Photo credit: Myriad Pictures
**Update** The movie is finally available in the U.S. You can watch it on iTunes, VOD and on Dance Network.
Dance fans, here’s a movie to keep on your radar: Heartbeats. It’s not coming out until 2017 — no specific date has been announced yet — but I think it’s right up your alley if you like to discover new talent.
I saw a screening this week [Full Disclosure: CEO and Co-Founder Julie Stadler of Dance Network is an executive producer on the film.] and I was excited by the choreography and the breakout roles involving two of the leads.
The story focuses on an American hip-hop dancer who heads to India with her family for a wedding. Not only does she discover new aspects to dance, she also falls in love.
Here’s why you should add this to your must-watch list for 2017:
Photo credit: Myriad Pictures
1. The writer/director
You might not be familiar with the name Duane Adler, but he’s a big part of the Step-Up franchise. He wrote the first Step Up screenplay, which introduced us to two rising stars back in 2006, Jenna Dewan-Tatum and Channing Tatum.
Adler also wrote Make Your Move, a 2013 film starring Derek Hough and BoA.
Photo credit: Myriad Pictures
2. The stars
I scrambled around the internet looking up Krystal Ellsworth (Kelli) and Amitash Pradhan (Aseem) after the screening. These two have great on-screen onscreen together and they don’t overplay the romance.
Ellsworth is also a part of the L.A. dance scene and will next be seen in La La Land, choreographed by Mandy Moore.
Photo credit: Myriad Pictures
3. Choreography
I loved the infusion of Bollywood and hip-hop in Heartbeats. It’s one of the aspects that gives viewers a feel of Mumbai — the music, the energy and the color are all felt in this film.
Dancing With the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance viewers will recognize Tessandra Chavez’s work. She was the supervising choreographer while Shampa Gopikrishna handled the Indian dance choreography. Gopikrishna won Season 5 of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, India's version of DWTS.
The film doesn’t have a trailer just yet, but you can keep up the latest news on the film’s recently updated Facebook page and I will do my best to keep you all in the loop!
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