On the streets, parking lots, and slippery floors of the Crystal Palace Roller Rink in Memphis, Tennessee, Charles “Lil Buck” Riley learned the smooth art of Memphis jookin, igniting a lifelong passion for dance. From the time he was 12 years old, Lil Buck worked to perfect the intricate footwork of jookin, a fluid street dance style that evolved from the Gangsta Walk, as well as the eye-popping isolated jolts of bucking. Quickly, he became one of the most admired street dancers of his generation. Lil Buck won a scholarship to study ballet and took his dancing to a whole new level, merging street-style jookin with classical technique. After a breathtaking video taken of him dancing to Camille Saint-Saëns’ “The Swan” accompanied by famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma went viral, Lil Buck’s career exploded.

In this exuberant documentary, director Louis Wallecan takes an in-depth look at this extraordinary artist whose passion, drive, discipline, and talent have blazed a unique new path in the world of dance that has included performing all over the world, touring with Madonna, mentoring young dance students, and becoming a passionate advocate for arts education.

—Andrea Passafiume

Directed by

Louis Wallecan