A co-production between Jamaica and, erm, Canada isn't what you'd normally regard as fruitful ground for a searing dance movie.

Yet this exuberant drama sweetly outmanoeuvres the likes of Step Up and Stomp The Yard with its brutally elegant dance moves and gritty back story.

Director Ian Iqbal Rashid swiftly and efficiently deals with the tragic past of Grade A student Raya Green (Wesley).

She's grieving for her older sister, whose death from a drugs overdose decimated the Jamaican family's kitty and forced her to leave her elite prep school.

Back on the cold streets of Toronto, she's given a chilly welcome from tough girl Michelle (Tre Armstrong), who looks set to follow Raya's sister to a drug-addled early grave.

Asserting herself, she high-steps her way into the ranks of the JSJ, a male-dominated dance troupe led by Bishop (Dwain Murphy) who are headed for a national dance-off in Detroit.

At the same time Raya's struggling to pass the scholarship exam back into her old school while her ambitious mom and kindly dad go head-to-head.

While not exactly an original storyline, this is dealt verve and vim by terrific performances - particularly from Wesley and Armstrong - and looks suitably urban thanks to cinematographer Andre Pienaar.

But its strong suits are the razor sharp and muscle-pounding dance setpieces (sublimely choreographed by Hi Hat) which make the Step Up crew look like Pan's People.

Tim Evans