“”Dance with Me” is a boy-meets-girl flick topped with lots of salsa. This premise has some potential but the story isn’t spicy enough to satisfy.
It’s a perfect soap opera scenario with Latin dancing as a hook: we have the hunk, Rafael Infante (played by Puerto Rican star Chayanne), recently arrived from Cuba. He gets a handyman job at the Excelsior dance studio where hypersensitive diva Ruby (Vanessa L. Williams) teaches. Although she’s extremely talented and drop-dead gorgeous, Ruby’s been dumped by her old dance partner/lover and left with their child while he goes off to win championships with her rival. Meanwhile, Rafael moves in with John Burnett (Kris Kristofferson), a former champion who used to dance on cruise ships with Rafael’s late mother—now he just wants to fish and mope around.
Like a soap opera, the movie is formulaic and has a lot of corny moments. Rafael’s good-natured, easy-going presence helps mellow the Excelsior, stressed over an upcoming world dance competition. Although he tells Ruby she doesn’t dance with passion because she can’t “feel” the music, he’s cute enough to eventually coax a date out of her. After a rocky start, their romance starts to gather sparks; Rafael shows Ruby the time of her life “feeling the music” at a vivacious club. Afterwards, they start to get intimate, but Ruby’s still hurt from being dumped and feels she shouldn’t because of her child (whose sole plot significance seems to be preventing Ruby from sleeping with Rafael that night). Ruby declares she “doesn’t want to fall in love again,” but by the time of the Las Vegas competition, her soulful glances speak otherwise.
The dance scenes are great
The movie has some enjoyable bits. At the Excelsior and the clubs, anyone can join in the dancing: they don’t have to be young or Latin to “feel the music.” Endearing old ladies and jittery ballet dancers can join in. The film’s brand of salsa is a whole lot of fun. Vanessa L. Williams is a technical marvel and the other actors are having a good time on the floor, whirling around and getting lifted 10 feet in the air. The wonderful salsa music also helps out the movie. (My guitar teacher’s band was actually in the movie. Go Makina Loca!)
However, the movie moves too slowly in the non-dancing scenes for the salsa to save it. The dialogue lags and there are unnecessary plot twists where I think there should have been more character development. If you’re interested in salsa dancing, enjoy the music, or want to see good-looking leads, then this movie is worth it for you. But if it’s true romance you’re looking for, rent “Gone With The Wind.””