Let’s be honest here, if there is one industry that has actually done quite well out of this whole lockdown, global pandemic thing, it is streaming services. Be that Amazon Prime, Disney Plus or Netflix, we have all been kept endlessly entertained by streaming whatever takes our fancy. In the flurry of new content that poured onto Netflix over lockdown, dance themed comedy Feel The Beat sort of slipped in under the radar but trust me, a theatre fan never misses something with the word Broadway in the description.

Feel The Beat is an easy going comedy, telling the story of professional dancer April (Sofia Carson) who is forced to return to her small hometown when she fails to find success on Broadway. Somehow she finds herself roped into teaching a misfit group of young dancers and preparing them for a big competition. But is she really doing it for the kids, or to help herself back to the bright lights of New York?

The idea of a dance team down on their luck dreaming of winning a big competition isn’t new, yet somehow Feel The Beat manages to take an idea that could be considered tired and refresh it. By throwing a gaggle of adorable, funny and genuinely likeable children into the mix, we are treated to a new take on it and I challenge you not to smile whilst watching it.

Sofia Carson’s April isn’t supposed to be a character that is easy to like. She’s overly confident, a little stuck up, incredibly bossy with the children and always gives the impression that she is looking down her nose at everyone. As it is with most films of this type, you expect her to change, you expect her to have some sort of developmental arch, but with April you are kept guessing about what she is going to do next throughout. Miss Barb (Donna Lynne Champlin) is April’s polar opposite, always smiling, always upbeat and always convinced that the children can make it to the competition. The interactions between the two are amusing, with plenty of back and forth.

With Rex Lee as the larger than Broadway mastermind Welly Wong, Brandon Kyle Goodman as April’s fabulous best friend Deco and Wolfgang Novogratz as Nick, there is plenty to enjoy about this film’s adult cast but it really is the children who deserve the majority of the credit. Kai Zen plays the always tutu wearing June, adorable from start to end, Lidya Jewett has her moment to shine as the studious Kari, Eva Hauge takes on the more emotional role of older dancer Sarah and Shaylee Mansfield impresses as Zuzu, dancing and performing with her real life deafness and use of ASL being seen in a hugely positive light. Also watch out for Justin Allen as young Dicky as he provides some simply delightful moments.

With a running time of just over 100 minutes, Feel The Beat certainly fits a lot in. You have the main storyline of April and class of young dancers running alongside April’s attempts to get back to Broadway, alongside the going ons between her and Nick. And thats before you even start to look at the children’s individual stories. There is a lot going on, but with many time jumps and a lot of fun, it makes it work.

Feel The Beat is light and breezy, a relief from the chaos of the world we currently live in. Yes it’s a little bit cheesy and at times you can hazard a guess at what is going to happen next, but overall, it’s just good fun. If you are at a loose end and want a couple of hours of light entertainment that will certainly make you smile, then Feel The Beat is just the ticket.