Watch Shall We Dance?

Shall We Dance is a Japanese film from 1996 and could be classified as a romantic comedy. The movie is tacitly critical of some of the restrictive elements of traditional Japanese culture. Watching the movie it is important to understand that at the time ballroom dancing was considered inappropriate and frivolous for a businessman to take on as a hobby.

The movie concerns a "salaryman," which would be kind of like the American idea of cubicle dweller and company man, who secretly decides to take ballroom dancing classes. While he initially does so because of a woman, he soon finds himself getting to know his teacher and fellow dancers. The movie shows how a passion can help change a person's viewpoint and life. There are a lot of comedic elements in this movie to help leaven the serious bits.