Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Tween-friendly dance drama has some language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Dance Rivals
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
DANCE RIVALS tells the story of Lex (Savannah Lee May), her mother Rachel (Maria Canals-Barrera), and younger sister Kerri (Ava Whitworth), who are struggling to make ends meet. When Rachel gets a job in Los Angeles, Lex is sad that they have to relocate and start over (again!), but happy that she and Kerri will be able to keep following their passion for dance. Soon after the move, Lex finds herself drawn into the world of LA's dance competition scene, as well as starting to crush on the cute guy who works at the grocery store, Travis (Gunner Burkhardt). Lex joins a dance team and discovers that Travis is also a dancer there. Lex and Travis are quickly abandoned by Skyla (Laura Krystine), the queen bee of the team who's jealous of both them. Can Lex and Travis put together their own team, good enough to beat Skyla and with the scholarship to a prestigious school of the arts?
Is It Any Good?
Although it has its heart in the right place and a lot of positivity, the main appeal of this movie is likely limited to tweens who love contemporary dance and dance competitions. The Dance Rivals story is too predictable, with the outcome never in doubt, to offer much to viewers who've seen it all before. The dancing is fairly good, helped a lot by slick camera work and clever editing that cover some areas where skill may be lacking. But there's not a lot of variety, and the overall feeling is that you're watching similar routines over and over. The characters are fairly well developed, so tweens and young teens will find it easy to root for Lex, her friends, and family as they dance their way to making their dreams come true.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about role models in Dance Rivals. Which characters do you admire? What are their character strengths and weaknesses?
Lex shows a lot of humility even when people praise her talent. Why is this an important character strength?
How does teamwork help Lex and her friends in dance competitions?
Why are dance movies popular? What do we love about them? Do you have a favorite, and if so, how does this movie compare?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : July 16, 2024
- Cast : Savannah Lee May , Gunner Burkhardt , Maria Canals-Barrera
- Director : Nayip Ramos
- Inclusion Information : Latino Movie Director(s)
- Studio : Vision Films
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Arts , Family Stories ( Siblings )
- Character Strengths : Humility , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Run time : 93 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate