As a five-film franchise, Step Up has proved to be extremely successful. The first movie to the sequence, Step Up, was released in 2006. The film stars Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan as the lead characters who represent dance in an impactful way. When Tyler, played by Tatum, was caught up in street violence, he was summoned to community service at a local performing arts school where Nora, played by Dewan, was attending.

With dance experience himself, Tyler was quick to take to Nora who was practicing her final dance in hopes of receiving high acclaim from recruiters at the school’s senior showcase recital. So when Nora needed a new dance partner, the two made a plan to work together.
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Not only do Tyler and Nora have exceptional chemistry, making their dancing mesmerizing, their skills paid off when Nora was given an opportunity with a professional dance studio and Tyler was offered a spot at the school in which he performed with Nora for the following year.

The First Sequel Represents Rebellion and Hope

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The first sequel in the franchise, Step Up 2: The Streets, follows the rebellion and hope from the first film. When Andie, played by Briana Evigan, was failing to merge her new life at the prestigious performing arts school with her old tumultuous ways due to culture shock, she made a plan to take control. She formed a crew of outcasts from the school and choreographed a dance routine for an underground contest.

Related: Step Up: Every Movie in the Franchise, Ranked

Just like Tyler, who is Andie’s foster brother, Andie had to leave her old ways behind in hopes of a better future for herself. They rid themselves of friendships and disobedience and traded it for investment into their natural talents. Andie and her crew went on to win their face-off against their rival crew, The 410, and she was able to continue her attendance at the performing arts school just as Tyler did, despite the turbulence it took to get there.

Family Matters Clash With the Passion of Dancing

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The third film, Step Up 3D, takes with it from the previous films the yearning to accomplish your dreams regardless of outside influences. The movie stars Moose, played by Adam G. Sevani, and Camille, who is also Tyler’s foster sister, played by Allison Stoner. When Moose finds himself at an underground dance contest, he relinquishes the doubt that his father had in his dancing.

Moose trades his books and schoolwork in for dancing, as the two collide at inconvenient timing. He dances in the World Jam competition with his assembled crew in hopes of winning the $100,000 prize to keep the warehouse open where his crew the House of Pirates practice and perform. However, he has to go about it without his father knowing or else he would likely be shipped back to his home away from the school where he met his dancing friends. Moose’s team ends up winning their contest and is able to keep their warehouse, and just like the previous Step Up films, lessons about staying true to oneself are epitomized perfectly.

Lionsgate

The next film, Step Up Revolution is a fresh take on the franchise. The film follows Emily, played by Kathryn McCormick, and Sean, played by Ryan Guzman. When Emily and her dance friends are at risk of having no place to live or perform due to large corporations rebuilding the community, all of which was being led by her father, Emily and the Mob of dancers conspire together to save the homes and place where they feel most accepted.

Just like in the first three films, there’s clashing between family members in hopes of controlling what the outcome is. Emily, however, grabs ahold of the situation and comes up with a dance protest. Members from Step Up 3D like Moose and others come together and successfully dance their way through the adversity their community is facing.

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Seeing how happy dancing has made her, Emily’s father decides to save the community space rather than destroy it. Though it would take some time to accept his daughter as a dedicated dancer, Emily and her father end on good terms, much like the families of Tyler, Andie, and Moose did.

The Mob Crew Lays it All on the Floor to Win Dancing Competition

Lionsgate

The fifth and final film of the Step Up franchise, Step Up: All In is exactly as it sounds, as the dancers of the previous films like Moose, Sean, and Andie come together to form a sensational crew that just can’t be beat. After their crew, The Mob, has been turned down by countless auditions, finally, all the relocating and rehearsing pays off. At The Vortex dance competition, there may be some of the best opponents the Mob has faced, but that doesn’t dim their confidence. They join forces with the LMNTRIX crew and end up stealing the show, resulting in a three-year residence contract in Vegas.

Though the odds are stacked against every crew of the franchise, all the dancers somehow muster the strength to fight against their uphill battles. Obeying one’s intuition and skill instead of listening to the negativity from family members seems to be a big similarity between the Step Up films. There’s always something that has to be given up in order to be a part of a dance crew, yet the lead roles seemingly never neglect their double life for too long, leading to great success in their personal lives and dance contests.

In addition to the five Step Up films, a spin-off series, Step Up: High Water, premiered in 2018. The series is executive produced by Step Up alums, Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan and follows the lives of dance students at the prestigious performing arts school, High Water. Though the franchise has proved to be a regarded film succession, there’s no talk about adding a sixth film. However, if one finds themselves moved by overcoming triumphs to achieve your goals as well as elite dancing, the Step Up films are ideal to watch.