Love and War, Humanity and Dance: Musings of a Western Swing Student on Universal Pictures' Bring it On

A wise man named Brandon Flowers once asked, “Are we human? Or are we dancer?” At the time, his sign was vital and his hands were cold. He ended up on his knees looking for the answer, though we’re unsure if he ever found it. Perhaps he never did. Or perhaps he did, but he wants us each to find it for ourselves. Of course, there’s the superficial answer to this question that most quasi-intelligent individuals should know. Being human and being dancer are not two mutually exclusive events -- most dancers are also human, although most humans are not also dancers (even if they think they are -- sadly, being proficient in “twerking,” “whipping,” or “nae-nae-ing” does not qualify you as a “dancer” in this sense of the word). But then, there’s the deeper answer -- the one that transcends our limited human understanding. Just what does it mean to be human? Or dancer? What do these titles say about who we are inside -- our characters? Although it may not answer these questions entirely, the critically acclaimed film Bring It On offers us several profound insights.

Bring It On tells the tale of a cheerleading squad that’s competing for its sixth consecutive national championship. To get there, they have to overcome many obstacles -- scandal, drama, and sexual tension, among others. In the end, they end up taking second place to a rival squad, but they learn a few things along the way. (And the guy ends up with the girl, so what more could you ask for in a movie?)

One of the most important lessons from the film can be summed up in one quote: “This isn’t about cheating. It’s about winning!” Charlie Sheen can attest to that, as can Donald Trump. In life, we all want to win, and we don’t have to cheat to get there. Charlie Sheen wins because tiger blood runs through his veins. Donald Trump wins because he speaks very loudly about his great ideas (like building a big wall). Neither of them cheat, but they’re winners! The same went for the cheer squads. Indeed, the Toros chose to knowingly cheat a time or two. Did they end up winning the championship? The answer is, sadly, no. They placed second. The Toros were not winners.

But as humans, we’re bound to mess up a time or two, right? We’re not going to be winners all the time. Sometimes we have to lose every once in awhile to appreciate the times we win. To borrow a scriptural term, we have to “taste the bitter, that [we] may know to prize the good.” (Moses 6:55) The Toros had never tasted loss before, having won six national championships. Perhaps in the sequels, this loss will play to their advantage.

Dancers are meant to be perfect. When Wednesday night at the Fun Park comes, a dancer is expected to reverse-cuddle-duck-out flawlessly. But what about all those times the dancer has fetched up to get to where he or she is? Do the spectators see that? Of course not! Behind the dancer is a slew of mistakes, and that’s what makes us human. Perhaps that’s what Brandon Flowers wants us to learn. Perhaps that’s what the writers of Bring It On were trying to teach us. And perhaps that, whether we realize it or not, is why we each took Western Swing this semester.