No one really ever changed the world by dancing, no matter how many teenagers bought legwarmers in the 1980s, but Rize, a film by David LaChapelle, documents as worthy an attempt as any to do so.

Emerging from the ashes of the Rodney King riots in 1992, a new form of street dancing called "krumping" gave the young, predominantly black population of South Central Los Angeles a chance to channel their energies away from the twin evils of gangs and drugs. Improbably pioneered by a hip-hop clown named Tommy, the kids painted their faces, flexed their pecs and turned the parking lots and basketball courts into gladiatorial dance arenas.

Rize picks up the story after krumping has already become a way of life for what seems like thousands of impassioned hot-steppers. We see two years in the life of rival troupes — the Clowners and the Krumpers — as they prepare for their ultimate "ghetto ballet" dance-off.

Kinetic, beat-heavy, the film is most effective when it allows the performers to tell their own story through their extraordinary athleticism. LaChapelle's attempts at providing context, through scenes featuring African tribal dancing, church preaching and newsreel footage, give us a revealing indication of the dancers' hotch-potch of influences, but it's not quite as compelling as simply watching them in action. Even so, there are still enough scenes of people getting krumped to keep most viewers entertained. (David LaChapelle, USA 2005, 101 mins)

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