Stomp the Yard

Reviewed by:
Pete Hammond

Perfectly timed for the Martin Luther King holiday weekend, Stomp the Yard bursts on to the screen with staggering dance sequences and an inspiring story about one person's quest to find his own voice in world full of conformity. The story centers around DJ (break-out star Columbus Short), a loser sort of kid from the hood who finds value in his life when he gets to a southern college and discovers a traditional dance called "stepping" largely known only in African-American fraternities. Soon his fancy footwork, first perfected in a different form on the rough streets of South Central L.A., thrusts him right in the middle of a fierce rivalry between frat houses. His talents create a classic rivalry with the "star" of Mu Gamma Xi, which is further complicated when he gets steppin' with the guy's girlfriend as well. A lot of this results in predictable plotting with a secret plan hatched by DJ's archenemy to get him expelled just before the final competition. Although the film doesn't offer anything startlingly original, Stomp the Yard is a well-intentioned, unexpected and refreshingly different sort of movie in at least one way—it offers something positive in a genre that often is much better known for exploitation than inspiration.

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