The Asian Dancers in ‘Step Up 3D’

By Bea

Having seen both Step Up 1 and Step Up 2, I’m feeling a little antsy with what to expect with Step Up 3D. Although it’s already out in the theaters, I’m one of those people who you actually have to drag to the movies a couple of days before they end the run of a film.

Trepidation aside, this post is actually about the different Asian dancers who director Jon M. Chu decided to put in his film. What I like about Jon is how he successfully uplifted dancers in such a way that nobody had in the past couple of years. I think from Step Up 2 came different ventures like ACDC vs M&M Cru (the online hip hop dance battle between Step Up 2 dancers, Miley Cyrus and friends that culminated in the Teen Choice Awards two years ago) and LXD (League of Extraordinary Dancers). The pull that Jon M. Chu has is undeniable, and I give him props for doing what he does.

Now, onto the dancers.

A lot of buzz has swirled around this movie but for me, there are two Asian cats in this flick that really are on top of their game:

First one is Daniel “Cloud” Campos. As the villain in Step Up 3D, this guy is one hell of a dancer. Aside from being one of the most respected bboys in the game (he’s from Skillmethodz), he’s been all over the world with Madonna for two of her world tours, danced in a couple of music videos where girls like me would rather gaze at him than at the singer and he’s one of the main men of the LXD. This half Filipino dancing machine is probably one of the best dancers at present.

Next is Harry Shum Jr., better known as Mike Chang from the series Glee. This guy, whose past work includes You Got Served, Step Up 2, those famous silhouette iPod commercials, the new Nano commercial (he’s the guy doing the moonwalk) and LXD (he’s not only a dancer but also a co-choreographer), has been on the scene for a while. As a triple threat, you know more good things are to come from this guy.

These two hip hop dance heavy weights are just toppings to the crazy roster of Step Up 3D. So if you’re like me–one who waits for the hype to die before seeing a flick–let’s kick this habit out of our system and go see this movie.

Just thinking of Cloud appearing on the big screen, in 3D nonetheless, is enough reason so get up off that thing and watch!

Bea is a senior contributor to HardKnockRadio – the site for Hip Hip. Check out her latest on Freestyle Rap Lyrics Through the Years.