Break the Stage

Break the Stage tells the story of Tia Lewis, a troubled teen at an urban Florida high school, who struggles to win her father's approval and the respect of her step team, only to discover she must confront her own faults before she can lead the team to the Nationals. Tia's journey of self-discovery includes an ensemble cast of multi-racial high school students, each with their own personal issues, who clash with Tia's style and her inability to deal with the death of her mother and her father's unrealistic expectations. Slavery in America created the legacy for stepping. Denied the freedom to communicate, against the rules of their owners, slaves clapped their hands, stomped their feet, and uttered sounds to preserve their culture. But for Tia, as a black girl and supposedly free today, she couldn't help but wonder if slaves back then didn't want more than just being legally free. "e;Being free won't guarantee people will respect you. Being free doesn't mean people will respect your dream of what you want in life... what you want to be. Where does that come from? How do you get anyone to listen?"e; Therein lies the message of Break the Stage and Tia's story. Freedom is more than a legal status. Freedom means the chance, the ability, and the means to pursue our dreams.