A love n’ lust triangle ensues when a too-curvy ingenue rejected from the ballet world is thrown into the gladiator pit of international Latin dance where two male competitors vie for her attention as they strive to win her and the title.
As she changes from rejected white swan to sex bomb, she is empowered yet becomes more confused when she dances. Is it lust she feels? Love?
Or is it just FloorPlay?
(love interest) – When Marc becomes smitten with Melinda he tramples over Stephanie, his sister. She responds vindictively by lending Melinda a costume designed to unravel. Stephanie’s revenge unwittingly harms her brother Marc instead.
(protagonist) – Melinda is young, naive, and at war with the curves in her body. Her expulsion from the ballet world leads her into the extroverted arena of Latin dancing where to survive she must learn to flaunt the curves she desperately tried to hide, deal with Dmitri, a megalomaniac Russian Latin champion, who uses seduction as a weapon, and navigate the political minefield of female rivals and studio owner, Jacquelyn, who will stop at nothing, including bribing the judges, to ensure Dmitri and her studio come in first place.
(antagonist) – Dmitri is an unapologetic ambitious narcissist. He is sexy, knows it, and uses it to advance his agenda. When he recognizes Melinda’s talent may give him the competitive edge it wreaks havoc with his partnership with Oksana. Dmitri pushes Melinda, testing how far she can be manipulated. He’ll do whatever is necessary to win, – crossing the line sexually, betraying his mentor, and overstepping boundaries with his boss Jacquelyn.
(mentor/ former champion) – Xavier is ousted from his studio by Jacqueline. Melinda finds him at the Underground nightclub drowning his sorrows and begs him to teach her even though she doesn’t have a dance partner. Xavier takes on the challenge to change Melinda from white swan to sex bomb by using a pole to teach the “connection and leverage.” He has a bombastic burlesque style and throws down a gauntlet to test Melinda’s determination. He teaches her not to hide – as he did before coming out.
(mentor, former champion) – Lana is an elegant ballet mistress who suggests Melinda try Latin dance. She coaches Melinda to use her femininity for empowerment. Lana and Xavier are former champion dance partners and have a love that exists on the dance floor.
(Melinda’s roommate) – Gloria is a savvy Broadway gypsy from Brooklyn who provides comic relief. Gloria is a full-figured, vivacious redhead that gives Melinda the facts of life straight up with a dose of humor.
(studio owner) – Jacquelyn is a conniving cougar who ousts Xavier and takes over his studio. Jacquelyn is ruthless in her ambition to make her studio and her competition number one. She pays for everything Dmitri needs to be the champion- coaching, costumes, bribes- but for a price. Melinda doesn’t like Jacquelyn but comes to respect her because she’s playing hardball in a man’s world.
(Marc’s sister) – Stephanie is Marc’s sister and dance partner since age five. She’s less interested in competing than designing costumes but feels threatened by Melinda’s talent and her brother’s increasing interest in Melinda. Stephanie’s jealousy causes her to try and sabotage Melinda at the competition, accidentally injuring her brother instead of Melinda.
(russian dance partner of Dmitri) — Oksana is a sexy, platinum blonde, hard as nails Russian partner of Dmitri. Oksana is still in love with Dmitri and is not about to let newcomer Melinda, ruin her chances to win the title. She is ruthless and knows what winning can do for her career and will stop at nothing, including sleeping with the judges to get ahead.
After her partner is unable to lift her in a “White Swan” pas de deux class, Melinda’s fear that she’s too big to be a ballerina is further confirmed by the ballet director Mr. V, who tells Melinda he needs to see, “bones not bosoms.” Although devastated and demoralized, Melinda still wants to dance. Ballet mistress, Lana, suggests Melinda find Xavier, owner of the Champion Ballroom.
Melinda thinks ballroom dancing is for old people and is morose because she believes she’s too fat to dance. When she tells Gloria, her roommate, that her “Thass” got her fired, Gloria bursts into laughter. (Thass is where her thigh meets her ass) Gloria who is heavier than Melinda sympathizes but also explains it takes more than talent to make it. Melinda must want it above all else.
Melinda leaves the stark black and white esthetic world of ballet for the colorful and sensual arena of International Latin. Dmitri, the hottest Latin dancer in NY takes one look at her and decides she can’t dance. The other female dancers, Stephanie, and Oksana cackle that’s she’s just a rejected bunhead who is too uptight to ever be a Latin dancer. Marc is mildly flirtatious. Only Xavier, the studio owner, and former champion recognizes Melinda has untapped talent and that her ballet training is an asset.
On Melinda’s first day at the ballroom studio, Dmitri betrays his mentor, Xavier, and aligns himself with Jacquelyn who takes over the studio and announces Dmitri is the new dance director. Dmitri tells Melinda he “can only have people who already know how to dance” around him. Melinda is fired before she’s even hired and once again has no place to dance. She is worse off than before because she has seen and felt the spark of “Floorplay,” – Latin dancing.
Melinda tracks down Xavier who is drowning his sorrows at a sophisticated men’s club, The Underground where he choreographs the show numbers. Melinda begs Xavier to teach her even though she doesn’t have a partner. Xavier declines, claiming he’s through with the cut-throat world of ballroom and Latin dancing. However, when he learns it was Mr. V who dismissed Melinda because she was too curvy, he takes on the challenge to change Melinda from white swan to sex bomb by using a pole to teach the “connection and leverage” needed for Latin partnering.
Everything Melinda knows as a dancer is turned upside down and inside out. Her curvy figure which she tried desperately to hide in ballet is now her biggest asset, and she must learn to flaunt it. Xavier is a flamboyant extrovert and can out ‘bump and grind’ Melinda. He throws down the gauntlet, telling Melinda if she can get a $100 tip while performing at the Underground without taking her clothes off, she’ll be ready for the gladiator pit of International Latin competition.
Lana, Xavier’s classier partner, chastises Xavier for putting Melinda to such a ridiculous test. Lana faced difficult circumstances in her career and instructs Melinda on the power of being a woman, how to stay in control while exploring her femininity, and most importantly, how to be true to herself.
When Melinda performs again, Marc, the love interest, happens to be in the audience to witness her triumph. Marc is instantly smitten, but Xavier warns Marc to be a gentleman. Melinda is puzzled as to why he’s standoffish. Gloria gives Melinda a comedic tutorial on how easy it is to attract a man.
Melinda returns to “The Champion Ballroom” which Jacquelyn has renamed the “The Elite Ballroom.” She is paired with Marc, Stephanie’s brother, because Stephanie is sidelined with an injury. Stephanie sees that Melinda and Marc have chemistry and becomes jealous. Dmitri, the hotheaded Russian Latin dancer, now recognizes Melinda’s potential and the possibility of winning the national title because of her balletic skills. He secretly rehearses with her late at night after the studio closes. Dmitri makes Melinda change her hair color, her clothing, her entire look so she almost resembles his Russian partner, Oksana. Melinda senses she’s losing her real self but goes along with his demands because she’s learning to dance from one of the best Latin dancers. Late one night in rehearsal, Dmitri pushes Melinda to her limits, seducing her on the dance floor, throwing Melinda’s emotions into a tailspin, testing how far she’s willing to go to win. Melinda is excited by Dmitri until he pushes her into a compromising position.
Oksana walks in on Dmitri and Melinda and for spite, she texts Marc, who she knows has feelings for Melinda. Marc rushes into the studio and is upset by what he finds. He drives Melinda home but leaves her on the doorstep saying he no longer knows who she is. Melinda is also confused by her feelings, knows she must take action, but feels lost. Gloria, her roommate, gives Melinda perspective with a sardonic song. – “He’s Just a Spraytan Man.”
The following day, Dmitri delivers an ultimatum. If Melinda dances with him, she could win the national competition and be a champion. If she dances with Marc she will be fired.
When Melinda chooses to dance with Marc, Dmitri fires them both. Melinda and Marc leave to find Xavier and Lana at The Underground. Xavier agrees to train them, in part to have revenge on Jacquelyn, who ousted him from his studio and made Dmitri, dance director. Xavier knows Marc and Melinda will never beat Dmitri and Oksana. However, when it is announced the competition solos will be televised, Xavier senses an opportunity.
Xavier and Lana teach Marc and Melinda their famous world championship routine for the televised spotlight solo. The routine has several dangerous but very exciting lifts. Combined with Melinda’s balletic skills, Marc and Melinda have a chance to wow the crowd.
As Marc and Melinda rehearse and work side by side washing dishes at The Underground nightclub, they become increasingly attracted to one another and their chemistry on the dance floor becomes more apparent. Xavier is excited – his team may have a chance.
On the day of the big competition, Dmitri and Oksana do their best to disrupt Melinda and Marc on the dance floor. Marc’s sister Stephanie commits the ultimate sabotage by lending Melinda a beautifully beaded costume designed to unravel. In a twist of fate, the sprawling beads injure her brother, Marc, not Melinda.
For their spotlight solo, Marc must lift Melinda over his head and catch her with a severely injured wrist. Melinda decides to trust Marc with her life and in the pinnacle moment when he lifts her overhead and catches her, not only do they receive the only standing ovation, but Melinda’s former humiliation in the ballet class of being too big to be lifted is eclipsed.
It is clear that Marc and Melinda are the people’s choice. Dmitri and Oksana take first place, but it is an empty win, manufactured by Jacquelyn who discreetly pays off the judges. In the end, Melinda places second but she has won much more; she’s found love, embraced her body and most importantly regained her self-respect.
