Step

Mention Baltimore to many viewers and what probably springs is the desperation of hard-hitting crime saga The Wire. But while this engrossing dance school documentary never glosses over the city's problems, it is, at its very heart, a wonderfully uplifting and life-affirming hour-and-a-half. Seniors at the Leadership School for Young Women struggle with their grades, fragmented family lives and boyfriends who don't always have the girls' best interests in mind. The thrills and sisterly bonding of step class and its attendant competitions offer welcome respite from hardship, and it's against this inner-city backdrop that director Amanda Lipitz follows the hopes and dreams of three teenagers over what will be the most pivotal year of their young lives. The girls themselves go from charming to churlish in a single spin on the gymnasium floor, but Lipitz also trains her cameras on the support network of feisty mothers and inspirational counsellors, resulting in a film that will have you dabbing away tears and screaming with joy, and leave you hungry to watch it all over again.