High Strung is a 2016 American drama film directed by Michael Damian and written by Janeen Damian and Michael Damian. The film stars Keenan Kampa, Nicholas Galitzine, Jane Seymour, Sonoya Mizuno, Richard Southgate, and Paul Freeman. The film was released on April 8, 2016, by Paladin. A sequel High Strung: Free Dance was released in 2019.
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Plot
Ruby, a classical ballet dancer, earns a scholarship to the prestigious Manhattan Conservatory of the Arts. There, she befriends her roommate Jasmine (nicknamed "Jazzy") and catches the interest of a violinist, Kyle Endeca. With no formal training in contemporary dance, Ruby struggles with the lessons, especially in comparison to the top dancer of her class, April.
Ruby meets a struggling and moody British violinist named Johnnie, who performs in the New York City Subway for money. While watching him play, two hip-hop groups start a dance-off before the police arrives to break them up. In the chaos, Ruby gets pushed and falls down. Johnnie gets distracted while helping her, and his violin and the money he earned busking are stolen. While helping Johnnie track down his stolen violin, Ruby learns he is illegally living in the United States, which is why he is unable to file a police report. The next day, Ruby rents a loaner violin from the Conservatory and suggests to Johnnie that he should enter a competition where a dancer performs with a string musician, with the winner receiving a scholarship at the Conservatory, which could qualify Johnnie for a student visa, and $25,000. Not wanting to accept charity, Johnnie coldly brushes the idea off and rejects the violin.
