The old dance films of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and Gene Kelly, may have been a technical marvel, but they also understood that dancing was a form of communication, of things left unsaid. This film fits right in with that tradition, though of course it's using more modern dances, but I think Astaire would look at the chemistry between Chayanne and Williams when they're dancing, and approve. You can tell director Randa Haines is a fan of the dancing the way she lovingly photographs it, and gives all the dancers a chance to shine, especially during the long dance scene at the club. She's also the first director who really gives Williams a chance to cut loose and show her talent. I don't know much about Chayanne, but he's good too.

So the plot isn't much. Who watches musicals just for the plot? And actually, I liked how they handled certain aspects, like the dance competition and how Chayanne and Williams resolve their feelings for one another without even dancing together. The only real criticism I have is the movie is a little too long, but that's only a quibble.

Perhaps the ending is predictable. Perhaps the characters fit he mold. Don't measure this film by its contribution to cinema history. Instead, look at it because it is an entertaining evening. The dancing is energetic and joyful. The movie's romantic plot is believable, and that's all you really need for the story.

I recall seeing 'Saturday Night Fever' (talk about your clichéd movie plots!) and leaving the theater with nothing but the dancing of John Travolta on my mind. That movie was a huge hit, the music was terrific, and to my mind, it made John Travolta a star.

This movie gives me the same feeling. Why was it not a similar hit?

I've watched it scores of times. Chayanne and Vanessa Williams have credible chemistry on-screen and the plot, although kind of standard, is interesting enough to carry the action.

In particular, I always come back to this movie to watch the dancing. It is simply spectacular. The scene where Chayanne and Vanessa Williams' characters reach a kind of truce because they love to dance and like each other - so they go on a second date - is simply amazing. They arrive at the nightclub where they had a failed first date and the crowd parts to let them in to a kind of Latin musical dance fest where the music doesn't seem to stop long enough for anyone to sit down and catch a breath. They are immediately caught up in the swirl and almost as soon, they part and go off in different directions, passing each other, picking up different partners and having a wonderful time to the fantastic music. The scene is not about them, it's about the crowd and the sheer joy of dancing to Latin music - which in this case is not sultry and sensuous one-to-one dancing but an all-out bacchanalia of multiple partners and a pounding beat. Wonderful, wonderful!

Everything about this film feels so natural and relaxed. It's like a breath of fresh air. It's not fair to compare it to 'Strictly Ballroom' directed by Baz Luhrmann. I love his movies but I appreciate them for being grand operatic extravaganzas. 'Strictly Ballroom' was certainly that.

'Dance with Me' will always be one of my favorite movies and now I've got a crush on Chayanne that just won't quit.