Bring Home ‘The Red Shoes: Next Step’

Category: Blu-ray's and DVD's

In 1948 Hans Christian Anderson’s movie The Red Shoes was the impetus for many young people to become dancers. It was even referenced in the 1985 movie A Chorus Line. Now, a modern film takes on the mantle of a story about the love of ballet and personal drama. The Red Shoes: Next Step is a film that, although contains a lot of emotional drama, is filled with plenty of wonderful ballet sequences.

Samantha Cavanaugh (Juliet Doherty) and her sister Annie (Daniele Clements) live for ballet. They are in the prestigious Harlow Ballet School. One day, while in the wings preparing for her big scene in “The Red Shoes” ballet, Sam is video chatting with Annie when tragedy strikes. 

A year after the tragedy, Sam has given up dancing and is mired in grief for her sister. She has left the ballet academy and is living a scattered life. When she is tasked with community service cleaning up at the academy, Sam’s grief returns. After all, this is where she and Annie lived and loved ballet. 

Little by little Sam’s love of ballet returns but she is torn between dancing and the thought that being a ballerina again would be a betrayal of her sister. Annie was a fabulous dancer and Sam does not feel she can measure up to the legacy of that. But Miss Harlow (Carolyn Bock) knows how good she is and once she gets Sam back into her toe shoes, things start to take off.

But will Sam stay with ballet or will the demons of her past keep her from fulfilling her dreams? Can she return to her former self – a girl who loves to dance, is a beautiful dancer, and yet lost the sister she loved with all her heart?

The story is filled with emotions as this young woman struggles to overcome her grief as well as regain her self confidence. It is the entire ballet academy who helps her through this trauma, but it is still up to Sam to reach down inside and become the dancer she was meant to be.

While the story is predictable, the dancing is wonderful and watching the students practice and dance is something that will ignite a spark for some viewers who love ballet and want to study the art. We cannot all be great dancers, but we can appreciate the effort and accomplishments of those who are. And, we can all imagine ourselves in ballet slippers or toe shoes leaping through the air, twirling, and enjoying being great dancers – even if it only in our minds.

The Red Shoes: Next Step is not rated.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA. Follow her on Twitter.