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故事簡介

不管你從那裡來，你現在在做什麼，才是最重要的。

繼《舞出真我》橫掃全球票房後，今次全新班底帶來同樣鼓動心靈的《舞出真我2》，為觀眾帶來耳目一新的街頭舞蹈。來自草根階層的新生安蒂Andie（Briana Evigan飾）努力融入馬里蘭藝術學院之同時，並未忘記自己在地下街舞團的夢想。校內萬人迷卓斯（羅拔荷夫曼飾）打算自組舞團，參加市內最盛大的「The Streets」街舞比賽，並邀得安蒂加入。無奈二人不咬弦，擦出不少「火花」。隨?舞池和生活的壓力越來越大，安蒂認清自己真正想要的東西，她的熱誠更帶動了各人，一起尋找自由、榮耀和理想。

全新故事：回到街頭

《舞出真我》於2006年上映，男主角是曾犯事的男生，機緣巧合成了藝術學院女生的舞伴。二人最初針鋒相對，後來漸生默契，更把街頭舞和正規舞蹈合而為一，男生因此找到夢想和愛情。電影集舞蹈、浪漫及勵志元素於一身，好評如潮；在美國開畫首周已收逾二億票房，成為美國史上五大賣座跳舞電影之一。

《舞出真我２》延續上集主題，以炫目舞步和精彩節奏打動人心。如果上集是由街上跳到台上，《舞出真我2》便是由舞台跳回街上。今次舞台一轉，由馬里蘭藝術學院轉到巴爾的摩(Baltimore)的街頭；在黑白難辨的現實世界裏，年輕舞者在愛情和生活之間掙扎，奮力追逐夢想。承接跳舞電影如《戀愛大爆髮》的熱潮，《舞出真我2》為觀眾帶來嶄新又懾人的情節。

導演為新晉導演朱浩偉。2004年畢業於南加大電影藝術學院(USC School of Cinematic Arts)的他，以一系列情節獨特及融合舞蹈的短片（《Silent Beats》、《While the Kids Were Away》、《Gwai Lo ["The Little Foreigner"]》）勇奪多個獎項。出品人Jennifer Gibgot表示，朱浩偉「充滿創意、獨特的念頭，他急不及待想向世界展示他的創意及對舞蹈的熱愛」。本身習舞的他，十分熟悉街頭舞蹈文化，深明跳舞對低下階層的重要性和影響力。「他懂得舞者追求什麼，及什麼能令一齣跳舞電影吸引觀眾，」監製David Nicksay說。

導演決定把舞台由校園搬到被視為污煙障氣的街頭，那裏將舉行一場非法的跳舞比賽 -

「The Streets」。選擇新的地點，不但帶來更緊張刺激的氣氛，亦令電影更有積極性和人情味。他說：「為了延續上集的樂觀精神，今次我們選擇風格硬朗的街頭，配合更多元化的舞步，如踢躂舞、跳繩舞(double dutch)、salsa，以至傳統的機械舞(popping)、鎖舞(locking)和霹靂舞(breaking)。正因為包羅萬有，所以我們有更多空間設計全新的人物角色。」

在編劇Toni Ann Johnson及Karen Barna筆下，馬里蘭藝術學院步入青黃不接的過渡期，漸漸變得形象模糊，那份有巴爾的摩特色的美亦慢慢褪色。女主角安蒂Andie West是個反叛不羈的hip-hop舞者；尚未克服喪母之痛，便要到馬里蘭藝術學院，適應新的生活模式。男主角卓斯則是校內風頭躉，雖然看似一帆風順，但其實搞不清自己想要什麼，同時又憂慮學院的發展去向。二人風馬牛不相及，但憑?對街頭舞同樣熱愛，他們走在一起，與一班志同道合的舞者，參加黑市跳舞比賽「The Streets」。Jennifer Gibgot說：「可以說，今集是上集的相反，以被社會遺棄的街舞者為主角；沒有人相信他們，更遑論關心。來自這背景的安蒂，以熱誠改變了四周的人。可以說，《舞出真我2》是一個關於愛、希望和自信的故事。」

導演補充說，《舞出真我2》娛樂性十分豐富，但背景蘊藏?一個訊息，就是叫人珍惜機會，好好把握自己的天分，盡情發揮個人優點，為理想而努力：「不管什麼年紀或來自什麼地方，我們都總會嘗到寂寞、被拒絕或被排擠的滋味。這些時候，最好有人走過來，提醒你明天會更好，前路由你創。」

人生百味紛陳，角色也有?深邃的情感變化。為配合人物，導演特別安排了種類多變的舞蹈場面。「許多情感難以言喻，角色們選擇以另一個方式去宣洩感情。他們身體的每一個動作都在說話，這也是他們和別人溝通的方法 - 同時，這也是這部電影的主題。」出品人Erik Feig說：「這種澎湃的情感，秉承自《舞出真我》；我們希望觀眾有90分鐘的視覺享受，踏出戲院時心情輕快 - 這是今時今日越來越難的事。朱浩偉的表現叫人十分驚喜，戲內叫人屏息的舞蹈、個性鮮明的角色和出色的配樂，均超出我們想像。」

角色簡介

卓斯 CHASE (羅拔荷夫曼 Robert Hoffman 飾)

卓斯是馬里蘭藝術學院的明星學生，擁有天分的他並不故步自封，反而希望用實力創出一番成就。在追求自我的路上，他必須推翻自己那思想守舊的哥哥Blake，才能破舊立新，把自由和創意帶回校園。

卓斯是這部電影的靈魂人物，所以選角絕不能掉以輕心。羅拔荷夫曼自幼稚園起習舞，不但擅長多種舞步如踢躂舞、芭蕾舞、爵士舞以至hip-hop，與卓斯一樣贏盡各種獎項。因此，他一試鏡便已被選中。朱浩偉說：「羅拔的表現自然踏實，他有那種大男生的氣質，但又有深厚跳舞底子，不用說也知道他能勝任這角色。」

羅拔荷夫曼則說，自己跟卓斯有很多相似的地方，不難投入角色：「卓斯似是擁有一切，但跟我一樣，他生命中尚欠一個人去肯定他的風格，令他有信心去跳自己的舞。然後安蒂的出現，她發自內心的舞姿，正好演繹出何謂忠於自己，啟發了他去尋回跳舞的樂趣和熱誠。我本身也一直希望遇上能啟發我的人，讓我也可以啟發其他人。這齣電影正好給我夢境成真的感覺。」導演則指羅拔荷夫曼和電影真的起了化學作用，他能見證到這位男主角隨?劇情更了解自己，跳出屬於自己的舞步。「羅拔化身的卓斯，讓Blake清楚看到hip-hop也是一種藝術，這同時感染了觀眾，羅拔的演繹可謂十分稱職。」

安蒂 (拜恩娜艾維嘉 Brianna Evigan 飾)

另一位主角安蒂，來自上集男主角泰萊的同一地方 - 巴爾的摩街頭，也同樣想在馬里蘭藝術學院擺脫過去。為了配合卓斯，選角人員必須找一名有舞蹈根底的女演員。最後，他們找到一張全新的面孔，這就是Brianna)。自七歲起已習舞的Brianna，其hip-hop舞師承自編舞家Shane Sparks，並將於不同MV及獨立電影中再與觀眾見面。

第一次圍讀劇本，拜恩娜立即與羅拔荷夫曼擦出火花，令室內氣溫驟升，出品人們立即知道她便是要找的人選，朱浩偉說：「一聽便知道他們一拍即合」，David Nicksay則說：「拜恩娜令安蒂這角色更有層次，她的感情自然流露，十分真摯。同時，她亦風趣幽默，舞藝高強。」

跟男主角一樣，拜恩娜也認為自己跟角色十分相似：「安蒂的生命似乎不那麼順利，但在她心裏有?清晰目標，無論如何怎都不肯放棄理想。自母親死後，沒有父親的她有點不信任男人；但她很快便明白到必須放下一些舊記憶，才能迎接新的未來。最後，她衝破心理障礙放膽去愛，藉此領悟到，愛必須包括信任和尊重。」

跳舞方面，拜恩娜選擇以新的方式去演繹街舞者的激烈和爆炸性的力量。「我要戒掉自己舞蹈中一貫的性感元素，跳出街頭舞的氣勢。對我來說這絕對是個挑戰，但更是個很好的學習機會。我們舞團的人各有特色，大家都是主角，這種多元化，我從未在跳舞片中見過。」

受安蒂不屈不撓的性格啟發，年輕勤奮的拜恩娜的思想到了一個前所未見的層次：「人總有受挫的時候，難免感到身心俱疲、孤立無援。但安蒂讓我知道，遇到這種情況，必須堅強地撐下去，別讓小小苦楚阻礙著尋夢的路程。」

蘇菲 SOPHIE　（CASSIE VENTURA飾）

安蒂在馬里蘭藝術學院，有一位同樣有天分和自信的對手：演、唱、跳皆精的蘇菲 -

她恰巧亦是卓斯的前女友。飾演這位醋罈子的，同樣是影壇新丁兼R&B歌手Cassie Ventura，今次她更包辦創作了電影中其中一首樂曲。

雖然跟角色一樣是天生的歌手，但Cassie實際上並無跳舞經驗。但憑?天分和密集式綵排，Cassie還是應付了過去：「我的確是唯一一位從未跳過舞的演員，但我也知道，只要認真盡力，觀眾會看得出我的努力。」但令導演驚訝的，不單是她這份勇氣，還有她的精彩演出。「Cassie一走進房內，便有一股懾人的皇者氣勢。她真人實在太可愛了，但是她倒蠻喜歡演反派的。她也很清楚自己的角色蘇菲雖然看似壞，但其實十分迷失，而最後她也改邪歸正。」

Cassie特別用心演繹蘇菲的內心世界：「最初她以強悍的姿態出現，理智得如一部機器，不容許自己表現任何情感。但與安蒂相處多了，她漸漸學會表露感受，也學會信任別人。」

「410」舞團

雖然已躋身著名學院，但安蒂的最終夢想，是加入地下街舞團「410」。「410」是巴爾的摩最頂尖的舞團，每一位成員都極具跳舞天分和技巧，對hip-hop充滿熱誠，也是地下跳舞大賽「The Streets」每個參賽者最想擊倒的對手。

今次為「410」及與之對戰的馬里蘭藝術學院舞團成員選角，令眾人大開眼界。試鏡最先於巴爾的摩及紐約舉行，約500位應徵舞者各展所長。而篩選的關鍵在於舞蹈技巧，及能否拿捏人物特色。

「410」的隊長是永不妥協的Tuck，對他來說其他成員不止是拍檔，更如一家人那樣親。喜歡安蒂的他，對她的離隊感到不滿又妒忌。飾演Tuck的Black Thomas來自邁阿密，是佛羅里達州A&M大學hip-hop舞團「FAMU Connection」的成員，其後參演過《舞動校園》(Stomp The Yard)、《夢幻女郎>(Dreamgirls）及《迫上斷背山》(I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry)等電影。

Tuck對跳舞的投入，引起Thomas的共鳴：「我最喜歡這齣戲的，是它常談到，我們應怎樣看自己，又應怎樣表達自己。『410』最重視的是態度、團結、毅力、力量。那可不是小孩子跳著玩的，那是表現自己的渠道。」朱浩偉則很滿意他的表現：「Thomas把Tuck的力量完全表現出來。我們就是想觀眾感受到這角色的厲害，Thomas十分稱職。話說回來，他的舞技真令人讚嘆不已。」

「410」女隊長是Felicia。扮演這重要角色的，是新晉舞蹈員Telisha Shaw。Telisha憑獎學金畢業於著名的紐約哈林舞蹈劇院後，迅即為Christina Aguilera、Janet Jackson、Green Day、Kanye West及Beyonce等巨星伴舞。

導演非常滿意Telisha的落力演出：「Felisha是一個很難演的角色，她本來是安蒂的好友，後來反目成仇，最後又和好如初。有一幕Felisha要對安蒂說『這不是妳想要的。這只是妳擁有的罷了』。而Telisha試讀劇本那天，是我有史以來遇過最精彩的一次試鏡。她讀對白的方式，是我從沒想過的，而她的演繹，令我幾乎想喊出來。Telisha完全演繹了Felisha既想相信安蒂、但又因環境轉變的無奈。她這刻才明白，自己的生命，要由自己去掌握。」

此外，「410」的成員，現實中均是真正的hip-hop舞者，他們把自己獨特舞姿、風格和幽默感統統貢獻到電影內。

馬里蘭藝術學院舞團

跟原始粗獷的街頭舞者不同，馬里蘭藝術學院裏全是接受傳統訓練、認真嚴謹的學生。但他們當中，也有不少渴望跳出個人風格、勇於打破舊式框框的靈魂。這一群反叛的「異類」，便組成了由卓斯帶領的馬里蘭藝術學院舞團；他們更秘謀踏足龍蛇混離的巴爾的摩街頭，爭奪「The Streets」王者之位。

馬里蘭藝術學院舞團與「410」一樣，成員各具特色、愛舞如命。他們包括：由Luis Rosado扮演的「Monster」，既是校裏劇團的體操特技表演者，也是街頭霹靂舞者；Mari Koda飾演日本留學生「Jenny Kido」；LaJon Dantzler飾演舞姿別樹一格、被校方加強「教導」的「Smiles」。長髮踢躂舞者「Hair」由Christopher Scott飾演，校方則希望他能更勤力，好在將來於百老匯大放異彩。「Fly」（Janelle Cambridge）個性十分害羞，但一聽到音樂便會精神百倍、儼如變了另一個人。「Cable」是道具大王，由Harry Shum Jr扮演。

安蒂老友之一的樂天派「Moose」，本為燈光師，但因為熱愛舞蹈而加入舞團，結果表現最突出。此角色由今次陣容中最年輕的Adam G. Sevani飾演，15歲的Adam向導演自薦寄上錄像帶，結果立即被選中；朱浩偉說：「誰看到Adam的演出，都會知道他定必成為明日之星，非選他不可。」

卓斯的哥哥Blake，是校內的指揮；經正統訓練的他，希望整頓學生紀律，藉此籌集更多經費，挽回學校名聲。此角色由百老匯著名演員Will Kemp扮演，導演指Will一直是他心目中不二之選，他相信Will能成功地捕捉Blake的神髓。對於自己的角色，Will指Blake一心想成為統領管理層的主管，但內心又極想做一個表演者，尤其在安蒂面試後，這渴望更是難以按捺：「Blake希望教好這位極具潛質的街頭野孩子，栽培她為巨星，好為學校引來更多注資、興建新的校舍。這決定與他聲譽尤關，因此他努力地想『馴服』安蒂。但當一切事與願違時，他反而開始反思自己到底做得對不對。」

而Blake心中最大一根刺，大概是跟他同樣有天分但愛挑戰傳統的弟弟卓斯，「卓斯是跳舞的材料，但在Blake眼中，卓斯跳那些低下層才跳的街頭hip-hop，只是在白白糟蹋自己。Blake並不尊重hip-hop。」跟角色相反，威爾十分尊重今次演出的每位hip-hop舞者，「他們真的很厲害，日夜苦練這種舞蹈，跳得出神入化！我肯定每一位入場的觀眾都會目不暇給。」

舞蹈設計

雖然《舞出真我2》是續集，但導演決意為電影打造嶄新的風格及面貌，把街頭舞蹈最真實、跳脫的一面，盡情獻給觀眾。為配合強勁炫目的舞步和動作，他找來了hip-hop界最知名的三位編舞家加入。

編舞監製Jamal Sims，不但於《舞出真我》中負責為男主角查尼塔圖編舞，其後亦參與了2007年大熱歌舞電影《戀愛大爆髮》。另一位排舞師，是hip-hop界首屈一指的女舞者「Hi Hat」Nadine Ruffin。Hi Hat以創意及充分發揮女性舞姿見稱，精湛的舞藝為她帶來不少與巨星如Missy Elliot的合作機會。今次她為「410」舞團編舞，以音樂結合霹靂舞的「機械」（pops）及「鎖」（locks）的動作，再加入彈床動作，把舞步提升到更「高」層次。

第三位排舞師是Dave Scott，他來自洛杉磯南部、惡名昭彰的黑人城市康普頓（Compton），憑?精彩的街頭舞技巧，得到不少參與舞台劇、電影及電視節目的製作機會，當中包括《舞動校園》。今次他負責為馬里蘭藝術學院舞團編舞，把他們由不敢肯定自己的小伙子，變成極具個人風格的hip-hop巨星。

對於今次能與另外兩位舞界精英攜手合作，Sims興奮之餘，亦感激Hi Hat和Scott的努力，令連場舞技演出精彩絕倫：「他倆落力為大家排舞，舞步不但豐富多變，也徹底地發揮了舞者精神．帶領各人跳出強勁有趣的節奏，令情節活現眼前。」Hi Hat則盛讚導演：「他很清楚自己要什麼，在腦內早排好所有舞步，這以一個導演來說是十分罕見的。」Scott則笑指今次與Hi Hat之間總有那麼一點點比拼的味道 - 導演不准他們互相交流，大家所編的舞步幾乎要到拍攝那一刻才揭盅，儼如重演「410」和馬里蘭藝術學院舞團的比賽。「真實中的舞蹈世界本就競爭激烈，我們每天也在對戰。」Scott說：「舞者每一刻都想贏別人，但如果對方真材實料，我們絕不吝嗇讚美。Hi Hat是一位不可思議的排舞師，她編的舞步很激昂人心。我想，我們今次把對方的潛能都激發出來了。」

音樂

有舞蹈，又怎會沒有音樂？繼《舞出真我》備受讚賞的原創樂曲後，今次音樂總監Buck Damon與一眾炙手可熱的hip-hop、rap和R&B樂手，共同炮製出叫人一聽難忘的旋律。他說：「上一集是hip-hop遇上芭蕾，今次則是由傳統走到街頭。因此，我們減少管弦樂部分，並起用不少高躆排行榜的熱門單曲。」負責主打歌的是作曲、唱、rap、監製樣樣皆能，擁有六張獲白金銷量唱片的Missy Elliott。「其中一首我最喜歡的歌，是Missy Elliott的『Ching-a-Ling』。」

他亦請來美國饒舌歌手Flo Rida及獲格林美獎提名的騷靈歌手T-Pain合唱的《Low》，這首歌不但啟發了Jamal Sims的排舞靈感，更連續八星期長踞美國單曲榜榜首。此外，他再邀得黑人rapper Yung Joc主唱《Girl You Know》，這首歌亦順利登上不少排行榜。

其他有份參與的演唱者，包括西班牙歌手Enrique Iglesias、R&B唱作人Trey Songz、流行騷靈女子組合Cherish、美國地下hip-hop歌手Plies、獲格林美獎提名的Akon、年僅20歲的孖生R&B組合Brit & Alex，以及同時飾演蘇菲一角的R&B歌手Cassie。不得不提的是愛爾蘭唱作少女Laura Isibor及聲線如天籟的Kevin Michael。Damon說：「什麼類型的音樂我都喜歡，所以儘管此戲以hip-hop為主，我亦起用了很多其他類別、富電影感的旋律。」

Damon的一大挑戰是要剔走排舞時的歌，在後期製作階段換上導演要求的新歌。「這些事無法由電腦代勞，是一項艱巨的工作。儘管看似不可能，但只要掌握到節拍，便不難為那些舞步配上新曲子。」

演員履歷

羅拔荷夫曼 Robert Hoffman（飾卓斯Chase Collins）

羅拔荷夫曼生於佛羅里達州，自幼習舞，中學時修讀藝術，其後加入由著名芭蕾舞員Wes Chapman帶領的芭蕾舞團「Ballet South」，其後亦受ALABAMA BALLET舞團、QUAMESSIA PRUITT、CINDY LARSEN的訓練。現代舞蹈方面，則受DAVE SCOTT、BMW HIP HOP CREW舞團、KIM WOLFE的訓練。此外，他亦有受喜劇、演戲及場景訓練。

電影方面，他較為人熟悉的作品是浪漫喜劇《球愛可人兒》(She's The Man)；其他作品有、《愛情標錯心》(GIGLI)、《Hip Hop舞林》(You Got Served)、《SHROOMS》、及08年新戲《Kids in America》等。

此外，羅拔亦是炙手可熱的排舞師及舞蹈員。除了憑《Hip Hop舞林》勇奪「American Choreographer Award」，他亦有份為《黑面外父》(Guess Who)、《熱血教練》(Coach Carter)、《魔盜王：決戰鬼盜船》(Pirates of the Caribbean)、《魂離情外天》(Vanilla Sky)、《辣身舞：情定夏灣拿》(Dirty Dancing II : Havana Nights)等排舞。在樂壇巨星如Christina Aguilera、Usher、Mya、Marilyn Manson、Ricky Martin、Beyonce等背後，亦不難見到他的精湛舞姿。

不演出的日子，羅拔更會拍攝短片，其作品裏有大量投射自己、個性獨特的角色，已獲不少fans擁戴。影片可於他的網站www.punchrobert.com看到。

Brianna Evigan（飾安蒂Andie West）

《舞出真我2》是Brianna首齣大銀幕作品。第一次便擔正主角的她，過去亦曾客串過兩套獨立電影，並於搖滾班霸樂隊Linkin Park的《Numb》MV中演出。

Brianna的舞蹈底子非常深厚，她自七歲起跟隨著名hip-hop排舞師Shane Sparks習舞，數年後繼續由其他排舞師教授不同風格的舞步。對Shane Sparks的啟蒙，Brianna表示十分感激，因為他為她打了基礎，為她鋪好通往未來成功之路。

Brianna來自一個演藝世家，可謂一門多傑。其父正是著名演員／歌手／作曲人／音樂家Greg Evigan，他曾主演兩齣大受歡迎的電視劇《BJ and the Bear》及《My Two Dads》，還有不少電視及電影的演出。其母為演員Pam Serpe。Brianna的姊姊Vanessa同樣是名演員，而哥哥Jordan則是樂隊「After Midnight Project」的主音。

Brianna現居於加州洛杉磯。跳舞以外，她亦是搖滾樂隊「Moorish Idol」的keyboard手及主音。

CASSIE VENTURA（飾蘇菲Sophie）

19歲R&B歌手Cassie Ventura生於美國康乃迪克州(Connecticut)，父親是小號手，母親是鋼琴家。在音樂薰陶下，Cassie自小學習唱歌跳舞，中一已演、唱、作兼彈琴皆精。

14歲那年，她成為了模特兒，憑?標緻面孔，獲著名的經理人公司Wilhelmina Agency簽約，廣告客戶包括Delia's、Adidas及A&F；翌年她更客串了電影《Hell's Kitchen》。不過她曾表示，模特兒生活對她來說「不夠創意」，她轉而與攝影師和化妝師交朋友，一起討論合作搞藝術創作的可能性。

中學畢業後，她到百老匯舞蹈中心（Broadway Dance Center）繼續習舞，期間被一手捧紅Britney Spears及Beyonce的著名經理人Ryan Leslie看中，並獲得NextSelection唱片公司的合約。二人並於2005年合寫了Cassie首支單曲《Me & U》。此單曲令Cassie變成真人版灰姑娘，歌曲如旋風般橫掃電台、酒吧及iTunes，二人的MySpace網站點擊人數更超越300萬人。《Me & U》最高登上美國Billboard Hot 100榜第三名，Billboard Pop 100榜第四名及Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs榜的冠軍。Cassie隨之於2006年三月簽約著名rapper兼製作人「P Diddy」的唱片公司「Bad Boy」，並推出首張大碟《Bad Boy/NextSelection》。

Cassie亦曾參與Kanye West及Mario的MV，《舞出真我2》是她首次擔綱電影。她亦將於今年五月推出全新大碟。她表示今次希望嘗試更多風格，音樂種類將有slow jams、pop、rock 'n' roll甚至rap。主打歌為性感曼妙的《Just One Night》，以及溫柔感性的《Can't Do Without It》。

Will Kemp（飾Blake Collins）

生於英國倫敦的Will Kemp乃新晉演員，但他對藝術界毫不陌生 - 他九歲起已習舞，並於倫敦皇家芭蕾舞學院接受正統訓練。17歲那年，Will面試成功，加入Matthew Bourne帶領的頂尖舞蹈團「Adventures in Motion Pictures」（AMP）。而他更於1997至2000連續三年擔任Bourne「天鵝湖」的首席男舞蹈員「The Swan」一角，於倫敦、洛杉磯及百老匯巡迴演出；並被當年Paramount電影公司的主席Sherry Lansing稱讚為「芭蕾界的占士甸」。

Will的首齣電影為曉治積曼(Hugh Jackman)主演的《狙魔人》(Van Helsing)，其後有《死亡特訓》(Mindhunters)及剛於2007年上映的《Miguel and William》。他憑?2007年倫敦極成功的舞台劇《Equus》，獲得今次《舞出真我2》的角色。《Equus》乃重拍Peter Shaffer的經典之作，其他演員包括「哈利波特」丹尼爾韋基夫(Daniel Radcliffe)及李察基菲夫斯(Richard Griffiths)。

ADAM SEVANI（飾Moose）

雖然年僅15歲，但Adam Sevani已被視為荷里活的明日之星。他不但擅長演戲、唱歌、跳舞，更是田徑運動、打鼓、短片攝製、視覺藝術創作以至編舞的能手！自四歲起習芭蕾、爵士舞、踢躂舞、hip-hop以至武術的他，今次亦有為自己編排富有個人特色的舞步。

如此多才多藝，全因父母精心培育。Adam的父親是位國際知名的編舞家，母親則是音樂家，二人更合辦了美國Universal City著名的「Synthesis Dance Center」。Adam在舞蹈中心認識不少舞蹈員，也因此認識了電影公司的選角人員；憑?一盒向導演朱浩偉自薦的錄影帶，他奪得今次「Moose」一角。2006年，他參與了祖迪艾普杜(Judd Apatow)（《弊傢伙…搞大?》導演）的電影《弊傢伙…玩大?》(SUPERBAD)，今次在《舞出真我2》，他將有跟上次截然不同的表現。

雖然只算是影壇初哥，但Adam早已在不少MV中亮相，如韋史密夫(Will Smith)的《Switch》、黑人R&B歌手Mase的《Breathe, Stretch, Shake》、T-Pain為《舞出真我2》製作的新單曲等。除了於頒獎禮中伴舞之外，他亦為歌星如Jennifer Lopez的演唱會等作國際巡迴表演。

導演履歷

John Chu朱浩偉

華裔導演朱浩偉，2004年才剛於美國南加州大學的電影藝術學院畢業，《舞出真我2》乃他首部正規電影。

朱浩偉來自一個有五名孩子的藝術家庭。他自小已展露對音樂和舞蹈的興趣，幼稚園時已學踢躂舞，16歲那年已精通鋼琴、高音色士風等多種樂器。熱愛迪士尼動畫的他，開始拍攝超八影片，並與兄弟姊妹一起製作短片。於就讀中學時他已為親友和學校包辦婚禮、猶太人成人禮、學校週年紀念及年冊等的攝製工作，也由那時開始，燃起了成為導演的夢想。

升上美國南加州大學的電影藝術學院後，朱浩偉於大二時拍攝了短片《Silent Beats》，以踢躂舞曲子配合故事，結果大受好評；不但橫掃多項獎項如「積尼高遜導演獎」(Jack Nicholson Directing Award)和嘉莉斯公主基金會(Princess Grace Foundation)的「加利格蘭獎Cary Grant Award」，更在激烈的競爭之下獲得學校的獎學金、繼續升學。

此外，他又執導了一齣20分鐘的短片《When the Kids Are Away》，從激昂的音樂角度探索母親的心態。戲內他運用了salsa、搖擺舞（swing）及hip-hop，音樂方面陣容更鼎盛，邀請了50人的管弦樂團及20人的學校合唱團演出。電影一鳴驚人，於荷里活獲得廣大迴響，也吸引了《舞出真我２》製作人的注目。就是這樣，朱浩偉夢想成真，參與了這齣結合愛、舞、音樂的電影。

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上映日期 : April 3, 2008
級別 : TBC
片長 : TBC
官方網址 : www.myspace.com/stepup2 (美國), www.goldenscene.com (香港)
戲院 : TBC
發行 : Golden Scene Co Ltd.

Summit Entertainment
Presents

PRODUCTION NOTES

ABOUT THE PRDODUCTION

It's not where you're from. It's where you're at.

The follow-up to the smash box-office hit STEP UP takes the story of urban street-dancing to the next stage with an electrifying new story of bodies, hearts and dreams in motion. Rebellious newcomer Andie (BRIANA EVIGAN) is an outcast trying to fit in at the elite Maryland School of the Arts while still holding on to her old dream of dancing with an underground Baltimore street crew. The school's hottest talent Chase (ROBERT HOFFMAN) is a rising star who's looking to break out of his mold - by forming a crew to compete in Baltimore's biggest, most raw street dancing battle, "The Streets." Now, as Chase joins forces with Andie, the two simultaneously clash and sizzle, sending Andie's two worlds into collision. With the pressure heating up on the dance floor and in her life, she must learn to build a bridge between love and loyalty, between freedom and opportunity, between who she is and who she believes she can be.

Driven by hypnotic dance, music and break-out performances like its predecessor; STEP UP 2 THE STREETS features the directorial debut of up-and-comer Jon M. Chu. With an exciting cast of youthful newcomers, many of whose personal stories of rough-hewn talent and hard-won achievement mirror their characters in the film, the film also reunites much of the production team behind the original film, including STEP UP's cutting-edge hip-hop choreographer Jamal Sims, who is joined this time by leading choreographers Nadine "Hi Hat" Ruffin (dubbed "hip-hop's high diva of dance") and Dave Scott ("Stomp the Yard"). Patrick Wachsberger & Erik Feig of Summit Entertainment produce with Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot of Offspring Entertainment. The executive producers are Bob Hayward, David Nicksay, Anne Fletcher, and Meredith Milton. The screenplay is written by Toni Ann Johnson and Karen Barna, based on characters created by Duane Adler.

The film stars a multi-talented cast who performed all their own dancing including Briana Evigan, Robert Hoffman ("She's The Man," "You Got Served"), and Will Kemp ("Van Helsing"). Also starring is singer/model/actress Cassie Ventura, Sonja Sohn, Adam G. Sevani, Telisha Shaw, Danielle Polanco and Black Thomas, along with a supporting cast of gifted street dancers discovered in extensive auditions, with many making their feature film debuts.

Accompanied by a soundtrack to be released on Atlantic Records, STEP UP 2 THE STREETS features wall-to-wall rap, hip-hop and R&B, including the smash hit "Low" by Flo Rida featuring T-Pain, plus new singles and videos from T-Pain, Missy Elliott, Enrique Iglesias, Trey Songz featuring Plies, Plies featuring Akon, Cassie, Cherish featuring Yung Joc and more.

FROM THE STAGE BACK TO THE STREETS:

STEPPING UP TO A FRESH, NEW STORY

In the summer of 2006, theatergoers were ignited by STEP UP, a hip-hop fairy-tale that combined the heated rhythms of street dance and music with the story of a boy and a girl at an elite performing arts academy risking everything for each other and their dreams of dancing. At once rousing and romantic, the film, directed by Anne Fletcher and starring Channing Tatum, was a runaway instant hit at the box office grossing over $20 million in its opening weekend.

The success was so resounding, there was talk right away of a follow-up, but the producers who had set the first film into motion - Patrick Wachsberger and Erik Feig of Summit Entertainment and Offspring Entertainment's Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot - didn't want to just tack a story onto STEP UP's fable-like ending. Instead, they made the decision to take an entirely fresh look at their setting - Baltimore's performing arts mecca for teens, the Maryland School of the Arts (MSA) - and create an even more dynamic experience for audiences who were captivated by STEP UP's combo of compelling drama and cutting-edge dance numbers.

If STEP UP was the story of how a young dancer made it from the streets to the stage, with STEP UP 2 THE STREETS the filmmakers turn the tale around. The new story digs deep into the fairy tale's roots, taking MSA students from the polished halls of their school back into the heart of Baltimore's ultra-creative underground dance scene. In the gray zone between these two seemingly disparate worlds, they'll face the conflicts of love, ambition and loyalty that will help them become the young men and women they want to be in life.

With a new slate of dance films, including Shankman's acclaimed 2007 hit "Hairspray," heating up the screen - and an increasing American fascination with the thrills and expressiveness of dance competitions - there was an imperative to give the new film its own electrifying style and sense of authentic storytelling.

The producers recruited a young but already promising director to helm the project: Jon M. Chu - a 2004 graduate of USC's School of Cinematic Arts and a former dancer himself who had won numerous awards for a series of short films ("Silent Beats," "While the Kids Were Away," and "Gwai Lo" ["The Little Foreigner"]) that drew acclaim and attention with their unique mix of sharp storytelling and innovative choreography.

Chu had just the energy the filmmakers were seeking. Recalls producer Jennifer Gibgot, "When Jon came in he already had so many original, unique ideas. He was ready to show off all his assets - his love of dance, his inventiveness and, most of all, his passion for storytelling."

Adds executive producer David Nicksay, "Jon was trained as a dancer himself, and more than anything else, he understands the culture of the streets. He gets what's going on with the people who feel they have to dance no matter what else is happening in their lives. He understands what makes individual dancers motivated and also, what makes dance movies great."

Right away, Chu put a new spin on STEP UP 2 THE STREETS, pushing it out of the school rehearsal halls and into the down-trodden, often invisible urban neighborhoods where an illicit battle known as "The Streets" is waged between dance crews hoping to dominate this hidden, underground world. His aim was to give the film a whole new feeling - an edgier, more aggressive posture, yet with just as much humanity and hope as the first film.

"I wanted to step things up a notch because the dance in the first movie was so beautiful. This time, we wanted to use a different, grittier style, taking it out to the streets, where we could incorporate a lot more diversity of movement, everything from tap to double dutch, to salsa, to popping, locking and breaking," Chu says. "That also opened the door to a lot of new characters."

Chu was drawn in by the screenplay, written by Toni Ann Johnson and Karen Barna, which sees the MSA school in a time of turmoil and transition, having lost its identity and its once inspiring connection to the city of Baltimore's steely beauty. The screenplay also introduced two new characters with riveting stories: Andie West, a free spirit and rebellious hip-hop dancer who is still reeling from the death of her mother when she is pushed into going to MSA, where she must fight to fit in; and Chase, the school's most popular student, yet one who has his own doubts about the direction of the school's future, as well as his own.

Andie is an outsider. Chase is a star. Yet they find themselves sharing the same passion for the tough, creative street-style dance moves forbidden at their school - a passion that brings them together as competitors and friction-fuelled partners as they vie to take part in the all-out dance battle of "The Streets."

Says producer Jennifer Gibgot, "This movie is almost an inverted version of the first movie. It's really a movie about underdogs and misfits, about the people who nobody wants or believes in. Without really trying to, Andie changes the school and opens the director's eyes to accepting new forms of dance. And like STEP UP, it is ultimately a story about love, hope and believing in yourself."

Adds Chu: "This movie is a real fun ride but it's also about owning the world you're in, celebrating what makes you different, what makes you special. We all get lonely, or feel out of place, or feel we don't fit in at times. I don't think that ever goes away, no matter what age you are or where you are from, but sometimes you just need someone to remind you that there's a lot of life ahead of you and the world is what you make it."

Most of all, in approaching these themes, Chu hoped to infuse the film's dance numbers with the intense and wide-ranging emotions of these characters, who are experiencing everything from anger and doubt to love and the ecstasy of discovering real belief. In every step, stomp, flip and pop, a part of the lives and yearnings of these characters is expressed.

Explains Chu: "What I love most about the characters in STEP UP 2 THE STREETS is that when words aren't enough, they are able to speak from somewhere else. Their bodies do the speaking, and that's the common thread amongst all of them -- and it's the driving force of the movie."

Producer Erik Feig echoes that sentiment: "We are deeply proud of the STEP UP franchise at Summit. The movies create an instant party, and make you leave the theater in a better mood than when you first walked in -- rarer and rarer these days. Jon Chu has pushed himself and this movie more than we ever could have imagined -- the dance leaves you breathless, these characters are deeply relatable and likeable, and the music is insanely 'off the hook'."

MEET THE CHARACTERS:

ROBERT HOFFMAN IS CHASE

There's no doubt about it, Chase is MSA's star student. He's got the charisma, the smarts and the skills to be a big-time professional performer and he knows it. But that doesn't mean the pressure's off, because he doesn't want to just be technically good; he wants to be different, he wants to stand out, he wants to find the strength to be his own person. Ultimately, he must stand up against his brother Blake, the school's rigid, classically trained director, to change things up and restore creative freedom to the place he loves.

The filmmakers of STEP UP 2 THE STREETS knew that casting Chase would be key to forging their entire ensemble, as well as to setting off the sparks that heat things up between Chase and Andie, so, as production kicked into high gear, he was their number one casting priority. A search led them to Robert Hoffman, who began dancing way back in kindergarten, mastering every form, from tap and ballet to jazz and all the way to hip-hop as he grew up and, much like Chase, winning all kinds of awards and competitions.

Hoffman went on to become one of the break-out stars from MTV's hit series "Wild 'N Out," made his motion picture debut in "You Got Served" and then lined up a major role in "She's The Man," starring with Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum. It was clear from his audition that he was on the cusp of something big.

"Robert is just so natural and so real," observes director Jon M. Chu. "He has that school-boyish charm quality to him, yet he's also a really special dancer. I knew he was the one who could pull this role off."

Hoffman was able to nail the character of Chase so closely in part because he could instantly relate to him. "Chase is the guy at MSA who has it all going for him, but the one thing he's never had, which is actually very much a parallel in my life, is someone to tell him to believe in his own voice as a dancer, to tell him to dance how he wants to dance, from the inside," explains the actor. "When Andie comes to the school, it's through her that Chase gets rejuvenated. He finds his passion for dance again. She shows him what it's like to dance from your heart, to really be an individual, and that changes everything for him."

He continues: "As someone who grew up as a dancer only wanting to learn from people who inspire me and then to inspire other people - the whole experience of being part of this movie has been a dream come true."

For Jon M. Chu, Hoffman's real magic is worked when he starts to break out and follow the beat that's in his heart. "When you see Robert as Chase really pour it out on the floor it becomes clear that hip-hop is an art form and even his brother can see the art in it," says Chu. "Robert makes that transformation happen."

BRIANA EVIGAN IS ANDIE

The heart of STEP UP 2 THE STREETS is Andie, the young woman from the same tough neighborhood as STEP UP's Tyler Gage (Channing Tatum) who must try to find a way to transcend her troubled past and fit in at MSA, while still staying true to her roots on Baltimore's streets. As with Chase, the filmmakers knew they would need to find someone who had both the dancing skills and the acting chops to make her journey come alive. This led them to a brand-new face: Briana Evigan, who at the age of 7 started dancing with hip-hop choreographer Shane Sparks (television's "So You Think You Can Dance?") and has gone on to appear in several music videos and independent films.

It was when Evigan first read with Robert Hoffman - and the temperature in the room soared - that the filmmakers were sold that she was their Andie. "When they read together it was magic," recalls Chu. "Briana came alive and she and Robert fed off each other's energy just as we hoped."

Adds David Nicksay, "Briana brought a deep, soulful quality to Andie. She comes off as very authentic, organic and moving. She's also incredibly funny and a smashing dancer."

Evigan, too, was grabbed by the strong affinity between her own struggles as a young actress and dancer and those of her character. "Andie might start the film having lost a lot, but she's got a goal and dream and she's not going to let anything get in her way," Evigan says. "Her mother has died, she has no father figure, and she's a little unsure about men. But slowly she learns that sometimes you have to put some things aside to let what you want really come to you. By the end she falls in love with the guy she's been pushing away the whole time And she learns about the importance of not only belief but of respect."

When it came to the demands of the dancing, Evigan took a new approach - trying to emulate the strength and fury of street dancers. "I had to drop the whole sexy thing that I had developed and break away from that for a more hardcore approach," she explains. "It was challenging but I loved it and learned so much. I also loved the way the members of the dance crews each had such strong personalities so that the dancers and their personal relationships stand out much more than they do in other dance movies I've seen."

Most of all, Evigan was inspired throughout by Andie's unbreakable spirit, which brings her to a place she never expected. Sums up the actress: "When times are really tough and everything is falling apart and you feel like you don't belong anywhere, Andie shows that you just need to stay strong and keep going and never let anyone step in the way of your dream."

CASSIE VENTURA IS SOPHIE

When Andie arrives at MSA, she finds herself in a rivalry with one of the school's most promising and confident female talents: the "triple threat" actor, singer and dancer, Sophie, who also happens to be Chase's jealous ex-girlfriend. For this key role, the filmmakers chose another newcomer to the screen, Cassie Ventura, the R&B recording artist who makes her feature film debut and also contributes a song to the soundtrack.

Although, like her character, Cassie is a natural singer, she turned out to be the only member of the astonishingly accomplished cast who had no real dancing experience. But this turned out to be only a minor hitch for Cassie, who honed her natural talent in intensive rehearsals. "I think I was the only untrained dancer in the production," she admits, "but I knew that if I put my heart into it, people would feel that - and so I just went for it."

Jon M. Chu was impressed not only with Cassie's bravery in jumping into the role but with her strong presence that captures Sophie's intensity and fury. "When Cassie walks into a room, right away it feels like she really owns the space," he notes. "And I think she really enjoyed playing a kind of bad guy role, because she herself is so sweet. She also really understood that Sophie has her own arc in the story. She's not really a villain because, deep down, she's a lost soul, too, and eventually she is pushed into doing something nice for the first time in her life."

Cassie loved taking Sophie through major internal changes, from self-centeredness to seeing the bigger picture. "In the beginning of the story, Sophie is a very strong-willed, focused girl, almost like a machine," she observes. "She has shut down her emotions but her relationship with Andie forces her to rediscover her feelings and the importance of other people."

MEET THE DANCE CREWS:

THE 410

Andie might find herself dancing in the rarified world of the Maryland School of the Arts, but her heart is back in the streets with the legendary underground Baltimore street crew she has long dreamed of dancing with: The 410. This rag-tag crew is made up of a group of strong, flashy personalities whose completely original skills and hard-core passion for hip-hop make them among the city's most creative and coolest dance teams - and the ones to beat at "The Streets" competition.

Casting the members of The 410, as well as the rival MSA crew, was a blast for the filmmakers because it gave them a chance to witness some of the amazingly diverse and magnetic dancing talent out there today. The audition process began with massive open calls in Baltimore and New York, during which 500 hopeful dancers were whittled down to just a handful of stand-outs under the demanding eyes of the filmmakers and the choreographers. Authenticity was at the heart of every decision - the focus on dancers who could relate to the material with their hearts as well as their skills.

The uncompromising leader of The 410 is Tuck, the intense street dancer who has his own feelings for Andie that get shaken up in the mix. For Tuck, The 410 is more than just a dance crew - it's a kind of street family who stick together through thick and thin, and Andie's departure to attend MSA, or what he dubs "that prissy ballet school" leaves him feeling both betrayed and jealous. Playing Tuck is Black Thomas, a Miami native who cut his teeth as a dancer in the FAMU Connection, a hip-hop dance troupe at Florida A&M University, then went on to appear in such movies as "Stomp The Yard," "Dreamgirls" and "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry."

Like the rest of the cast, Thomas felt a deep empathy for his character and his love of dancing in spite of his emotional confusion over Andie. "What I liked most is that this movie says a lot about how you view yourself, how you represent," says Thomas. "The 410 is all about attitude. It's all about unity. It's all about strength and power. It's not just about kids dancing, it's about kids expressing themselves."

The filmmakers were impressed with Thomas' ability to evoke Tuck's strength and belief through both his dance moves and his dialogue. "As Tuck, Black has the power to be at once vulnerable and scary," notes Chu. "We wanted the audience to feel the friction and the threat of the character and Black had it all. Plus, he's an amazing dancer."

The 410 crew's female leader and Andie's former best friend, Felicia, was equally vital to the story and the filmmakers found themselves drawn to Telisha Shaw, a rising young dancer who herself received a sought-after scholarship to the Dance Theatre of Harlem that kicked off her career dancing on tour with such artists as Christina Aguilera, Janet Jackson, Green Day, Kanye West and Beyonce.

A playful chorus of "Telisha plays Felisha" echoed throughout the production but the filmmakers were very pleased with the serious work Shaw brought to the performance. "Felisha is such a hard role," says Chu, "because she's Andie's friend in the beginning, then turns on her quickly, only to come around again at the end. When Telisha came in, she read the scene where she tells Andie, 'it's not what you want, it's what you got' - and she turned it into one of the most memorable auditions I've ever been in. She read it in a way that I'd never even imagined that scene, in a way that made me want to cry for her. Telisha portrayed the character as someone who wants to believe in Andie, but everything in her life has shown her something different. She has to come to realize that the way you live your life is a choice you make."

Also joining The 410 are a number of young stars from authentic hip-hop backgrounds who bring their own trademark tricks, moves, humor and style to the proceedings: Kejamel "K-Mel" Howell, a dance legend on You Tube and Myspace who also serves as Hi Hat's assistant choreographer, is K-Mel; Rynan "Rainen" Paquio who is part of the renowned Jabbawockeez crew, is Kid Rainen; local Baltimore b-boys Jeff "Rapid" Ogle and James "Cricket" Colter are Rapid and Cricket; Donnie "Crumbs" Counts, a world-class athlete and dancer with hundreds of popular videos on the internet is Crumbs; and acclaimed b-girls Shorty Welch and Alison Faulk are Shorty and Alstar.

Danielle Polanco, a Bronx native who began dancing at the Alvin Ailey School as a youngster and was on tour with Jennifer Lopez when she was cast in the film, rounds out The 410 crew as Missy, who brings a salsa touch to her dancing and is the only other person who dances with both The 410 and MSA crew. She too found herself deeply relating to what her character goes through in the film.

Says Danielle: "Missy is the kind of person who tries to make the best out of everything. When everybody else is arguing, Missy just enjoys life and looks at the boys. Jon lets us all ad lib and add a little of our own flavors to the character and that made it so much fun."

THE MSA CREW

While The 410 are rough-and-ready with a hungry street sensibility, MSA is filled with polished, life-long dancers who have had the very best in classical training and harsh discipline. Yet, even at MSA there are those who march to their own beat, who dare to do things a different way, and it is a group of these misfits and rebels who form Chase's MSA crew - and secretly train to go out into the darker side of Baltimore and compete in "The Streets."

The crew Chase puts together is every bit as unique and committed as The 410. They include: Monster, played by Luis Rosado, the stunningly acrobatic stunt double for the school plays who's really a b-boy; Jenny Kido, played by Mari Koda, the Japanese exchange student; Smiles, played by LaJon Dantzler, whose offbeat style the school is trying to hone; Hair, played by Christopher Scott, the long-haired tap dancer who the school hopes will clean up his act and go to Broadway; Fly, played by Janelle Cambridge, the shy girl who turns into a completely different person when the music comes on; and Cable, the gadget guru, played by Harry Shum Jr.

One of MSA's most colorful students, and one of Andie's best friends at MSA, is the fun-loving Moose, who got into the school as a lighting designer but harbors a passion for dancing. Playing Moose is Adam G. Sevani, who at just 15 years-old became the cast's youngest member when his self-made audition tape had the filmmakers in awe. "When you find someone like Adam and see a star in the making, you have to go for it," says Chu.

Then there is MSA's director, Chase's stuffy older brother, Blake, who is portrayed by acclaimed Broadway star Will Kemp. Chu always thought that Kemp would be perfect to capture the essence of the classically trained dancer who takes over MSA and tries to give it a formal, disciplined structure in the hopes of raising money and improving the school's fortunes. Indeed, Kemp himself was trained classically at England's Royal Ballet School, then worked in a contemporary dance company for many years.

Kemp sees Blake as conflicted between his long-buried instincts as performer and his ambitions as an administrator. When he sees Andie's audition, it brings that conflict inside him to a head. "He believes he can convince people who are plowing money into the school to pay for a new building by taking a raw talent from the street, training her, and making her worthy of a career. But Blake has a struggle - his reputation is at stake and he needs to get Andie to toe his line. When that doesn't quite happen, it makes him reassess what he's trying to do and if it is the right thing," Kemp explains.

Also intriguing to Kemp is the contentious and realistic sibling relationship Blake has with his talented but far less conventional brother, Chase. He says, "Chase is a very gifted young man, but in Blake's view he is throwing it down the drain because all he wants is to be on the street, to be dancing hip-hop, which Blake has no respect for."

Kemp, on the other hand, has nothing but respect for the hip-hop dancers he got to know on the set of STEP UP 2 THE STREETS, who were a revelation to the classically trained dancer and actor. "I think these kids are truly amazing," he remarks. "They work incredibly hard at this particular technique and some of what they do in this movie is going to look breathtaking on screen."

STREET MOVES:

CHOREOGRAPHY AND DESIGN SET THE TONE

From the beginning, director Jon M. Chu wanted STEP UP 2 THE STREETS to have its own distinct look and feel - one that draws from the explosive creativity and raw emotion of authentic street dance styles. Chu knew that the film's entire design concept would have to revolve around strong, original choreography, so he worked closely with a trio of renowned legends in the hip-hop world, who together were able to weave an astonishing array of different dance forms into the film's gritty tapestry.

Serving as the film's supervising choreographer is Jamal Sims, who worked with Anne Fletcher on the first STEP UP as Channing Tatum's choreographer and has also worked with producer Adam Shankman on such films as "Hairspray." Among the scenes where Sims' creative touch can be felt is the joyous and sensuous hip-hop salsa fusion that takes place at Missy's house.

Sims was joined by Nadine "Hi Hat" Ruffin, known for breaking new ground as hip-hop's leading female choreographer, and whose tough, inventive and empowering moves for women as well as her work on the popular videos of hit recording artist Missy Elliot, have brought something fresh and real to the genre. Hi Hat worked with the champion 410 crew, choreographing their numbers as they rise to dominance, weaving break-dance pops and locks into the mix and even using trampolines to take their moves to a higher level.

Completing the threesome is Dave Scott, a native of Compton who danced his way into a career in theatre, film and television and came to fore with the dynamic moves of "Stomp The Yard." Scott choreographed the MSA crew's numbers, taking them from funky misfits unsure of their style to dazzling hip-hop stars in their own right.

Sims credits the film's cast with bringing the work of all three choreographers to life with so much zeal. "They were all so gung ho and ready to try anything," he notes. "They're all the real deal and they just want to dance, which made the process both a lot of fun and very true to the story."

Hi Hat also gives respect to director Jon M. Chu. "He always knew exactly what he wanted and had every dance planned out in his head, which is a rare thing for a director," she observes.

Scott admits there was even a little healthy competitiveness between the three - which was encouraged by Chu who kept the choreographers from seeing each other's work until the last possible moment to enhance the suspense between The 410 and MSA crews. "The dance world is always very competitive; everybody wants to battle," Scott explains. "Everyone wants to be better than everyone else, but if you're good, you also give props where props are due. Hi Hat is an incredible choreographer and having her work with the rival crew was very motivating. I think we brought out the best in each other."

Meanwhile, to highlight the kinetic feeling of the entire film, Chu also worked closely with his design team, including cinematographer Max Malkin, production designer Devorah Herbert and costume designer Luca Mosca, each of whom Chu brought on board because of their innate understanding of rhythm and style.

Malkin in particular had his work cut out for him, shooting on-the-fly in Baltimore warehouses and trainyards, and trying to add a subtle layer of fairy tale sheen to this often grey, grimy urban background.

"Max Malkin brought a real visual energy to the movie," says executive producer David Nicksay. "He allowed it to feel rough around the edges, and kind of restless, really capturing the emotional power we were trying to bring out of the characters and the storyline."

"I was open to being more visually progressive than you usually see in dance films," adds Malkin. "We didn't want to create music videos that are separate from the story but to weave the narrative into the dance and vice versa. Jon gave me a lot of freedom to do that and was open to a lot of new and different ideas that I think make the film far more visually expressive."

Devorah Herbert took Chu's vision of a gritty, urban fairy tale set in Baltimore and ran with it. "We really focused on the contrast between the world of the MSA students and the dancers from the streets," explains Herbert. "At MSA, we used a muted color palette with cool, even tones, while on the streets everything is super-textured and grimy, but with lots of splashes of color and graffiti representing the kids' creative expression."

The final touches were added by Italian-born costume designer Luca Mosca who says he "fell in love at first sight with this project, with the energy, the story and the creative opportunities it gave me." Mosca worked closely with Chu to give each of the dance crews, as well the individual dancers, their own strong, clear personalities. "The 410s I always saw as moving graffiti, dancing against these dark, earthy backgrounds in saturated primary colors," he explains. "The MSA crew are more muted with a softer palette but in the finale in the rain they're in maroons and mustard yellows and burnt oranges. They come together with a beautiful harmony in a very unpredictable way."

In the end, the look of the film became every bit as electrifying as the dancing itself. Sums up Jennifer Gigbot: "Jon always knew exactly what he wanted this movie to look like, right down to the graffiti on the walls. He wanted it to be real and raw and give an authentic feeling for Baltimore - but underlying all of that he always saw this as a fairy tale. And it has that magic to it."

A SOUNDTRACK OF THE STREETS:

THE MUSIC

There would be no dance at all for the characters of STEP UP 2 THE STREETS if it wasn't for the driving music and irresistible beats that inspire them. Coming on the heels of the gold-certified soundtrack for the original STEP UP, the filmmakers turned again to music supervisor Buck Damon to bring together an equally compelling, yet completely fresh, collection of music tracks. Damon tapped into some of today's hottest up-and-coming artists in hip-hop, rap and R&B to forge a soundtrack with the same kind of street energy as the film.

"In the first film you have hip-hop meeting classical dance, but in this film the story is about dancers wanting to get back to the streets, so that inspired us to go for a real legitimate hip-hop sound," says Damon. "We really stripped things back and there's a lot less orchestration and a lot more singles that are now climbing the charts."

Damon worked in sync with director Jon Chu, as well as Mitchell Leib, President of Music and Soundtracks for Walt Disney Pictures, and Atlantic Records, who lent the project their roster of young stars, whom Damon notes were "very appealing."

Heading up the soundtrack artists is female rapper, singer, songwriter and producer Missy Elliott, whose six platinum-selling albums have established her as one of the leading artists of a generation. "One of my personal favorite songs in the film is Missy Elliott's 'Ching-a-Ling' - it's an amazing track and it just fits the film like a glove," Damon muses.

Damon also recruited Miami-based star Flo Rida and the Grammy-nominated Southern soulster T-Pain for their song "Low," which sparked some of Jamal Sims' most inspired choreography and recently became a No. 1 hit single. He was also excited to bring in Grammy-nominated Atlanta rapper Yung Joc whose indelible song "Girl You Know" is currently riding up the charts.

Other artists featured on the soundtrack include Spanish pop star Enrique Iglesias; contemporary R&B singer/songwriter Trey Songz; pop/soul girl-group Cherish; Ft. Meyers-based underground hip-hop artist Plies and the Grammy-nominated Senegalese musical star Akon; the 20 year-old twin R&B stars Brit & Alex; as well as Cassie, the R&B singer who stars in the film as Sophie. Adding more diversity, Irish teen Laura Isibor and the sweet-voiced soul sensation Kevin Michael also add songs heard in the film. "I'm really eclectic, so even though the film has a true hip-hop sound, there's also an emphasis on lots of different, great melodies - and all those melodic choruses give it a real cinematic feeling," sums up Damon.

One of Damon's biggest challenges arose in "swapping out" some of the songs that the dancers had performed to on the set for new songs chosen by the filmmakers in post-production. "It's definitely something you couldn't have done before computers," he says. "It seems like it would be impossible, but once you get the hang of how to match the beats, it's amazing how you can often make the dance work even better to a new song."

Also appearing on the STEP UP 2 THE STREETS soundtrack are the winners of the film's special Sing on the Soundtrack Contest - part of a groundbreaking interactive, internet campaign for the film which gave STEP UP fans the chance to participate in the new film by singing on the soundtrack, dancing in a music video or appearing in the film. "It was great fun to give someone a chance to make their own musical hopes come true," says Damon.

For the filmmakers, the contest was another great way to get back to where the heart of the film lies: out on the streets where new discoveries and new dreams are constantly being made.

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ABOUT THE CAST

BRIANA EVIGAN (Andie West) makes her major feature debut in "Step Up 2 The Streets," after small parts in two independent films and a featured role in the Linkin Park video "Numb," which has had over 6 million views on YouTube. She started dancing with renowned hip-hop choreographer Shane Sparks when she was seven years old, studying with him for several years before extending her training to other choreographers. She credits him with providing her with the foundation for her future work. She is also the keyboardist and lead vocalist with the rock group Moorish Idol.

Briana comes from a show business family. Her father is Greg Evigan, the actor/singer/songwriter/musician who has had two hit television series, "BJ and the Bear" and "My Two Dads" and a steady career in features and on television. Her mother is actress Pam Serpe. Her older sister Vanessa is an actress and brother Jordan is the lead singer in the band After Midnight Project.

Briana currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

ROBERT HOFFMAN (Chase Collins) hit the big screen opposite Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum in the DreamWorks romantic comedy "She's The Man." He has also appeared in "You Got Served," "Say Hello To Stan Talmadge," and coming in 2008 "Kids in America," co-starring with Topher Grace.

In 2006, Hoffman appeared in six episodes of the Fox drama series "Vanished," and on the comedy series "Quintuplets" with Andy Richter, as well as guest-starring on "CSI: Miami," "MTV's Short Circuitz," and "Campus Ladies." Hoffman has also quickly become one of the break-out stars from MTV's hit series "Wild 'n Out," an improv show produced by Nick Cannon. Currently in its fourth season, the show has drawn many guest stars (including Tyra Banks, Method Man, Lil' John, Kevin Hart, and Omarion) and has proven to be an impressive talent showcase for Hoffman as his effortless comedic timing and creative flair consistently keep him on top in the show's improv competitions.

In addition to his acting skills, Hoffman has been much sought-after for his skills as a dancer and choreographer. He shared in an American Choreographer Award for the film "You Got Served," in which he also co-starred. He has danced in such films as "Guess Who," "Coach Carter," "Pirates of the Caribbean," and "Vanilla Sky." As a dancer, Hoffman has worked with such stars as Christina Aguilera, Usher, Mya, Marilyn Manson, and Ricky Martin, for whom he also served as a dance double in a music video.

Growing up in Florida, Hoffman was first inspired to dance when he was mesmerized by Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video. He began his dance training while still in kindergarten and went on to attend a fine arts high school. He later joined Ballet South, headed by American Ballet Company legend Wes Chapman.

When not acting or dancing, Hoffman spends his time making short films. His wide range of self-depicted characters continues to shock and entertain his growing fan base. The videos can be seen on his website at www.punchrobert.com.

British-born London resident WILL KEMP (Blake Collins) comes to STEP UP 2 THE STREETS after an acclaimed and very successful 2007 West End revival of Peter Shaffer's play "Equus," co-starring with "Harry Potter" Daniel Radcliffe and Richard Griffiths. He started dancing at the age of nine, and trained at the Royal Ballet School in London. At age 17 he auditioned for and was accepted into Matthew Bourne's cutting edge dance company, Adventures in Motion Pictures (AMP). His most prestigious dance accomplishment was winning the lead role of The Swan in Bourne's "Swan Lake," which ran from 1997-2000 in London, Los Angeles and on Broadway, a role which reportedly prompted then-chief of Paramount Sherry Lansing to call him "the James Dean of ballet." Bourne created the role of the Angel in "Cinderella" for Kemp. The 1999 Los Angeles production of the piece earned Kemp a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award nomination as Best Featured Performer. He also starred in Bourne's productions of "The Car Man," "Play Without Words," and "Highland Fling."

Kemp has also appeared on stage in Will Tuckett's productions of "Pinocchio," "Wind in the Willows," and "The Soldier's Tale."

Kemp made his feature film acting debut in "Van Helsing" opposite Hugh Jackman, then followed with "Mindhunters" and "Miguel and William."

His television credits include broadcast versions of "Swan Lake," "The Car Man," and "Pinocchio."

Hit R&B singer, CASSIE VENTURA (Sophie) was born and raised in New London, Connecticut, and while attending the Williams School on the Connecticut College campus, began her modeling career. After graduating from high school, she started taking classes at the Broadway Dance Center in order to pursue her career.

She was spotted at a club by producer Ryan Leslie. The two were introduced and Cassie quickly became the focus of Leslie's Next Selection management group, and was signed to his label, which is distributed by Sean Combs's Bad Boy Records. Leslie co-wrote and produced Cassie's first hit single, "Me & U" in 2005, which reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, #4 on the Billboard Pop 100, and #1 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Cassie has appeared in videos by Kanye West and Mario. STEP UP 2 THE STREETS is her film debut. Her new album will be in store in May 2008.

ADAM SEVANI (Moose) is a triple threat - an accomplished actor, singer, and dancer. His penchant for performing is a result of having immersed himself amidst his artistic family. His father is an international choreographer and mother is a musician who, together, founded the renown Synthesis Dance Center in Universal City. It was there that he befriended many dancers which led him to the Touchstone Pictures casting executives and with a self-made audition tape to director Jon M. Chu which inevitably led to his breakout role as the comedic sidekick "Moose" in Touchstone/Summit's anticipated sequel, STEP UP 2 THE STREETS (February 14, '08).

Since his scenes from Judd Apatow's SUPERBAD were edited into the DVD's special features, STEP UP 2 may have the distinction of being his first work to hit the big screen, but Sevani has already made quite an impression in the realm of music videos, having appeared in Will Smith's "Switch," Mase's "Breathe, Stretch, Shake," as well as T-Payne's upcoming single from the soundtrack. He has also performed in a variety of award shows and events worldwide alongside the likes of such talent as Jennifer Lopez among others.

At just 15-years-old, Sevani's Hollywood future looks bright, though when not performing, he excels in athletics, playing drums, creating short films, the visual arts, as well as choreographing his own dance routines which combines elements of his intensive instruction from age 4 including ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop, and even martial arts.

DANIELLE POLANCO (Missy), is a native of the Bronx, NY, and studied at the Alvin Ailey School for four years. Her classical ballet training gave her a technical foundation for the hip-hop, vogueing, and popping she learned later. She also danced with Ballet Hispanico. She has appeared in numerous music videos with Omarion, Touch, Beyonce, and Janet Jackson. Danielle has also played dancers in the feature films "Idlewild," and the upcoming "Bolden!"

TELISHA SHAW (Felicia) grew up in Memphis, and has been dancing since the age of three. Classically trained in ballet, she received a scholarship to the Dance Theatre of Harlem under the direction of Arthur Mitchell. She segued into hip-hop and moved to Los Angeles in 2000. She has toured with artists Christina Aguilera, Janet Jackson, and Green Day, Kanye West, Beyonce, and Shania Twain. She has appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" backing Jackson, and along with performing was assistant choreographer of Aguilera's "Stripped Live in the UK." Her dramatic roles on television have included appearances on "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" "Weeds," "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," and "Campus Ladies." Her first feature was the 2005 release "Dirty," starring Cuba Gooding, Jr.

BLACK THOMAS (Tuck) was born Alfred Nolan Thomas II and is a native of Miami, Florida. He received a BA degree in Theater at Florida A&M University. While there, he appeared in several campus productions including "Into the Woods," "East Texas Hotlinks," and "Dreamgirls." He was also a member of The FAMU Connection, a performance-based troupe designed to recruit potential students, and part of the FAMU Strikers, a dance troupe that incorporates hip-hop, African, modern and praise dance.

After graduation Black headed to Los Angeles where he has performed with Beyonce, Fonzworth Bentley, and Jessica Simpson. He has worked with numerous choreographers, among them Fatima, Fly, Frank Gatson, and AJ Jones, and also previously with STEP UP 2 THE STREETS choreographers Dave Scott and Nadine "Hi Hat" Ruffin.

Thomas has appeared in music videos for Rihanna, Mario, Danity Kane, Stone Crush and Fall Out Boy. As an assistant choreographer Black has worked on several television shows including "That's So Raven," "Just Jordan," and "CSI: New York." Black also appears in the movies "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry," "Dreamgirls," and "Stomp the Yard."

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

JON M. CHU (Director), a former dancer and promising young filmmaker, makes his feature film debut with STEP UP 2 THE STREETS, having just graduated from USC School of Cinematic Arts in 2004.

One of five artistic children, Jon developed his love of music and dance at an early age. He started tap lessons when he was in kindergarten and by the age of 16 had been trained in instruments ranging from piano to soprano sax. Obsessed with Disney animation, he also began making his own Super 8 animated films and later started shooting short subjects with his brothers and sisters. By the time he was in high school in Los Altos Hills, California, he was videotaping weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, memory videos for school and video yearbooks - and he knew he was going to be a filmmaker.

While a sophomore at USC, Chu made the innovative short, "Silent Beats," which unfolds it story to a tap dance rhythm soundtrack. The film went on to win numerous awards, including the Jack Nicholson Directing Award and the Princess Grace Foundation's Cary Grant Award, as well as a scholarship to continue his studies at USC. While at USC, Chu also made the acclaimed 20-minute film, "When the Kids Are Away," a rousing musical exploration of motherhood that utilized salsa, swing and hip-hop, as well as a 50-piece orchestra and 20-voice student choir.

The film soon garnered widespread interest in Hollywood - and brought him to the attention of the producers of STEP UP 2 THE STREETS, who gave him the long dreamed-of chance to combine his love of inventive dance and filmmaking on the big screen.

TONI ANN JOHNSON (Written by) is an actress, producer and writer who is a graduate of the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU and a 1994 Sundance Fellow. Toni Ann Johnson (Screenwriter) is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, a Sundance screenwriting fellow (THIS IS A DUPLICATE OF THE PRIOR SENTENCE) and currently an MFA in creative writing candidate at Antioch University Los Angeles. She is a two-time Humanitas Prize winner for her teleplays, "Ruby Bridges," (Disney) and "Crown Heights," (Showtime). Other produced credits include "The Courage to Love," (Lifetime) and the Fox pilot, "Save The Last Dance."

KAREN BARNA (Written by) has written for the television series "The Mountain." STEP UP 2 THE STREETS is her first produced screenplay.

DUANE ADLER (Based on Characters Created by) was born in Asheville, NC, grew up all over the Carolinas, and then mid-way through his teenage years, he moved to the Washington, D.C. area. After attending 18 schools from first grade through high school, he graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a degree in what he calls "Diverse Extremes of Life". This assorted background has lent an incredible multiplicity to his life and his work. The experience of moving from a small town to our nation's capitol eventually became the seed for the hit Paramount feature "SAVE THE LAST DANCE," which Duane wrote (sharing screenplay credit with Cheryl Edwards). His other screenwriting credits include VH1's highest rated original telefilm, "THE WAY SHE MOVES," which was nominated for Outstanding Made for Television Movie at the 2002 ALMA (American Latino Media Arts) Awards, and the theatrical hit, "STEP UP," released by Touchstone Pictures (on which he shared screenplay credit with Melissa Rosenberg). His next film, "MAKE IT HAPPEN," which Duane is also a co-producer on, is scheduled for a 2008 release from The Weinstein Company. Duane has now been involved with the two Highest Grossing Teen Romances, "SAVE THE LAST DANCE" and "STEP UP," of the last forty years, and both are ranked in the Top Five All Time Grosses among dance movies. He is currently in pre-production on his next directorial project, "A SORT OF HOMECOMING," a musical thriller set in post-Katrina New Orleans. He has also written projects for Fox, Focus Features, Revolution, Universal, and New Regency, among others.

PATRICK WACSHBERGER (Producer) Patrick Wachsberger is the Co-Chairman and President of Summit Entertainment LLC and CEO of Summit International. Wachsberger held the title of President and CEO of Summit Entertainment prior to the recent re-launch of the film studio, and ever since he and his partners, Robert Hayward and David Garrett, bought out the prior Summit Entertainment Group shareholders in November 1993. With over 30 years experience in the production, distribution and exhibition business, Wachsberger has crafted Summit into one of the world's most successful international sales and distribution companies.

Wachsberger most recently produced Paul Haggis's "In The Valley of Elah" starring Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron and Susan Sarandon. His past producing credits include Touchstone's surprise-hit "Step Up," the Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie blockbuster "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," and the sexy-caper "Lies and Alibis" starring Steve Coogan and Rebecca Romijn. His executive producer credits include "Wrong Turn," "Vanilla Sky," "The Loss Of Sexual Innocence," and "Bad Lieutenant."

Prior to running Summit Entertainment, Mr. Wachsberger served as President and CEO of Odyssey Entertainment and Odyssey Distributors, Ltd., founded in 1988. During his six-year tenure at Odyssey, he acquired, co-produced and distributed his first acquisition "Pelle The Conqueror," which won the OscarR for best foreign language film and the Palme d'Or at Cannes, and "Time Of The Gypsies." With Regency Enterprises he executive produced and distributed Sydney Lumet's "Q & A," and "Blake Edwards's "Switch." He also distributed Ridley Scott's "1492."

Before joining Odyssey, Mr. Wachsberger was President of J & M Entertainment, one of the leading foreign sales companies. He began his career as an Assistant Director and Production Manager, working on over 20 films in Italy and France. After directing short films, he moved to the United States where he produced several films with his father, Nat Wachsberger. These included "The Killer Force" with Telly Savalas and Peter Fonda; and an animated feature film of "The Three Musketeers," directed by John Halas.

ERIK FEIG (Producer) currently serves as the President of Worldwide Production and Acquisitions at Summit Entertainment. At Summit, Feig oversees the burgeoning studio's annual film slate of 10-12 feature films which is generated from a combination of in-house productions, co-productions and acquisitions.

Feig began his career by packaging and producing the films of the hit horror franchise "I Know What You Did Last Summer." Feig continued to develop projects for many of the major studios and networks, while operating under an overall producing arrangement with Artisan Entertainment, a then client of Summit Entertainment's foreign sales division. His additional producing credits include "Slackers," "Step Up, and "Wrong Turn," as well as executive producing "Mr. & Mrs. Smith."

In 2001, Feig established Summit's production banner, which has evolved into the production group he oversees today.

Feig received a BA in English, with honors, from Columbia University, in 1992. He is also on the board of MentorLA, a not-for-profit organization devoted to changing how the most challenging public schools in Los Angeles operate.

ADAM SHANKMAN (Producer) is a master of comedy yet is still able to capture the sensitivity of each story, making him one of the most loved and commercially successful filmmakers of his generation.

Shankman's Hairspray, the feature film adaptation of the Tony award-winning Broadway production, opened in July 2007 to rave reviews. It has gone on to gross over $200m worldwide, and become the third highest grossing musical of all time. The film assembled a remarkable collection of talent including John Travolta, Queen Latifah, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Zac Efron and newcomer Nikki Blonsky to retell John Waters' classic story about racism in 1960's Baltimore.

Shankman is currently in pre-production on Bedtime Stories, which he will direct and executive produce through his Offspring Entertainment banner for Walt Disney Studios, with Adam Sandler set to star. Additionally, Shankman is producing Seventeen in the works also through Offspring, with Hairspray star Zac Efron set to star. He is also producing, through Offspring, All Of Me, starring Queen Latifah and based upon the 1984 film starring Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin.

Shankman and Gibgot's Offspring Entertainment are set to produce Monday Monday, a film about a neurotic teenager forced to relive the first day of high school until he gets it right. Offspring Entertainment is also producing an adult treasure hunt project in association with Benderspink.

Shankman produced the Sandra Bullock film, Premonition, as well as Step Up for Walt Disney Studios. Step Up, directed by his co-choreographer Anne Fletcher, garnered critical acclaim and grossed over $100 million at the box office. In addition, Shankman recently directed the box office success, Cheaper by the Dozen 2, the sequel to the 2003 20th Century Fox smash hit family film.

Shankman began crafting an enviable career with his directorial debut, Columbia Pictures' The Wedding Planner. The Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey film was the heart-felt hit of 2001. Shankman's following grew with his next film A Walk to Remember, distributed by Warner Bros., starring Mandy Moore and Shane West. A Walk to Remember was nominated for a 2002 Phoenix Film Critics Award for Best Live Action Family Film.

Shankman followed this up with Bringing Down the House, a Walt Disney comedy starring Steve Martin and Queen Latifah which was number one at the box office for three weeks in a row, grossing over $130 million. Shankman followed that up by directing another Disney film, The Pacifier starring Vin Diesel. To date, Shankman's films have grossed over a half-billion dollars.

Prior to directing, Shankman was one of the entertainment world's premiere dance and physical comedy choreographers, putting his creative stamp on many well-known comedies, dramas, thrillers, and animated films. His projects include The Addams Family, Casper, Inspector Gadget, Anastasia, George of the Jungle, Boogie Nights, Miami Rhapsody, and The Flintstones for which he was nominated for a Bob Fosse Award. Shankman won the Bob Fosse award for his work with Simon West.

At age 24, Shankman teamed up with influential video director Julian Temple as a music video choreographer. One of the first videos as choreographer was Whitney Houston's "I'm Your Baby Tonight." He has also choreographed videos for The B-52's, Barry White, Aaron Neville, Chic and Stevie Wonder.

A native of Los Angeles, Shankman developed a love for the theater at an early age. After high school, he moved to New York and attended the Juilliard School. After five years as an actor and dancer in New York and regional theater, he moved back to Los Angeles and began dancing in music videos, including videos for Paula Abdul and Janet Jackson. He also performed at the 1989 Academy Awards.

JENNIFER GIBGOT (Producer) began her career as a producer running Tapestry Films in 1995. Over the course of her eight years at Tapestry, she set up numerous projects and produced successful films such as "She's All That" and "The Wedding Planner." Gibgot hired her brother Adam Shankman, already an established choreographer, to helm "The Wedding Planner" starring Jennifer Lopez, which ultimately launched his directing career.

In 2003, Shankman and Gibgot formed Offspring Entertainment and signed a first look deal at Disney. Over the part four years Gibgot has executive producer and Shankman has directed the hit "The Pacifier" for Disney as well as the Steve Martin starrer, "Cheaper by the Dozen 2" for Fox. Gibgot and Shankman also produced "Step Up."

Offspring recently released the smash hit "Hairspray," which has grossed $200 million worldwide and become the third highest grossing musical of all time. In 2007, TriStar released the Sandra Bullock thriller "Premonition," which Gibgot and Shankman produced with Hyde Park. The film has grossed $83 million worldwide.

The duo is developing a number of projects, including the upcoming "Bedtime Stories," starring Adam Sandler to be directed by Shankman. Additionally, Gibgot and Shankman are producing "Seventeen" with "Hairspray" star Zac Efron set to star. They are also producing "All Of Me," starring Queen Latifah, and based on the 1984 film starring Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin. Shankman and Gibgot's Offspring Entertainment is set to produce "Monday, Monday," a film about a neurotic teenager forced to relive the first day of high school until he gets it right. Offspring is also producing an adult treasure hunt project in association with Benderspink.

BOB HAYWARD (Executive Producer) is the Chief Operating Officer of Summit Entertainment, LLC, the new worldwide theatrical motion picture development, financing, production and distribution studio which was created in April 2007.

From 1993 to April 2007 Bob was a founding partner and Chief Operating Officer of the prior Summit Entertainment which operated as one of industry's premier feature film foreign sales and distribution companies in the foreign marketplace. In recent years the prior Summit Entertainment also successfully embarked into feature film development and production with "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" and "Step Up" amongst other titles. In his 15 years at both incarnations of Summit Entertainment, he has gained extensive industry experience into all aspects of motion picture production, financing and distribution.

From 1991 to 1993 Bob worked as Senior Vice President of the original Summit Group which he and his partners, Patrick Wachsberger and David Garrett, bought in November of 1993. Bob began his career in the film business in London in 1982 when he joined United International Pictures, the foreign distribution arm of Paramount and Universal Studios. In 1985, he joined Canon International in London and The Netherlands where he managed their internal and licensee audits and was tasked with numerous assignments including acting as the caretaker manager of Cannon's cinema circuits in the United States and Italy. From 1998 to 2001 Robert was a founding partner of Film Financial Consultants, Ltd. in London, which specialized in film royalty audits for major independent producers and due diligence for cinema and film library acquisitions.

DAVID NICKSAY (Executive Producer) also served in that capacity most recently on "Married Life," starring Pierce Brosnan, Chris Cooper, Patricia Clarkson and Rachel McAdams, released in Fall, 2007. He was Executive Producer on "What's the Worst That Could Happen?" starring Martin Lawrence and Danny DeVito; "The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle" starring Robert DeNiro, Rene Russo, and Jason Alexander; "The Negotiator" starring Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey; "Flubber" starring Robin Willliams, and "Addams Family Values" starring Anjelica Huston and Raul Julia.

As Producer, his credits include "Be Cool" starring John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Vince Vaughn, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and Cedric the Entertainer; "Legally Blonde 2: Red White and Blonde" starring Reese Witherspoon (he was Co-Producer of the original "Legally Blonde"); "Agent Cody Banks," and "Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London," starring Frankie Muniz; "A Guy Thing" starring Jason Lee and Julia Stiles; the high-tech thriller "Antitrust" starring Ryan Phillipe and Tim Robbins; "Up Close and Personal" starring Robert Redford and Michelle Pfeiffer; "Lucas" starring Corey Haim, Wynona Ryder, and Charlie Sheen, and "Mrs. Soffel" starring Diane Keaton and Mel Gibson.

From 1989 to 1992, Nicksay was President and Head of Production at Morgan Creek Productions, also serving as Executive Producer on six of the company's pictures, including "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves," "Pacific Heights," and "Young Guns II."

Nicksay also served as Senior Vice President of Production at Paramount Pictures, where he served as executive on "Ghost," "Coming to America," "The Untouchables," "Scrooged," "Star Trek V", and "The Two Jakes," among others.

His television credits include the two-hour pilot for the series "Call to Glory," and the multiple Emmy-nominated miniseries "Little Gloria...Happy at Last."

He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Directors Guild of America, and serves on the American Film Institute Education and Training Advisory Board. He also is a judge of the AMPAS Nicholl Screenwriting Competition, and a Senior Lecturer in Digital Media at Otis College of Art and Design.

ANNE FLETCHER (Executive Producer) directed the first STEP UP, bringing her background as one of the film industry's most sought-after choreographers to the fore in the hit film's tight melding of dance and drama. With that auspicious debut, Fletcher went on to direct this year's romantic comedy "27 Dresses" starring Katherine Heigl as a 27-time bridesmaid, and will next direct the comedy "The Proposal" starring Sandra Bullock for Touchstone Pictures.

Fletcher's extensive choreography work includes two films for Disney, "Ice Princess" and "The Pacifier," as well as the recent hit comedies "The 40 Year Old Virgin" and "Walk Hard." She served as associate choreographer on the widely acclaimed "Hairspray," directed by Adam Shankman and starring John Travolta. Known for creating the physicality of Catwoman for "Catwoman," she also provided choreography for "Bringing Down The House," "Down With Love," "Like Mike," "Orange County," "Bring It On." "Along Came Polly," Peter Segal's version of "The Longest Yard" and "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed." As assistant choreographer, Fletcher has worked on "Blast from the Past," "Dudley Do-Right," "The Out-of-Towners," "She's All That," "Antz," "Boogie Nights" and "A Life Less Ordinary."

Among her television credits are "Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt," "Maybe It's Me," "Six Feet Under," "Judging Amy" and "Buffy The Vampire Slayer," in addition to the TV specials "The MTV Movie Awards," Comedy Central's "Last Laugh '04" and "Last Laugh '05" and "TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV."

As an actor, Fletcher has appeared on screen in "The Pacifier," "Bringing Down the House," "A Walk to Remember," "Monkeybone, " "Bring It On," "Boogie Nights" and "George of the Jungle," among others.

Her producing career includes serving as associate producer on "The Wedding Planner" directed by Adam Shankman.

Born in Detroit, Fletcher began dancing at age 12, was teaching dance at 13, and dancing professionally at 15. She moved to Los Angeles at 18 to pursue a career in dance after graduating from high school. She subsequently traveled all over the world, dancing in industrials and appeared on such television shows as "The Tracy Ullman Show," "The Smothers Brothers" and the mini-series "War and Remembrance." After making a music video with Dan Ackroyd and Tom Hanks for "Dragnet," she made her screen debut in "The Mask," which was followed by "The Flintstones," the first two features of many as a dancer - which ultimately led to her becoming the long-time assistant choreographer to Adam Shankman.

MEREDITH MILTON (Executive Producer) is the Vice President of Production at Summit Entertainment. Her recent producing credits on behalf of Summit include the teen hit "Step Up" - the fifth most profitable dance movie of all time - and its sequel, STEP UP 2 THE STREETS, which will be released domestically by Touchstone on February 14, 2008 and internationally by Summit Entertainment. She is currently in pre-production on "Will," a Walden/Summit co-production that begins principal photography on February 9, 2008. In addition, she manages Summit's involvement with films of its client companies, whose pictures include "Babel," "Bridge to Terabithia," "Michael Clayton" and "P.S. I Love You." She began her career at Summit in February 2002 as assistant to Erik Feig, President of Production and Acquisitions. In Spring 2003, she was promoted to Director of Development, then to Senior Production Executive in January 2006, and subsequently to Vice President of Production in April 2007.

She began her career as an intern at Double Negative, a London-based digital effects company, where she was a Production Assistant on the sci-fi sleeper hit "Pitch Black." Her first job in Hollywood was as second assistant to then William Morris television packaging agent Greg Lipstone.

Meredith graduated cum laude from Princeton University with a BA in English in 1998.

MAX MALKIN (Director of Photography) has had an extremely successful career as a commercials director/director of photography. Among Malkin's numerous acclaimed commercials are spots for Acura, MasterCard, and Cadillac. His Nike commercials, including the "Magnet" ad starring Lance Armstrong, "Move" for the 2002 Winter Olympics, brought him to the attention of "Step Up 2 The Streets" director Jon M. Chu. He has also shot music videos and his work on Garbage's 1998 "Push It" video was nominated for Best Cinematography MTV Music Video Awards. His first feature was "Blind Horizon" starring Val Kilmer and Neve Campbell for director Michael Haussman.

DEVORAH HERBERT (Production Designer) comes from the world of independent features and off-beat television series. Prior to working on "Step Up 2 The Streets," she was Production Designer on the FX series "The Riches" about a family of grifters adjusting to middle class life in he suburbs. She returned to the series just as "SU2" wrapped. Her feature credits include "The Fluffer," "Lovely and Amazing," "Stolen Summer," "Speakeasy," "Evil Alien Conquerors," "Outta Time," "11:14," "The Speeding Ticket," "Mysterious Skin," "Harsh Times," "Waiting," "American Gun," "First Snow," and "You are Here."

ANDREW MARCUS (Editor) has a long and varied list of credits, and has cut several films for director James Ivory, beginning with "Mr. & Mrs. Bridge," and followed by "Howards End" (which earned him a BAFTA nomination), "Remains of the Day," "Jefferson in Paris, and "Surviving Picasso." He was editor of director Kenneth Branagh's film "Swan Song," "Peter's Friends," "Much Ado About Nothing," and "Frankenstein." His other feature credits include "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe," "Woundings," "American Psycho," "Hedwig and the Angry Itch," "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood," "Under The Tuscan Sun," "A Home at the End Of the World," "Everything is Illuminated," "Flicka," and "Tenderness."

He also served as second unit director on "Much Ado," "Frankenstein," "American Psycho," and "Hedwig."

LUCA MOSCA (Costume Designer) was born and raised in Italy, where he received a traditional, classical education studying Latin, Greek and philosophy. He was attracted to the arts because he was surrounded by so many accessible masterpieces. Art, being part of the fabric of Italian culture, was taken for granted by his family, who instead steered Mosca towards medical studies and eventually a degree in pharmacy. Once his schooling was completed, however, he moved immediately into fashion becoming a designer, first as an assistant in Italian couture houses and then, after moving to the U.S. in the early 1990s, establishing his own successful company with a design partner. It was producer Callum Greene who introduced Mosca to the movie business. Together they worked on several films, including "Hamlet" starring Ethan Hawke and Bill Murray, "3AM," "The Next Big Thing," "Happy Here and Now," " The Buried Secret of M. Knight Shayamalan" (for TV), and "Vantage Point" starring Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt, Dennis Quaid and Forest Whitaker. His other credits include Sundance winner "Girlfight," "When Will I Be Loved," "Griffin & Phoenix" and the 2008 release "21" starring Kevin Spacey and Kate Bosworth. Mosca's television credits include the series "The Education of Max Bickford", starring Richard Dreyfuss ,Peter O' Toole and Marcia Gay Harden.

A rising star in film music, AARON ZIGMAN (Music) is rapidly establishing a glowing reputation for his exquisite, lyrical and highly evocative scores.

A classically trained pianist since childhood, Zigman had an early foundation for writing melody and an ear for what makes a good tune. With a command of rhythm and different styles, he began his musical career as a producer and arranger to popular music stars. Soon his resume boasted names like Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, Oleta Adams, Phil Collins, Tina Turner, Patti Labelle, Chicago, Nona Gaye, Carly Simon, the Pointer Sisters, Huey Lewis, Christina Aguilera and Seal.

His passion for orchestration also led him to become an accomplished composer of concert works, having written numerous symphonic pieces. Among his works is a 35 minute-long tone poem divided into 5 movements, written as a tribute for Itzhak Rabin, which was performed by the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony. The USC Symphony orchestra recently performed Zigman's "Impressions", a suite for a wind ensemble.

Expanding his career further, Aaron began to arrange and orchestrate for feature films such as "Mulan," "What's Love Got To Do With It," "The Birdcage," "Licensed to Kill" and "Pocahontas."

Aaron Zigman got his shot at feature film composing in 2002 when director Nick Cassavetes, a friend who knew of his pop background and his orchestral works, offered him a shot at "John Q," starring Denzel Washington. He wrote an extravagant six-minute opening montage and recording it with a 55-piece orchestra and submitted it as a demo. The director, editor and studio were impressed, and he got the job. Not too long after, the two collaborated again on "The Notebook," starring Gena Rowlands and James Garner, based on the Nicholas Sparks novel. For that project, Zigman used vintage instruments and recording equipment from the 40s and 50s to create an authentic sound.

Zigman worked on "The Wendell Baker Story", the directorial debut of Andrew Wilson and Luke Wilson, starring their brother Owen Wilson, Eva Mendes and Eddie Griffin, "Raise Your Voice," a vehicle for pop superstar Hilary Duff, and "In the Mix" with R&B superstar Usher. "ATL" and "Take the Lead," two of Zigman's more recent releases have experienced box office success appearing in the top 10 since their release date, and his "Akeelah and the Bee" soundtrack is available at Starbuck's.

No stranger to the urban music scene, Zigman scored Touchstone Pictures "Step up," a dance film starring Jenna Dewann, in the summer of 2006. Other recent films include "Flicka," a drama starring Allison Lohman and Tim McGraw, "10th & Wolf" with Giovanni Ribisi, James Marsden and Dennis Hopper, "Alpha Dog," his latest collaboration with Nick Cassavetes, and "Why Did I Get Married," directed by Tyler Perry.

BUCK DAMON (Music Supervisor) won a 2004 Grammy AwardR, along with Zach Braff and Amanda Scheer Demme, for creating the influential platinum hit soundtrack for "Garden State." One of film's most sought-after music supervisors, Damon's recent credits include "Mean Girls," "House of D," "The Last Shot," and "Cheaper By The Dozen 2." Among his additional films as music supervisor are "Blow" and "Knockaround Guys." He also served as music consultant on "The Rundown," "Erin Brockovich," "The Limey," "She's All That," "Hurlyburly," "Out of Sight," "Rounders," and "Life." He has also worked as a music supervisor for "Step Up", "27 Dresses" and "Premonition" and televisions "Freaks and Geeks." He was also a music consultant on "The PJs" and "Felicity."

JAMAL SIMS (Choreographer) most recently worked with STEP UP 2 THE STREETS Producer Adam Shankman on the feature musical "Hairspray," which Shankman also directed. Among Jamal's other Choreography credits are "17" (Zac Effron), "Soul Men" (Bernie Mac, Samuel L. Jackson), "Step Up 1," "Beauty Shop," "Vanilla Sky," and "Garfield." Sims is known for his creativity in numerous commercials such as Target and Volkswagon, as well as music videos and stage shows for Usher, P. Diddy, Spice Girls, Outkast and Gloria Estefan.

When New York native NADINE "HI HAT" RUFFIN (Choreographer) took a dance challenge some years ago, to fly herself to Los Angeles and battle Will Smith's choreographer, she could only hope for the best. A hip hop street dancer, she knew she had to take the plunge to get to the next level: out of the clubs and into the studios. It was that leap of faith that catapulted her into a whole new world. She won the dance competition, and officially began her career as a professional dancer, soon to turn choreographer, and eventually establishing Hi Hat Entertainment.

It was her first big budget video for Montell Jordan, for the single, "I Like" that attracted industry attention. Hi Hat's goal was to bring something different to the set. "I was tired of watching all the rump shaker dance moves in videos. I felt that they were ultimately unflattering to the female form. It was my vision to create sexy dance steps that allowed female dancers to showcase their more seductive ability of movement."

Hi Hat invented sexy hip-hop. Hi Hat style attracted video directors such as Hype Williams, Dave Meyers, Brian Barber, and Little X to name a few who continued to use her on several of their high profile projects. Racking up on incredible talent roster, Hi Hat can now claim P-Diddy, Kanye West, Mary J. Blige, Eve and Jay-Z among those who have busted one of her moves.

Testimony to Hi Hat's innovative maneuvering is exemplified in her work for hip hop's hottest visionary, Missy Elliott. Elliott's videos have continued to hold the public's attention for their groundbreaking visuals and out of this world dance moves!

Hi Hat's talents have taken her beyond the world of artist's videos. Advertisers have sought her out to choreograph recent memorable campaigns for iPod, Cingular, Diet Coke, and The Gap as it continues. Her work has also graced such films as "Shark Tale," "Chicken Little," "Hot Chick" "Bring It On," "How She Moves", and "Step Up 2." Hi Hat has been honored with multiple American Choreography and Music Video Producers Association Awards.

What's next for the busy choreographer diva? She's busy building Hi Hat Entertainment into a major production enterprise. An umbrella organization comprised of dancers, choreographers, writers and EP's. With a company that evolves as much as her dance routines, it's only a matter of time before she introduces another facet of the business to the public.

From street dancer to choreographer, Hi Hat of Hi Hat Entertainment continues to hold court. Bombarding the entertainment world with her distinctive moves, she takes full reign as high diva of choreography.

Choreographer DAVE SCOTT (Choreographer) danced his way out of Compton, California, and into a multi-faceted career in dance, choreography, and artist development spanning music, film, television, and commercials. Prior to his stint on STEP UP 2 THE STREETS, he choreographed "Stomp the Yard," a coming of age drama with electrifying dance sequences that held the number one box office spot for two consecutive weeks and grossed almost $75 million worldwide. Scott's work on 2004's "You Got Served" won him the 10th Annual Choreography Award for Best Choreography in a feature film, and featured B2K. Scott was the key ingredient behind the success of B2K, giving them their name, style, hot dance moves, and all out-sex appeal. In just two years, B2K scored two platinum albums, and headlined the sold-out tours nationwide.

Scott has shaped the images and careers of many other successful artists, including Tyrese, Marques Houston, Ginuwine, Bow Wow and Brian McKnight, allowing them to reach new and unexpected heights in their careers. Scott has lent his talents to several commercial campaigns including Chevy and Pantene, the Fox TV success "Bones," and choreographed dance sequences in 2004's "Coach Carter" starring Samuel L. Jackson, and worked on routines for Olympic Gold Medal-winning ice skater Tara Lupinsky.

Scott has performed at nearly every major awards show and graced the covers of numerous industry publications including Dance Spirit and Arena Magazine, as well as features in LA Times West Magazine, King, Vibe, and Grip.

Scott received tremendous response for his work on Fox's hit "So You Think You Can Dance" for which he choreographed two dance teams, and returned later in the season to lead a team into the finals. Next on his project list is producing and choreographing an instructional dance DVD expected to be released in early 2008.

He continues to teach master classes in dance nationwide, and is in talks to form a production company, which would develop and produce projects of all genres. Also in the pipeline is a movie with legend Debbie Allen, tentatively titled "Buffalo Flats." He filmed a pilot for Nickelodeon tentatively titled "Dance Throw Down," and is in conversation with both Fox and Nickelodeon networks to produce and direct several television shows and a feature film.

A self-taught dancer who cites Michael Jackson as his biggest inspiration, Scott began imitating the moves he saw in videos and films when he was a teenager. At six-foot-four, Scott was on a basketball scholarship at Weber State University in Utah when he got his first break as a dancer. A local dance troupe set to perform a 10-minute show before a concert by a known rapper invited Scott to replace one of their dancers. It was his first public performance. He began to find work dancing in videos on going on tour, but discovered that because of his height, there weren't too many people he could dance with, resulting in his concentration on choreography. He is set as a choreographer on the upcoming feature film "Burning Sands," starring Elijah Kelley of "Hairspray."

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