Take the Lead

1. Take the Lead • Film inspired by Pierre Dulaine Pierre invented “Dancing Classrooms” He taught ballroom dancing to 5th grade students. The focus is on respect, pride, and confidence.

2. What to look for: Opening statement Opening scene Differences between parents Differences between clothing Differences between music Differences between dance venues Clip

3. Minority Lower class students No parental involvement Sick parent Cleaning clothing Dance at a gymnasium Differences between the two groups: White Upper class students Parental involvement Nice jewelry/clothing Dance is held at a ballroom Dancing is sophisticated Discourses: Minority parents are not involved Minority children must take care of siblings Minorities are poorer than white counterparts Minorities are drug addicts

4. Racial discourse- Criminality • Rock- one of the main characters is trying to enter the dance. He is African-American • Foreshadowing- Will he encounter problems? • What are your predictions?

5. Criminality • Assumptions: Ticket is not valid or stolen • Notice the police officers, language student uses, language principal uses • Foreshadowing • Principal says, “You keep talking. Give me a reason to kick you out of my school.”

6. Criminality • Through the director’s lens, we see retaliation. • What to look for: two men outside, graffiti, assumptions with having a golf club, language • Obvious criminality when Rock vandalizes the principal’s car • At the school- metal detectors