Dance Brothers revolves around two brothers who open a club together while trying to make a name for themselves as professional dancers. However, their ambitions test their relationship. The series is now streaming on Netflix.
Story
Sakari and Roni Luoto dream of becoming successful dancers together. When they return to Finnlad from England, they have no choice but to stay with their mother and work different jobs as they struggle to make their dreams come true.
An opportunity presents itself when a couple offers to rent their warehouse to them to open their club. This would allow them to work on their dance moves during the day, move out of their mother’s house, and make a living at the same time.
Sakari, who works as a bartender, is excited to open his own club, and Roni eventually accepts the offer. The brothers name it Laundry. However, opening a club is one thing, making a profit is another.
The brothers need to find a way to make their business work while looking for opportunities that will help them make a name for themselves as dancers.
While the two brothers love and care about each other, their personal ambitions, romantic relationships, and business problems test their relationship time and time again. Will they make their dream come true, or will it always remain a dream?
Performances
Roderick Kabanga is a powerful performer. He embodies Roni’s seriousness, strength, anxiety, and passion in a way that grabs the attention of the audience. Roni is a flawed character, and he will frustrate the audience, but due to Kabanga’s portrayal, they will never truly dislike him.
Sakari is the opposite of Roni in a lot of ways. Samuel Kujala’s portrayal makes the audience believe that Sakari is more carefree and easygoing as compared to Roni. He shines in his own way and manages to leave a distinct mark.
Apart from the two lead actors, Jeanine Muyima as Karo also leaves an impact. She, as well as Kabanga and Kujala, not only impress the audience with their acting but also their dance moves.
Positives
The two brothers in the show are both flawed in their own ways, but their flaws make them seem human, and the audience will be able to understand their perspective when they fight with each other. In fact, the audience might even relate to them.
The show tries to explore the difference between art and showmanship through the two brothers, which not only gives their relationship a unique angle but also shows why they need each other. The show does not favor one thing over the other; it depicts reality as it is and allows the audience to choose a side on their own.
Additionally, there is a ludicrous performance in the show that is applauded by the critics. The show seems to be commenting on the fact that the audience blindly accepts acts that are acclaimed by the critics, even if they are so absurd that they are laughable.
Apart from the story of the two brothers, Karo and Angelo’s conflict is an interesting subplot; it is rooted in reality. While the end result is not so realistic, it is definitely satisfactory.
Negatives
While there are some very exciting dance sequences, like the battle between the brothers and Sakari and Karo’s dance when they break up that transcends space, the final and much-awaited performance by the brothers is disappointing, to say the least.
Furthermore, there are scenes where a particular performance is talked about, but the audience never gets to see it, as it happens behind the scenes. They just get to see the reaction of the audience in the show. It is not pleasant when a show about dance leaves dance performances to the imagination of the audience.
Finally, the drama in the end is also disappointing. The resolution of the conflict does not feel quite complete. It would have been better if the show had given it the time it needed to make the ending satisfactory.
Verdict
Dance Brothers is a show with enough drama that will get the audience invested but not enough dance. It is a passable show as long as the audience does not start it expecting to see a lot of dance sequences.
Also Read: Dance Brothers summary and ending explained