Honey Daniels works as a bartender, a record store clerk and a dance teacher at a
NYC community center run by her mother. She wants to become a
hip hop choreographer, though her mother presses her to teach ballet uptown. Honey and her rival Katrina are recorded having a dance-off. She and her friend Gina find brothers Benny and Raymond
street dancing and invite them to her classes. The dance-off video reaches video director Michael Ellis, who hires Honey as a backup dancer and later as a
choreographer. Her career brings money and fame, but takes her away from the center and the neighborhood kids. After Benny gets into a fight, Honey hires him as her assistant to keep him out of trouble. She convinces Michael to hire her students as dancers in
Ginuwine's new video. Honey begins dating Raymond's barber Chaz, who inspires her to prioritize her happiness over fame. She puts down a deposit on an old store she can turn into a dance studio. Michael insists Honey go with him to an "important meeting," causing her to cancel the birthday trip with Gina. The meeting turns out to be a networking party, where Michael drunkenly hits on her. She slaps him and leaves. The next day, Gina is furious to see a photo of Honey at the party. At the Ginuwine shoot, Michael fires Honey and the kids for her spurning him, replacing her with Katrina. Honey is forced to break the bad news to the kids, who are heartbroken over losing their chance to be in a music video. Benny returns to drug dealing, only to get arrested and land in
juvie. Honey then visits him shortly before his release and mentions that she wants to help him once he is out, but he starts to insult her. She attempts to express disappointment about his choices, but Benny continues belittling her and tells her to leave him alone. As she prepares to leave, Honey manages to ask Benny how often his gangster friends have visited, causing him to become visibly saddened and silent. She then departs and he instantly regrets his rudeness towards her, realizing that she was the only one that cared enough to visit him due his gang "friends" not truly caring about him and his own mother and brother's refusal to visit because of their disappointments in him. He also realizes that he has mainly disappointed himself by making bad decisions that could get him imprisoned for life or killed. Gina eventually forgives Honey, and encourages her to trust in herself. As Honey's income dries up due to Michael's influence in the industry, she is unable to pay the remainder of the store's
down payment, which will soon go back on the market. Honey decides to hold a dance benefit and newly released Benny brings his dance friends to help, teaching them some moves he learned while in juvie. Michael pushes Katrina as choreographer for a
Missy Elliott video, but Missy prefers Honey. Having realized his huge mistake, Michael profusely apologises to Honey and begs her come back, offering to buy her the studio. Realizing that he is in major trouble with his artists, Honey calls him out on his hypocrisy and selfishness. She rejects his offer and makes him realize that he both messed up her career and betrayed and hurt the kids out of his own pettiness. She then tells Michael that she will get the studio on her own merits and leaves him feeling regretful over his actions. Gina's bank manager asks arts donors to attend the benefit, which is a full house and everyone is enthusiastic about the performances. Honey's mother sees that the dance form her daughter loves can give her everything that ballet could. The bank manager assures Honey the building is fully funded. Missy arrives as the benefit finishes, rushing in to meet Honey. She introduces Honey to
Blaque at her new dance studio,
The Bronx Dance Center, to prepare their new video. ==Cast==