"How She Move" doesn't do itself any favors with a title that betrays the intelligence behind this surprisingly engaging movie. But you could almost forgive author Annmarie Morais for luring a teenage audience into the theaters with a street-wise phrase because there was a goal-oriented, inspirational agenda at heart.

With low-key characters and a percussive beat in an urban setting, it isn't until the end that the realization really hits that the film is a rarity. Like "Step Up" last year, it stars a teenager who finds solutions in step dance. But this movie centers around a black female who is academically talented and strong in her beliefs, one who makes all the right choices without losing face among peers.

"Move" seems to hit the right buttons in the story of Raya Green, an aspiring medical student forced to return home from an elite school to a poverty-stricken Caribbean section of Toronto. Her sister has died of a drug overdose, and her parents can no longer afford the school.

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'How She Move'

3 stars = Good
Ratings explained

• Starring: Rutina Wesley, Tre Armstrong.
• Rating: PG-13 for some drug content, suggestive material and language.

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That means back to public school, where Raya tries to blend in with the crowd at first. She has some encounters with a nemesis, Michelle, and the bad blood moves from step-dancing encounters to a school eruption. As a punishment, Raya is forced to tutor Michelle.

Along the way she renews her love of step-dancing, generally a male-dominated competitive sport. When she learns of a $50,000 national championship prize, she decides that there may be a way out of the housing project after all.

Although Hi Hat's choreography spotlights some highly physical routines that step-dance enthusiasts should enjoy, "How She Move" also gets its legs from its strength of character.

Juilliard-trained Rutina Wesley brings depth to Raya, whose almost superhuman powers range from conquering a quadratic equation in math class to coolly breaking down sexist barriers in her group.

As Michelle, Tre Armstrong is a worthy opponent in verbal and step-dance challenges.

But there should be more script space and character development for Raya's goal-driven mother (Melanie Nichols-King), quietly supportive father (Conrad Coates) and Raya's unlikely ally, Quake (Brennan Gademans), who reads Tolstoy as passionately as he choreographs.