Dance with Me

Plot synopsis:
After burying his mother, Rafael Infante (Chayanne) comes from Santiago, Cuba to Houston, Texas to work for a man named John Burnett (Kris Kristofferson) as a handyman in Burnett's dance studio. It soon becomes clear to the audience that Burnett is the father Rafael never knew. While there he finds himself falling for a dancer and instructor Ruby Sinclair (Vanessa L. Williams), who incidentally brought him to the studio.
It turns out that the dancers in the studio are preparing for a dance competition in Las Vegas and that Ruby would be taking part as well. Rafael gets close to Ruby and their attraction to each other grows, but she is not willing to commit herself to a relationship as she seems more interested in her dancing.
Meanwhile, Rafael's arrival and persona wins him the friendship of an older dancer Bea Johnson (Joan Plowright) as well as the studio receptionist Lovejoy (Beth Grant), but it also causes some discomfort to Burnett, who suddenly begins to withdraw into himself and takes less interest in the preparations for the competition, much to the chagrin of his own partner Patricia Black (Jane Krakowski).
While visiting Burnett at his home, Rafael notices and offers to repair his old and broken-down truck. He and Ruby go downtown to get the parts needed to repair the truck and are invited to an engagement party by a Cuban man whose daughter was getting engaged. While there, both of them discover more about each other as he tells her that his mother had died but that he never knew his father.
Later, Rafael invites Ruby to a dance party at a club in the city and they agree to go on the following Saturday night. Before leaving, Rafael helps Patricia learn a dance lift she had been practicing, explaining that his mother made him take a little ballet. The following Saturday, he and Ruby go to the party in which they perform, along with other dancers, the Latin Salsa dancing to a song by Albita Rodriguez.
After the party, he takes Ruby home where he discovers that she has a 7-year-old son Peter (Chaz Oswill) who is "looked after" by Bea in Ruby's absence and who happens to be fathered by Ruby's former dance partner, Julian Marshall (Rick Valenzuela). While there, he comes up to Ruby and they share a passionate kiss, but she eventually breaks it up.
Later on Rafael comes to Burnett's home to show him the refurbished truck, to the latter's delight. while there, Patricia comes to the house and has a discussion with John asking him to explain why he suddenly lost interest in their choreography preparations. John then tells her that she can dance with Rafael if she wants and both she and Rafael start their practice to the amazement of the other dancers at the studio.
After the rehearsal, Rafael overhears John telling Lovejoy that Ruby would be in Las Vegas without them and also asking her to switch his name with Rafael's when Patricia's dance comes up.
Sensing that she wants to reunite with Julian, Rafael goes to see Ruby who explains that she wanted Peter to see his father often and that she did not want to be in love. While at a fishing trip with Burnett, Rafael is shocked when Burnett tells him to go back to Cuba after the competition and that he did not have a son. Devastated by the double rejection, he decides to return to Cuba after his dance with Patricia.
At Las Vegas, Rafael meets Ruby and tells her that he was returning to Cuba after the competition. Burnett (who did not go) reflects on his cruel rejection of Rafael and decides to come to the dance to apologize to Rafael and persuade him not to go back to Cuba. Rafael dances with Patricia and while watching them, Ruby realized that she was in love with Rafael and felt a stab of jealousy seeing them together.
Just as Rafael and Patricia leave the stage, Bea comes in, saying, "I wanna do that too" and she and Rafael perform a very humorous dance to the amusement and delight of the crowd. After the dance, Burnett meets and apologizes to Rafael, eventually convinces him to stay back and also commending his dancing.
The main dances begin and Ruby and her partner Julian are involved. Despite the slight tension between them, they win the competition although Ruby almost all the time seems to keep her eyes on Rafael, who is in the audience and who is watching her, however he leaves and when Ruby looked around without seeing him, she breaks down in tears.
Later at a dance party for all the contestants, Ruby is met by a man who wishes to promote her. However, to her relief, Rafael appears again and leads her to the dance floor for a final dance scene that has the rest of the dancers watching with admiration.
The movie ends at the studio with the entire studio members and some new dancers dancing to the theme song "You Are My Home" by Chayanne and Williams themselves.

Tags: melodrama

Review:
Like "STRICTLY BALLROOM", it is a beautiful mix of music, fun and dancing.
The music and the dancing pulls you into the movie.
Sometimes I just forgot that they were telling a story because almost in every scene there was movement, feeling and attention in the dance choreography.
Nonetheless, it is not that the movie doesn't stray into the unknown; it is that the movie has attraction, heat, and passion especially with the chemistry between Chayanne and Vanessa.
Although Vanessa is heard in the movie speaking extremely poor Spanish, she did a wonderful job in the Spanish version of "You are my home" it was great!.
(I wasn't but that's me.)  The film's spirit - with its dancing and Latin music - makes it something special.
I recommend this film if you want to hear some great Latin music, see some great dancing and be captivated by Chayenne and the beautiful Vanessa Williams.
By the way, Kris Kristofferson is very good as the man who gives Rafael (Chayenne) a place to live upon arriving from Cuba and who plays a key role in Rafael's adjustment to a new life in America..
as someone who enjoys dancing and anything Latin i have to say i loved this film.
I thought the dancing was very interesting and had me watching with anticipation and I enjoyed every minute.
Fun, sexy, great dancing and music is amazing!.
Chayanne (Rafael) is incredibly sexy and Vanessa Williams (Ruby)looks amazing.
Vanessa is one of those women you love to hate - especially in this movie.
Utterly Gorgeous, she dances like a dream and in the duet with Chayanne "You are my home" she even sings great too!
The Chemistry between the two leads is electrifying, especially evident in the Dance championships and in the club scenes.
Features Chayanne and Vanessa Williams, Gloria Estefan, Sergio Mendes, DLG (who have a role in the movie performing at the club Rafael and Ruby go to), Ruban Blades and more!
Would have been nice to embelish the father-son relationship of Rafael and John (Kris Kristofferson), but this may well have detracted from the dance scenes.
The great choreography, and great music, couldn't stop smiling.Some low points of the film was with father son chats, which just seem like they were there to fill in time.The cast was a great choice.
With all of this it included comedy, many funny lines which make it memorable, and a lasting feeling that will make you want to take up salsa dancing :)If you enjoy this movie, rent out dirty dancing havana nights, forbidden dance lambada, salsa motion picture (oldie but a goodie).
The dancing was suburb!Chayanne, the new Latin sensation, was absolutely wonderful.
The dancing and music was well worth just seeing the movie!.
This film fits right in with that tradition, though of course it's using more modern dances, but I think Astaire would look at the chemistry between Chayanne and Williams when they're dancing, and approve.
You can tell director Randa Haines is a fan of the dancing the way she lovingly photographs it, and gives all the dancers a chance to shine, especially during the long dance scene at the club.
And actually, I liked how they handled certain aspects, like the dance competition and how Chayanne and Williams resolve their feelings for one another without even dancing together.
This movie instantly became a favorite of mine, it's full of warmth and charm, the characters are real and enchanting, and Chayanne (Rafael) is absolutely captivating!
Vanessa Williams (Ruby) is every bit his equal though, not only is she breathtakingly beautiful, but her dancing is some of the best I've ever seen in any movie.
(I still can't figure out how she dances so well in those shoes!) As for the supporting cast, Joan Plowright (Bea) can even steal a scene from Chayanne!
Dance With Me is excellent because both Chayanne and Venessa Williams are a "triple threat", i.e. they can dance, act and sing too, which is rare these days.
Dance movies are almost always weak in either acting or dancing, and the stories are often just filler to pass time and loosely connect the dance scenes.
The production values are also very high - footage of a real professional ballroom dancing competition is seamlessly integrated, and the film is infused with great Latin music from beginning to end.
If you like dance films you owe it to yourself to see DWM..
I recall seeing 'Saturday Night Fever' (talk about your clichéd movie plots!) and leaving the theater with nothing but the dancing of John Travolta on my mind.
Chayanne and Vanessa Williams have credible chemistry on-screen and the plot, although kind of standard, is interesting enough to carry the action.In particular, I always come back to this movie to watch the dancing.
The scene where Chayanne and Vanessa Williams' characters reach a kind of truce because they love to dance and like each other - so they go on a second date - is simply amazing.
The scene is not about them, it's about the crowd and the sheer joy of dancing to Latin music - which in this case is not sultry and sensuous one-to-one dancing but an all-out bacchanalia of multiple partners and a pounding beat.
'Dance with Me' will always be one of my favorite movies and now I've got a crush on Chayanne that just won't quit..
I simply love this movie, I have the DVD and I am watching it again.
Vannessa Williams is a very good actress in this film, I have not seen a lot of her work but she shines, and she is visually stunning, beautiful and I really appreciate the gradual warming of her relationship with Chayanne, he is so handsome and charming.
Joan Plowright is one of the dance team, married in real life to Laurence Olivier and a remarkable actress, so the fact that she chose to be in this movie is a point to note.
Oh, it's just great, I am already feeling the glow from watching it, you will too ...have to get back to the screen to see more of this underrated little movie Malcolm in Toronto Jan 2013.
Though I didn't particularly find Chayanne to be anything special when I caught a glimpse of this movie on tv the first time round (half the movie had finished by then) I changed my mind when I managed to sit down and actually watch the movie from start to finish.
Williams and Chayanne do another movie together because not only did they dance well together, the chemistry between the 2 was perfect.
Fun, Romantic, Great Dancing, a Pleasure to Discover Chayanne!.
Chayanne's sincerity, passion for life, and ability to respond truthfully to his cast mates were evident throughout the film (not so hard on the eyes either!).
As for all the other dancers, they made a celebration of it and all had fun.The music makes you want to dance in your seat.
What a pleasant surprise and joy to see Joan Plowright and Chayanne do their dance scene, terrific touch to the movie.I applaud the entire staff, crew, actors and Director for giving me the pleasure of this movie!
Dance With Me is that fun kind of film you can get the old tape out and revisit every once in a while, and it remains fresh even after multiple viewings.
All of these blend well to make for a feel-good movie.Although the focus of the movie is simply to celebrate the joy of dance itself, three parallel plots are introduced that give the story cohesiveness, as well as somewhere to go.
A young Cuban man (Chayanne) travels to Texas to meet the father he has never known (Kris Kristofferson), who runs a dance studio, and romances one of the teachers who works at the studio (Vanessa Williams), while everyone at the studio prepares for a dance competition in Vegas.These three elements are mixed well, thanks to a fine ensemble cast.
The supporting cast have their share of great moments too, and provide plenty of comic relief.The wide variety of music and dance styles throughout the movie are utilized well.
The dance competition finale is staged brilliantly, showing everything from ballet to sizzling salsa in an exhilarating fashion.Overall, an enjoyable movie, in the spirit of the old MGM musicals, where the only thing that's important is to have some pleasant, escapist fun..
i saw it with my mom at the theater and was lost about the plot then but it didn't matter cuz there was so much going on between chayanne and vanessa williams i was totally caught up in them.
The teaming of Chayanne and Vanessa is like a double dose of Viagra!" ------------- Time MagazineBehind the same buzz that catapulted Jessica Lange from kitsch "Kong" to "Frances" glitters Vanessa William's similarly elevated dust in "DANCE WITH ME".
What this movie has going for it is dancing, music and stars who are beautiful, charming and talented.
If you like the Latin beat and want to watch pros dancing it, this movie is for you.
The chemistry between Vanessa Williams and Chayanne is palpable.
It captures the essence of the movie and Afro-Cuban/Latin beat that will pulse through your veins even when the video and movie end.Do not pay attention to the movie critics if you like romance, dance movies, great choreography, likable characters and memorable music.
I own the DVD, movie soundtrack and am a member of the Chayanne fan cluboh, and Vanessa's too;-).
classic unknown Latin dance movie..
Other than that its a very nice movie,with a likable plot,solid acting and dazzling dancing.This could have easily been a huge hit if only it had some catchy tune.There's plenty of Latin music in it but not any original hit.The male lead is handsome,likable and gives a solid acting performance,his dancing is OK but less impressive.There's good support from star Kristofferson and some decent character actors.
I was astounded by miss William's dancing in this movie.She is incredible.Just the kind of performance one would expect from movies like Chicago but there were none there,there is plenty here,but the other movie wins an Oscar and this one is unknown.Go figure.Don't be fooled by the low rating of this movie.I have no idea who are the people who vote,if you like Latin music and dancing this is a must..
In my opinion.The dancing and music are of course very good.
This movie is about passion and love, and not just for dancing.
Rafael Infante and Vanessa Williams provide good on screen chemistry that is more individually based than a focus on the couple, but it works.
Their "chemistry" makes us take notice of each individual, critiquing their moves and motives, and after having been severely tested over the course of the movie, they both come through with flying colors (perhaps Infante flys a bit higher than Williams) Not the best of the dance movies, but a "sure" good bet..
"Dance With Me" was a thoroughly enjoyable experience simply on the dance level, and to see Vanessa Williams' acting range, but the true star of the film was Chayanne.A beautiful, triple-threat Latin talent (actor, dancer and singer), Chayanne grabs women in the audience with his first walk on the screen and continues his hold throughout the performance.
You simply can't take your eyes off this thoroughly romantic woman's man.I predict once the American public gets a good look at Chayanne that he is going to be the next long-lasting, major star.
Good dancing + lame story = VERY mediocre film..
No no that may be a little harsh - the dancing in the film was sensational but unfortunately that is where the plot ended.
As long as the cast was dancing and not talking the movie went along well.
The Story was poorly written, the acting was poorly directed, the actors were poorly chosen and the entire film made me feel like I should hate the person who forced me to sit through this overdone waste of time.
The plot isn't academy award winnng but its a great feel good film and the dancing is superb.
Rafeal (Chayanne) is not only a wonderful dancer but he is so lovable and endearing that I always come away with a big smile and a happy heart every time I watch the movie..
I liked this movies a lot because the characters as well as the actors seem to click making the romance believable.
I love Vanessa and that is the reason I saw the movie but I came out a fan of Chayanne and even got his cd.
I love ballroom dancing(watching it anyway) and the competition was very real.
Vanessa Williams is a great dancer, and does justice to what the film director was trying to say with the dance segments, but she's obviously not the International Ballroom Champion her character is supposed to be..
Besides the ridiculous dancing and Williams sad attempt at overacting, the movie was a complete bore!
The dancing was pathetic, the only good dancing in the movie was by all of the dancers except the two leads.
Halfway through "Dance with Me," leading man Chayanne escorts Vanessa Williams to a Latino club, where they rip through one of the most exciting dance routines in recent movie history.
(Is there some new rule in Hollywood that a film must be two hours long, regardless of whether the story requires it?)And even if his storyline was interesting, the 63-year-old Kristofferson would still be remarkably miscast as a not-yet retired dancer.
Most professionals hang up their competition shoes at the age of 40, tops, yet we're expected to believe that this man is still trying to lift students the age of nubile Jane Krakowski?Chayanne and Williams do manage to generate a bit of romantic heat, but they have so little on-screen time together, the audience is left wondering how they fell in love.Nor is the comedy anything worth repeating; the funniest bit is when Vanessa Williams' zipper nearly comes down at a dance party, and Chayanne's timely rescue prompts a despairing "why?!" from an elderly student who was hoping to sneak a peek.
The afore-mentioned Krakowski engages in one of the *worst* dance routines in recent movie history, a pseudo-ballet sequence in which she does nothing besides look longingly into the distance and be lifted over and around Chayanne's head under soft pink lighting.
We must discover the so-little interaction between Vanessa Williams and Chayanne, and instead, Kris Kristofferson makes better use of this all-important element.
The scene set-ups are too studied to be able to impart a true Cuban feel.I like to dance, and I do it well.
but I gave it 10 starts for being the kind of the movie that can actually make you feel positive and peaceful; and for having that incredibly relaxed and at the same time playful mood ...
It's the kind of film that made me want to get up and dance.
Vanessa Williams and Chayanne were perfectly cast in their roles.
Vanessa Williams and Chayanne have so much chemistry, the audience was just about panting during the scene in the bathroom.
If you don't like latin music or dancing, then stay away.
Chayanne is beautiful enough, Vanessa is beautiful enough, I liked the storyline.
There are those of us out there who would line up to see a good movie musical..
Watch this film for the dancing only!
For once, the actors DO dance well, as proven by Miss Williams, but there are actual professional competitive Latin dancers dancing who are given credit for their work and credited with their actual names as well..
I liked this movie mainly because of the dance scenes.
There is happiness in the whole movie, through dances and music.
For example there is supposed to be romantic feelings between the two lead characters (williams,chayanne) but it wasn't satisfactory the way they filmed it.
But the dancing, music was fun and the characters were interesting if only they had developed the relationships more.So I say not more than 5 out of 10.
This film made me want to re-watch some Astaire, Kelly, Caron movies again.
I liked this movie not only for the actors but for the music and the dancing.
Then for a while we didn't see Chayanne at all; they concentrated on making Vanessa look good.
It was a good movie but I felt and most of the friends that saw it with me thought the same thing, that they disgraced Chayanne.
Why were Vanessa and Chayanne in love with each other?
If you like Latin dancing this is your movie.
I watched this movie 4 times and I love it because it is like "Dirty Dancing" but in modern society.
Although it is romantic but it is not that unrealistic ( I am dancer myself) and I just love perfomances of Vanessa Williams and Chayanne.
If you like dancing and Latin rhythm watch it!.
Williams can dance (as well as everyone else in this film).
However, if you enjoy watching GOOD ballroom dancing, this is a great film--it's well-balanced..
Dance With Me (1998): Dir: Randa Haines / Cast: Vanessa Williams, Chayanne, Kris Kristofferson, Joan Plowright, Jane Krakowski: Misfire film about engagement of personalities.
Quoting from a reviewer here that said this was " one of the greatest Latin dance movies", I honestly didn't think it was that good actually.
OK Vanessa Williams was involved in this, although it doesn't matter if there were too many famous stars in a movie, as long as it's good.
First of all, its not just a dance film.
Vanessa Williams (Ruby) is a goddess on the dance floor and off and Chayanne plays Rafael- a good dancer but not quite up to her caliber.
If you love professional dance, beautiful people of all ages, and a great love story, see this movie..
Did I just sit through a dance movie?
For the first time a dance movie left me with a "Hey, you did it!