(Written by Allison Brown)
If you’re looking for a more wholesome, emotionally grounded alternative to 2000’s Bring It On, Rick Gomez has you covered. Led by real-life father-daughter duo, Steve Zahn as Jason and Audrey Zahn in her feature debut as Claire, She Dances thoughtfully navigates grief and the inelegance of mending complex relationships with an injection of heart and humor. The title appears to be drawn from a t-shirt worn by a parent in the background that reads: “My girl? She dances.” Though a subtle detail, it poignantly encapsulates the underlying theme of familial pride. Viewers will find it difficult to hold back tears as Jason and Claire move closer to longingly repairing their emotional bond.
Following the death of his son, Jack, Jason’s life has fallen into disarray, leaving him at odds with his daughter, Claire, and estranged from his ex-wife, Deb (Rosemarie DeWitt). Jason is in the process of selling his bourbon company, 2 Jacks, alongside his business partner, Brian (Ethan Hawke in a surprisingly secondary role). When Claire’s grandmother sustains an injury, Deb is called away from chaperone duty for Claire’s dance competition. While at first hesitant, Jason reluctantly agrees to drive Claire and her bestie, Kat (Mackenzie Ziegler), setting the plot in motion.
Immediately upon driving, Jason is relegated to the backseat while the girls sit in the front, a clear metaphor for his position in his daughter’s life as he watches her grow up from the sidelines. Their road trip is filled with comedic mishaps. Hoping to spark a sense of nostalgia, Jason suggests they stop at a diner from Claire’s childhood, where she used to retrieve “garbage parachute guys” from a fountain. The spot has since been turned into a generic Mexican restaurant. In another misguided effort to impress, he cancels Deb’s hotel reservation and rebooks the Big Chief Waterslide Suite. Unfortunately, he mistakenly requests the wrong date, landing them instead at a sketchy motel ironically named “Down the Road.” Though Jason’s efforts often fall short, Claire begins to recognize his good intentions, opening the door for healing.
The authentic relationship between father and daughter at the core is what makes this so successful. Steve and Audrey surely have a wonderful relationship in real life, or it wouldn’t come through on screen. Their playful bickering is believable and endearing, adding depth and warmth. Furthermore, what appears to be actual home video footage from Audrey’s childhood is weaved in to progress the story, creatively enhancing the story’s emotional beats by taking advantage of the special circumstances at play. Performances across the board are strong, with Mackenzie Ziegler delivering a particularly charming turn to playfully riff off the father-daughter pairing.
A playful score humorously hyperbolizes the small-scale “daddy chaperone” tasks faced by a confused and overwhelmed, yet well-meaning father who simply wants to do right by his daughter. In one particularly amusing sequence, the music mirrors the tension of an action movie as Jason navigates a sprawling hotel maze with intense focus—only to provide unimportant items from a bag. It is a perfect reflection of how seriously Jason takes his second chance at fatherhood, even when the stakes are low.
The hotel scenes echo early 2000s energy, calling back to Bring It On in tone and structure. Here, competitive dance replaces cheerleading, with several impressively choreographed routines that showcase genuine talent. Each routine is edited just right—enough to impress while building narrative momentum and noting tough competition. Claire’s rivalry with fellow dancer, Marla (Haley Fish), adds another layer, calling to mind the Rancho Carne Toros versus East Compton Clovers dynamic. For millennial viewers, these nostalgic touchpoints are both intentional and effective.
Director Rick Gomez excels at narrative continuity, as jokes and visuals are smartly revisited. A random guy in the Mexican restaurant at the beginning comments on Claire’s revealing yoga pants to hit on her, and Jason defends her. Later, the lewd dance moms comment on Brian’s pants to sexualize him too. Split screen is often frequently by cinematographer David Morrison, with sounds from one side often bleeding into and reacting to the other—a creative touch that emphasizes the characters’ parallel daily routines. Both Jason and Claire are shown side-by-side watching the same home videos of their loved one who passed away, Jack (their son and brother, respectively). This visual motif continues towards the end, where even the wall between them features vertical lines that symbolically mirror the split screen, as the father and daughter embrace while passing over the divider, in a metaphor for their slow reunion.
In the end, this gem isn’t just about dance—it is about the choreography of reconnection. Through grief, awkward humor, and a series of earnest blunders, a father and daughter learn to move in sync again. With touching performances, singular direction, and emotional authenticity, wit and sentiment are balanced in a manner that feels both grounded and cathartic.
She Dances will sneak up the viewer and remain top of mind long after the final routine after it premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival on Thursday, June 5th.
