Year: 2001
Runtime: 94 mins
Language: Cantonese
Director: Andrew Lau
Namson Lau teaches ballroom dance, presenting himself onstage as a polished, suave gentleman. Beneath that genteel veneer he is cunning and greedy, treating dance solely as a means to amass wealth, caring little for the art itself or any higher purpose.
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Read the complete plot breakdown of Dance of a Dream (2001), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.
Namson Lau is a ballroom dancing instructor who performs with polish and charm on stage, presenting himself as a refined, suave figure. Offstage, however, he is calculated and greedy, treating dance as a route to fortune rather than an art with meaning. His ambition is raw, and the lure of wealth has begun to shape how he teaches and who he teaches.
Kam has only modest qualifications and leads a life of repetitive toil, yet remains hopeful and resilient. When she attends a ball hosted by aristocrat Tina Cheung and sees Namson Lau perform, she is captivated by his grace and precision, and decides to enroll in his dance classes in the hope of someday dancing with him.
At the same time, Jimmy Cheung is the brother of Tina Cheung, and Namson is asked by Tina to help her sister in tango. He takes on the task, and this assignment reveals the dual pull in Namson’s life: he sees a chance to earn higher fees and win Tina’s patronage, while Kam’s quiet admiration for his artistry begins to challenge his priorities.
As Namson coaches Tina and Kam, he becomes distracted by the prospect of wealth. He pursues bigger goals—buying his dream dance studio in Central and competing in the Blackpool Dance Festival in England—often at the expense of his students’ progress. Because of this, [Tina Cheung] buys Namson’s dream studio in Central as a generous gift, a gesture that complicates the balance between dream and integrity.
Kam continues to work multiple part-time jobs to fund her lessons, her faith in Namson’s talent fueling her perseverance. [Kam] organizes a party with her fellow dance students for Namson, a celebration that brings joy to the group and helps rekindle Namson’s love for the craft, while also nudging Tina toward a more outgoing presence.
The turning point arrives as the party’s warmth and the renewed energy around dance spark a personal shift in Namson. He realizes he has fallen in love with Kam, setting up a difficult choice between the dream he pursues with Tina and the deep connection he shares with Kam.
In the end, the story balances ambition and affection in a world where dance is both livelihood and language. The film pairs glamorous, kinetic dance sequences with intimate character moments, inviting viewers to consider what it means to chase a dream without losing sight of the people who matter most.
Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:39
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