, Chuck is a stepper and he did Stomp The Yard 2. He helped us with the finale, which is an unbelievable blend of so many styles of dance. Chris has a strong tap background and worked with The LDX. Travis has his finger on the pulse of the contemporary dance world. His pieces are very emotional and come from the heart of the movie.”

Wall was handpicked to choreograph Emily’s audition for a contemporary dance company. “We knew that we wanted someone different for that,” says Gibgot. “It’s a totally different style from the rest of the film and Travis could do that.”

“He has a different sensibility,” says Smith. “Kathryn McCormick trained as a contemporary dancer. She’s not schooled in hip‐hop, which was heavily featured in the previous films. We still have lots of hip‐hop dancing in the movie, but we made a choice when casting Kathryn to bring in something new. Travis was integral to realizing that.” A duet between Sean and Emily, the dance plays into the film’s “Romeo and Juliet” romance.

“Not only do they come from two different places and social strata, the way they dance is different,” says Smith. “Ryan brings a much more urban feel. Kathryn’s more lyrical.”

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The choreographers of new ‘Step Up Revolution’ worked hard to develop a unique look and feel for each of the large‐scale production numbers. “The flash mob scenes are designed to be completely selfcontained,” says Jamal Sims. “Each has a unique palette, location, theme and style of music. They are very different from each other.”

The pulsating Ocean Drive flash mob that opens the film is designed to grab the audience’s attention and not let it go until the film’s closing credits. “It is the very first time we see The Mob,” says director Scott Speer. “And it’s one of the biggest sequences in the film. It immediately establishes what is different about ‘Step Up Revolution’ and captures the idea that these flash mobs are establishing a viral presence in the city. It is a great way to kick off the story.” Sims says he always likes to hit hard as the film begins.

“That sequence is in your face. It was probably the hottest day we had in Miami. The kids were dancing on top of cars and on the street. Every surface was scorching. We incorporated low riders, dancing with the cars bouncing to the rhythm of the track. There were so many different moving pieces that had to be coordinated and timed perfectly.”

Flash mobs usually use choreography that is simple enough for anyone to learn, but Sims took full advantage of the talent at his disposal. “The average person, or even the average dancer, would have a hard time pulling this off,” says producer Jennifer Gibgot. “There were something like 60 people, including parkour artists, which added another exciting element to it.”

The settings provided as much inspiration as the music for the choreographers as they carefully crafted each of the unique set pieces. “Jamal, Travis and I all came together to choreograph the museum sequence,” says Chris Scott. “It was intense. We had people emerging from walls, a fiber optic ballet and several different styles that had to be integrated together. Sometimes the choreography drives the concept, but in this case the concept was driving us. We wanted to portray dance as fine art, just like you see in a museum. We made the dancers into living, breathing works of art. It’s magic!”

For the corporate‐themed flash mob that marks The Mob’s first protest, Scott created a highly synchronized escalator ballet performed by identical drones in suits and ties. With dozens of dancers, it all had to be precisely coordinated to work. “They blend in with the business people,” says executive producer Matt Smith.

“They become part of the same faceless crowd—until the performance begins. They all look the same and move simultaneously.” ‘Step Up Revolution’ ends with a breathtaking finale set in a shipping yard, a far larger space than Sims had ever worked in before. “This is a huge finale,” he says. “The space had so many possibilities and we wanted to take full advantage. We have the kids doing their rendition of The Warriors, really aggressive and dancing with props.

We have a popping routine, then some of the top b‐boys and trickers. Finally, we go into a lovely, sensual duet and all these different styles get mixed into one. In the end, it’s all connected and reflects the story of the two main characters.”

It was the most challenging number in the movie, according to the director. “We shot it over a period of five days,” Speer says. “It had multiple concepts that bled into each other and there was a lot going on visually with costumes, effects and all kinds of special elements. I couldn’t be happier with what we accomplished.”

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In the new installment of ‘Step Up’, Emily’s father, Bill Anderson, is played by actor Peter Gallagher, currently starring on the television series “Covert Affairs.” “Peter is a song‐and‐dance man in his heart,” says Gibgot. “His first movie was ‘The Idol Maker’, and he’s a big fan of this genre. He genuinely loves these kids and believes in them. Because he’s such a wonderful actor, he elevated a character that on the page was a bit of a classic moustache‐twirling villain. It really worked to our benefit, because he made Bill Anderson a much more sympathetic character, which allows you to care about his relationship with his daughter.”

Gallagher is married to a dancer and has enormous admiration for the hard work that goes into the craft. “Dancers are extraordinary creative artists,” he says. “I don’t know anybody who works as hard as they do. They’re all about work. They never expect to get it on the first try and they’re eager to rehearse. Kathryn is certainly all of that and more.”

He adds that he is an enthusiastic supporter of the idea of creative protest. “These kids come together and express themselves in a very effective and powerful way. “The other element that makes this movie unique is the 3D,” he continues. “The special effects are the dancers, and the dances will take your breath away. Scott [Speer] has such ease with visual language, and the way he added that extra layer with the 3D is really impressive. I think fans of the movies will be really delighted. The dancing and the people are quite remarkable.”

To fill out the cast, the filmmakers returned to a popular character from ‘Step Up 3′ and gave him a prominent role in the new movie. Stephen “tWitch” Boss is back as Jason, The Mob’s special effects guy. “Everybody loved tWitch in the third movie,” says executive producer Matt Smith. “We wanted to give him a bigger part in this one. The backstory is that his character grew up with Sean and Eddy. He went up to New York and joined the Pirates in ‘Step Up 3′, but now he’s back with his old gang.” Boss’ intensity and power as a dancer make him unforgettable, says Gibgot. “You can’t take your eyes off of him. And he provides a through‐line from the last film into this.”

The actor says that his character is just an amped up version of himself. “I tinker in a bit of everything,” says Boss. “I like to figure out how stuff works. I guess I’m just a curious guy at heart and Jason is the same way. That’s how I made my way into Step Up 3 and I am thrilled they wrote me back into this one in an even bigger role.”

The filmmakers also included cameo appearances by fan favorites from earlier movies, including Mari Koda, who plays Jenny Kido, Madd Chadd Smith (Vladd) and Adam G. Savani (Moose). All three have featured performances in the film’s spectacular finale. “Moose, Vladd and Jenny are very popular characters. I think fans are going to love seeing these guys as we reveal them one by one. They each have their own little moments.”

Even the stars of the film were thrilled to see their predecessors back again. “It was great to have past cast members in that number,” says Kathryn McCormick. “They’re incredibly talented and inspiring to watch. And because they brought so much history with them, it made my experience that much richer.”

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The producers of new ‘Step Up Revolution’ had no doubt Kathryn McCormick, familiar to fans of the television show “So You Think You Can Dance,” would be able to handle the dance moves. But she had never acted before. “We knew she would ace the choreography,” says producer Jennifer Gibgot. “Whenever I saw her on the show, I was completely mesmerized. And she looks like a movie star. We took a chance and really worked with her on the acting. She stepped up to the challenge beautifully.”

Adds executive producer Matt Smith: “With acting, what it comes down to is whether or not you believe what they’re saying. Kathryn has that going for her naturally, even though she’d never acted before. And, like the character, she lives and breathes dance, so that passion is genuine.” When Emily steps outside her privileged existence to join The Mob, she begins to question everything she once accepted as true.

“Her world turns upside down,” says McCormick. “Everything she believes is twisted, and she had no idea it was coming. She doesn’t want to see her father hurt or embarrassed, but she’s stuck between him and Sean.” According to McCormick, acting forced her to learn to trust in a different way. As a dancer, she has always depended on herself. “As an actor, you definitely have to drop your ego,” she says. “You have to dive into the moment and listen to the person who’s talking to you. Scott [Speer] was an incredible director. I always trusted him to tell me the truth. I was really grateful to have someone who cared so much.”

“We had a lot of dance rehearsals, and then we had acting rehearsals on the side,” she continues. “At first, when I was in a dance rehearsal, I couldn’t focus on lines, and vice versa. But eventually I found myself in the dance rehearsals thinking, how would Emily do this? It added a different layer.”

In fact, McCormick and Ryan Guzman complemented each other’s natural skills, says Smith.

“It was actually an advantage that we didn’t have two experienced actors who didn’t know how to dance or two great dancers who didn’t know how to act as our leads. Kathryn and Ryan each brought a different skill set. They raised each other’s games.” A career in acting was not necessarily on McCormick’s radar before she got the call to star in the film. “This is something I never in a million years thought I would be doing,” she says. “It is definitely a step up from what I’ve been doing and it’s one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done.”

Both she and Guzman have come into their own as rising stars in this film, says director Speer. “The sky’s the limit for them,” he adds. “I hope it was a great experience for them. For me, it was an absolute pleasure working with them.”

Sean’s budding romance with Emily creates a triangle within The Mob. The third and most troublesome point is Sean’s childhood friend Eddy. Mistrustful of the newcomer from the start, Eddy is enraged when he learns that Sean’s new girlfriend is the daughter of the powerful real‐estate developer threatening his home. Played by Misha Gabriel, Eddy is The Mob’s co-creator and computer genius, but he has dance skills to match anyone in the film. “Eddy is a hothead with a chip on his shoulder,” says Gabriel.

“He’s passionate, he’s loyal and he’s Sean’s best friend. They created The Mob to give these kids a voice and an identity. It’s a way to put their work out there and maybe be somebody. It becomes an outlet for artistic protest, a way for them to stand behind what they believe. But when this girl comes into Sean’s life, it throws Eddy off and all hell breaks loose.”

The son of a Russian ballet teacher, Gabriel was classically trained, but fell in love with hip‐hop in his teens. Moving from his Colorado home to Los Angeles at 17, he began working in commercials and music videos, eventually touring with top musical acts, including Janet Jackson, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera and, what he calls “the pinnacle” for a dancer, Michael Jackson.

“Misha is a very talented dancer,” says Gibgot. “He nailed his audition and he fit the description of Eddy to a T. Once we saw him and Ryan together, their chemistry was so perfect, we knew we had our guys.” This is Gabriel’s first major acting role. “I’d been primarily a dancer up to this point, but I have fallen in love with acting,” he says. “And I’ve wanted to work for Adam Shankman ever since I saw him on ‘So You Think You Can Dance?’ He’s a brilliant producer and director, and I’m really thankful to be doing this movie with him.”

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‘Step Up Revolution’, in theaters on July 27, brings together a young man and woman who might seem on the surface to have little in common, but their mutual love for dance blossoms into a passion that changes their lives. Sean Asa (Ryan Guzman) is the rebellious son of workingclass Cuban immigrants who finds self‐expression in street dance; Emily Anderson (Kathryn McCormick) is an aspiring contemporary dancer torn between the privilege provided by her father’s wealth and her own artistic aspirations.

“So much of these movies comes down to the casting,” says producer Jennifer Gibgot. “We got incredibly lucky with our leads. They are the heart and soul of the movie. Once we found them, we were able to tailor the dance sequences for their special gifts.”

Like Sean and Emily, Guzman and McCormick together become more than the sum of their parts, says executive producer Matt Smith. “There’s incredible chemistry between Kathryn and Ryan. They’re great friends off screen, and it really shows on screen. The movie challenged them, but they were totally up for it, killing it every day.”

Guzman, who comes from the world of Mixed Martial Arts, had never danced professionally before, and while the filmmakers were impressed by his audition, they were unsure that he was up to the challenging choreography. “He walked in the door with incredible charisma,” says Smith. “He was a very strong actor, but he had no dance training at all. Other people were flying in from tours with Rihanna and Britney Spears to audition, and here’s this Mixed Martial Arts fighter who never danced before.”

But Guzman defied expectations with a mixture of grit, determination and natural ability. “Every choreographer he worked with said that either he had danced in a past life or he was snowing everybody, because he picked it up so brilliantly,” says Gibgot. “Ryan turned out to be a natural. There’s nothing that he wasn’t able to do—hip‐hop, salsa, everything we threw at him, he did it.”

Aware of the producers’ concerns, Guzman responded by immersing himself in the learning process. He says their doubts made him work that much harder to prove himself. “I was in awe of what was going down around me. The audition process was really scary for me, especially free‐styling in front of a bunch of people, but it made me that much more motivated. I was practicing until one o’clock in the morning, and then showing up early to do my thing. I was a little shaky when I saw all the professional dancers in their element, but I pushed past the fear. Even though they had a dance double ready to fill in for me, I said, no way. This is my movie, I want to do everything.”

He gives credit to the film’s team of top choreographers for molding him into a dancer in record time. “I have been fight training for years, but dance training was as intense as anything I’ve ever done in my life,” he says. “It’s physically, mentally and emotionally draining. But then you look around, and you see the dancers having fun, with big smiles on their faces. I could be frustrated, but when I saw that, it always lifted my spirits.”

The actor is honored to be a part of the ‘Step Up’ tradition. “All the movies have been feel‐good, date movies,” he says. “But I do believe the concept for this one is unique. There are no more dance battles, plus it captures the unique feel of the diverse neighborhoods of Miami. My character has had a rough upbringing. He learned to be a leader on the go. What he wants now is to get his crew to the next level artistically and financially in order to enrich everybody’s lives. But his boss wants to destroy his neighborhood, and he’s trying to save it using dance. It’s an inspiring concept.”

Guzman says he was lucky to have a talented and supportive director to guide him through his big screen debut. “Scott Speer is an amazing director. When he needs to be serious, he’s serious, but for the most part he was very light‐hearted. He’s very detailed. And he knows how to talk actors, too.”

Image Courtesy of  Step Up Movie

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The ‘Step Up’ franchise has launched the careers of two highly successful movie directors, Anne Fletcher (who went on to helm ‘27 Dresses’ and ‘The Proposal’) and John M. Chu (director of the upcoming ‘GI Joe: Retaliation’ and creator of the successful web series, “The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers” or The LXD).

To meet that innovative, highly energetic and creative standard, the producers of new ‘Step Up Revolution’ recruited Scott Speer, an award‐winning director who has collaborated with Cho on ‘The LXD’, and directed videos for Blake Shelton, Ashley Tisdale, Jordin Sparks and Mexican pop sensation Belinda. “Scott understood what this movie needed to be,” says producer Jennifer Gibgot.

“He was constantly working to make each number bigger than the one before and give this movie greater scope than any previous Step Up has had. He was always trying to outdo himself, which was really inspiring to the cast and crew.”

The energy and audacity needed to create a flash mob drove his vision, says Speer. “The Mob completely takes over the world for a moment. It’s an aggressive and liberating form of expression, which is a relatable concept for a lot of young people. You just go into a place, and while everyone else is concerned with their lunch or their work or getting where they are going, you remind them that they could break into dance at any time. And dance is about joy. Life is about joy.”

The filmmaker’s passion for dance was another factor that made him the ideal director for this film, say the producers. “Scott is a lover of dance, as John Chu was,” says Gibgot. “He is Jon’s protégé, but when he came in, he was clear about wanting to make his own movie, while still paying homage to the earlier films. That was important to us.”

Speer stages each of the film’s dazzling productions numbers with the precision and scope of an adrenaline‐charged battle scene. “He has the potential to be a great action director,” says executive producer Matt Smith. “He envisioned the dance numbers like action set pieces. It felt like he came in every day with something to prove.”

But he also excelled at finding the humanity and romance that are the hallmarks of the ‘Step Up’ franchise. “Scott cared deeply about the actors and the characters they play,” Gibgot says. “He said from the beginning that he wanted to keep what made the last three movies special, which was the love story and the chemistry, as well as the great dance.”

To build camaraderie within the cast, the director encouraged them to spend time together on set and off. “One thing that is special about a dance movie is that you don’t meet at the table read and then go your separate ways until you get to the set,” he explains. “We had a lengthy rehearsal process. The cast was hanging out after work, eating together every day. By the first day of production, everyone had bonded through that months’ worth of rehearsing and training. It began as a mandate that they spend time together. Eventually it took on a life of its own. They formed a little family.”

The way the company came together was a new experience for producer Smith. “This is my first Step Up,” he says. “I couldn’t have asked anything more. There were no egos. Everybody just wanted to make this the best Step Up film there could be.”

Even producer Adam Shankman stepped in to help, volunteering to run the second unit for Speer. “Adam just brings such enormous spirit to everything he does,” says Smith. “Whether it’s directing ‘Rock Of Ages’ and ‘Hairspray’ or producing the ‘Step Up’ movies, Adam’s energy is off the charts and it’s infectious. To have someone with his experience on second unit was invaluable.”

The finished film depicts the world of the flash mob in a way that has never been seen before, says the producer. “You will be going on a ride during which you’ll see some of the best dancing and the most amazing dance sequences in the world. And in addition to that, you will see a great young love story in the Step Up tradition. You’re going to have a great time!”

Image Courtesy of  Step Up Movie

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Starting with the 2006 debut of ‘Step Up’, producers Jennifer Gibgot and Adam Shankman have created a series of ultra‐popular hip‐hop fairy tales that blend the urgency of the latest street dance with the romance of “Romeo and Juliet.” Each new chapter in the franchise has brought to the screen even more astonishing choreography and imaginative scenarios than its predecessors.

With ‘Step Up Revolution’, the fourth film in the series, Gibgot and Shankman unleash the biggest and most challenging film they have made to date, packed with gravity‐defying production numbers and talented, red‐hot young performers. The producers have pulled out all the stops for the story of a daring and innovative group of performance artists called The Mob. Using the streets of Miami as their staging grounds, The Mob blends music, dance, visual arts and cutting‐edge technology in extravagant flash mob performances that appear and disappear in moments.

“We all gravitated to the notion of the flash mob,” says executive producer Matt Smith. “That is a meticulously planned, well‐organized form of dance performed publicly and made to appear spontaneous. It’s done live and on the fly, so it’s also got an ‘anything can happen’ feel that we wanted to capitalize on. Flash mobs are so much of the moment in our culture right now. People are out there doing it in the streets, but I don’t think anybody has ever done them on this scale with top flight dancers and choreography.”

The scope and ambition of the film’s flash mob dance numbers are unprecedented. “They are not like anything you’ve ever seen in a movie before, even in the earlier ‘Step Up’ films,” says Gibgot. “It’s no longer about two teams battling each other. We’ve taken something exciting that is the Zeitgeist right now, amped it up and put a whole new spin on it.”

Taking dance into the streets of a major metropolis opens up the movie in a way that makes it very different from the earlier films, according to Smith. “We go outdoors in front of huge crowds, instead of the club battling you’ve seen in earlier films. That takes it to a whole other level. And unlike the choreography of the average flash mob, which is pretty rudimentary, we are showcasing some of the greatest dancers in the world doing these elaborately choreographed and staged dance numbers in some very surprising settings.”

Eventually, Smith observes, the performances turn into something more powerful than just eye‐popping moves. “As the character Emily says in the movie, it’s time to go from performance art to protest art. That’s a turning point for all of our characters. The art form can be used for something greater than just, ‘Hey, look at us.’ It can be used to deliver a message. And they take that message and then deliver it in really fun, unexpected ways all over the city.”

Image Courtesy of  Step Up Movie

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‘Step Up Revolution’, the fourth installment in Summit Entertainment’s sizzling dance and romance franchise, ups the ante with unparalleled 3D action in sultry, sexy Miami where a group of hot young performers takes to the streets to what they do best—Dance!

Childhood friends Sean (Ryan Guzman) and Eddy (Misha Gabriel) work as waiters at Miami Beach’s ultra‐posh Dimont Hotel, owned by ruthless developer Bill Anderson (Peter Gallagher). In their off‐duty hours, they lead a renegade crew known only as “The Mob,” a group of cutting‐edge dancers, musicians and artists that captures the collective imagination of the city with dazzling, high‐tech, hit‐and‐run flash mobs that appear out of nowhere—and vanish in an instant.

The Mob’s outlaw performances attract the attention of Anderson’s daughter Emily (Kathryn McCormick), a gifted dancer in her own right. Under pressure from her dad to leave her lifelong dream behind and get a “real” job, Emily has reluctantly agreed to go to work for him unless she earns a coveted spot in the prestigious Wynwood Dance Company. But after witnessing a flash mob, she is determined to join in.

After Emily and Sean connect at a dance club, he introduces her to the group, leaving out the fact that she’s the boss’s daughter. Emily’s impressive dance skills win her a place in The Mob, but her presence drives a wedge between Sean and Eddy. When Anderson and his young protégé Tripp (Tommy Dewey) announce plans to raze The Mob’s neighborhood to build a huge commercial development, the group begins planning their most daring flash mob ever to try to save the waterfront, forcing Emily and Sean to choose between family ties and their love for each other.

‘Step Up Revolution’ stars Kathryn McCormick, finalist on the hit television dance series “So You Think You Can Dance,” and Ryan Guzman in their feature film debuts. Misha Gabriel (‘Footloose’), Stephen ‘‘tWitch’ Boss (‘Step Up 3’), Tommy Dewey (“Sons of Tucson”), Peter Gallagher (“Covert Affairs”) and real life choreographer Mia Michaels (‘Rock of Ages’) lead a rich supporting cast, with cameo appearances by fan favorites from the ‘Step Up’ franchise.

Image Courtesy of  Step Up Movie

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Los Angeles, U.S.A – On July 28, 2012, The Music Center and Ovation present The Dizzy Feet Foundation’s second “Celebration of Dance” Gala hosted by its board members — including International Emmy Award-winning producer Nigel Lythgoe (‘American Idol’, ‘So You Think You Can Dance’) ‘Rock of Ages’ director Adam Shankman and actress Katie Holmes. Starting at 7:00PM at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at The Music Center, the gala event will feature performances by talent from ‘So You Think You Can Dance,’ ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ ‘Step Up Revolution,’ ‘The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers’ and ‘American Ballet Theatre’ among many others. The star-studded event will conclude with a Celebration Supper taking place in the Eva and Marc Stern Grand Hall at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, CA.

VIP tickets start at $400 and include dinner and unforgettable performances by some of the world’s most critically acclaimed dancers. General admission tickets for the gala performance range from only $34 to $125.

All tickets will benefit the Dizzy Feet Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is threefold: to sponsor, fund and/or support dance education programs that expose children in under-served areas to the lifelong benefits of dance education, through and with local community organizations; to provide scholarships to talented students studying at accredited or nationally regarded dance schools, studios, or institutions; and in conjunction with recognized credentialing organizations, to support and increase the quality of all styles of dance education in the United States.

The event is supported by presenting sponsors, The Music Center and Ovation, and is also made possible with the support of Electronic Arts, Inc.

Launched in 2010 by Nigel Lythgoe, National Dance Day is an annual celebration that takes place on the last Saturday in July. The campaign encourages Americans to incorporate dance into their lives as a way to promote health and self-esteem through the art form of dance. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a long-time proponent of healthy lifestyles, introduced the National Dance Day resolution at a press conference on July 31, 2010 in Washington, D.C., making the day dedicated to dance education and physical fitness across the U.S. an official act of Congress.

Image Courtesy of  Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

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