With the Christmas season winding down, there’s still time to catch up on the best of this year’s holiday-themed movies. A Christmas Dance Reunion is a worthy addition to this list, and will make the heart of any High School Musical fan swell with Christmas cheer.
Seeing Monique Coleman and Corbin Bleu on screen together after the cultural phenomenon that was High School Musical was almost too much, in the best possible way. These two made pre-teens and teens everywhere believe in love. While the franchise was built on the teen romance of Troy (Zac Efron) and Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens), true fans knew the solid couple to cheer for was Taylor and Chad played by Coleman and Bleu respectively. Their reunion couldn’t have come at a better time, when we all needed it most.
Coleman plays Lucy, a successful lawyer, because every holiday movie needs one of those. She reunites with her childhood dance partner, Barrett, played by Bleu. The dancing, around which the majority of this movie is based, was absolutely delightful. There was a perfect balance between PG, family friendly fun, and stolen glances, breath hitches, and drawn-out pauses that left much to the imagination in the most salacious way. Coleman and Bleu strike this balance perfectly, and their electricity comes through the screen in every one of their scenes.
Lifetime is another network, along with Hallmark and Netflix, that knows what viewers want to watch during the holiday season. A picturesque, holiday-themed village, gorgeous lead actors, and the threat of a beloved landmark being shut down are just what the doctor ordered as the nights get colder and longer. The story’s premise is simple enough, which only makes the movie as a whole more endearing. The added trope of reconnecting with a past love made A Christmas Dance Reunion the ultimate holiday package.
As electrifying as Coleman and Bleu were through the entire movie, the secondary characters really brought the entire story together. It was also refreshing to see an ensemble cast led by actors who were not overwhelmingly white. Kim Roberts as Lucy’s mother was a revelation and such an incredibly comforting vision of a loving and supportive mother. Roy Lewis as Barrett’s Uncle Hank was the heart and soul of the story, always putting his family first and working with his loved ones to save his inn. Marlee (Sasha Clements) was the reporter (another fixture of holiday movies) who had to shed light on the whole situation, to drum up support to keep the inn in business.
A Christmas Dance Reunion was also a meditation on nostalgia. The classic holiday premise that sees reuniting with a childhood connection was played to perfection. This time of year compels us all not only to reflect on the year just past, but to revisit years gone by. A Christmas Dance Reunion is nostalgia done right, seeing characters call to mind the best parts of times past. Seeing everything through the young eyes of Posie (Vanessa Lauren Fox) made the story that much more poignant, and showed the importance of passing our stories down from generation to generation to ensure they continue to be remembered. This is the perfect season for this message.
A Christmas Dance Reunion is truly a reunion of the best kind. Casting two beloved actors in a movie that is reminiscent of the romantic plot for which they were initially known for is fan-service of the best kind. Coleman and Bleu have such incredible natural chemistry, and they lend themselves perfectly to romantic stories that are so endearing. We could see them in an infinite number of settings, and they would still be the definition of perfection. This will hopefully not be the last time fans see them team up, and I personally can’t wait to see what is next for them.
A Christmas Dance Reunion is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime.