87 minutes – Drama
Festival release date: September 1994 (TIFF)
US release date: March 10, 1995
DVD release date: May 6, 2008
Canadian distributor: Cineplex Odeon Films

Based on a book by W.P. Kinsella, Dance Me Outside centers on a Northern Ontario reserve. Silas Crow (Ryan Black) and Frank Fencepost (Adam Beach) are drifting through life. With a dream of escaping to Toronto and enrolling in a mechanics course, Silas begins writing his entrance paper about life on the reserve. A visit from his sister (who left the reserve and married a white man), Silas’ ex-girlfriend’s sudden activism, and the murder of a native by a white man all drive Silas and Frank to awakening to issues beyond the dance on Saturday. Variety magazine said, “Bolstered by a winning youthful cast, the film is a droll ensemble piece that makes its points skillfully and effortlessly.” Bruce Kirkland of the Toronto Sun called it “a smart, funny, emotionally gripping film…with a fresh perspective.”

The poster for Dance Me Outside was scanned from an original in the Northernstars Collection.