Sue Bourne's documentary about Irish stepdancing in general and the 2010 Irish Dance World Championships in particular treads a formulaic path, following various competitors as they train for Glasgow and then strut their stuff before the judges. There are some unlikely faces: Joe, whose father abandoned his California medical practice and moved the family to Birmingham, England, so Joe could study with former world champ John Carey; Sandun, a Sri Lankan adopted by a couple in Rotterdam; a team of stepdancers from, yes, Moscow. Cutest of all are friendly 11-year-old rivals Brogan from Derry, Northern Ireland, and Julia from New York. There's no voiceover, just kids and parents and coaches talking about their passion. What's missing: a brief history of stepdancing, a sense of what makes one dancer better than another, and competition footage that's not cut with endless audience reaction shots. A closing update on the results of the 2011 championships (held in April) would have been welcome as well.
94 MINUTES | STUART STREET PLAYHOUSE
