Shake the Dust

Produced by rapper Nas, this lovingly shot documentary may not have a strong story arc, but it's a compelling and poignant look at the power of breaking. Shake the Dust isn't a Step Up-style story of how underdog B-boys compete for money or props at an international B-boying competition; it's an emotional series of interviews and dance sequences that explore why these Ugandan, Yemeni, Colombian, and Cambodian teens and twentysomethings have shed their previous lives of petty crime, substance abuse, and listlessness with energy, motivation, and hope.

All of the B-boys and B-girls are fascinating and surprisingly eloquent, but audiences will definitely have favorites. The Colombian crew is especially interesting, because one B-boy has a young daughter he teaches to break so well that she joins their crew and steals the show every time. The Ugandan B-boys describe how breaking has given their lives a purpose, and how they're "brothers" of the heart. The Yemeni B-boys dance in an oppressive society but find that audiences are more tolerant than they expected. And the Cambodians, led by a U.S.-raised former gang member, are street kids who've found a home in their studio. Even without a standard plot driving the story, these four narratives -- not to mention the amazing dance sequences accompanied by Nas' songs -- are both entertaining and inspiring to watch.