It has been quite some time since a dance film released on Netflix. After Work It, the streaming platform has released Into The Beat (Dein Herz tanzt), a German original film. Director Stefan Westerwelle wrote the story along with Hannah Schweier. It stars Alexandra Pfeifer, Yalany Marschner, and Trystan Pütter. So does the film make you put on your dancing shoes? Read our review to know the same.
Into The Beat is a story of a teenage girl named Katya (Alexandra Pfeifer), a Ballerina. Her mother was one, and her father, Victor (Trystan Pütter), is one too. Victor wants Katya to carry on the family’s tradition of being the best in Ballet and get selected in the New York Ballet Academy. One day, Victor falls from a wire during his performance, and that leaves permanent damage on his leg. The pressure on Katya is now more to keep up with the family name and be the best Ballerina.
Katya feels suffocated due to all the expectations her father and her dance teacher have from her. One night, furious, Katya goes out cycling and ends up meeting a huge group of Hip-Hop street dancers. She is fascinated to see how much they enjoy the dance and blown away by their moves and jumps. The next morning, she revisits the group and joins them in rehearsals. That’s where she meets Marlon (Yalany Marschner), who helps her excel in the art of Hip-Hop dancing.
The more Katya falls in love with Hip-Hop, the more she gets driven away from Ballet dancing. What will happen when her father finds out? Will she be a good Hip-Hop dancer, considering how she struggled a bit with Ballet? That’s what the Into The Beat is all about.
I have never seen a Ballet dance practice session in reality. But I really want to know, are they really so depressing? The Ballet dancers look terrified, and their teacher looks like someone who punishes them brutally if they smile even a bit. Even if they were trying to show us Katya’s vision towards Ballet dancing, they could’ve shown other Ballerinas enjoying it. I am sure not everyone was forced to be there. The Hip-Hop dance sequences are shot wonderfully, and it is the only plus factor in the film.
The story of Into The Beat is as simple as I’ve explained in the summary above. With no surprise element throughout the film, it is predictable. We have seen the story of a boy helping a girl in dancing/singing in so many movies and eventually falling in love. We have seen parents forcing their career expectations on their children. In the end, everyone is happy. It’s a tried and tested overdone formula.
Into The Beat majorly has Alexandra Pfeifer (Katya) and Yalany Marschner’s (Marlon) scenes. The actors did a splendid job with their sleek moves and captivating chemistry together. Trystan Pütter’s Victor appears one-dimensional, but the actor played his part well.
Into The Beat: Is it worth it?
Overall, Into The Beat has nothing new to offer. The film is just like any other romantic dance drama we have seen in the past.
Into The Beat is currently streaming on Netflix.
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