The most important of the subplots is the relationship between Stiles Sara and Sean Patrick Thomas Derek Reynolds both of whom turn in fine performances. Derek is an intelligent young man whose dreams of escaping the inner city could become a reality with a scholarship to medical school. Through a series of flirtations and one awkward dance at Steps, a local dance club, Derek winds up teaching Sara how to dance hip hop, which she ultimately employs in her modern dance audition at Juilliard. The duo s daily meetings become more serious until it s clear that they ve fallen in love. Duane Adler s script develops their bond with a mature and well-crafted courtship, making Last Dance a surprisingly serious teen romance.
Nothing is forced.
The relationship isn t taken for granted and the two teens are allowed to develop chemistry, bonding with one another through teasing, glances and dances. Moreover, Save the Last Dance approaches the interracial element of their relationship with grace and responsibility. It is never an issue for the couple until it is an issue for those around them. Even then, the outside pressure is merely a factor that brings them closer together. Coming, as it does, from a person whom they both love and respect, Chenille s criticism raises real doubts in Sara s mind and the couple break things off.