Obstacles Of Teenage Parents In Save The Last Dance

“Save the Last Dance” is a teen drama that depicts the obstacles of a group of teenagers living in Chicago, specifically the main character Sara. Giving up her dream of becoming a prima ballerina after her mother’s death, Sarah is transferred to a school in south side Chicago to live with her father. She becomes friends with Chenille Reynolds, a single teenage mother and later begins a relationship with Chenille’s brother Derek Reynolds. Literally coming from two different worlds, they learn they both share the love of dance. Feelings of apprehension and guilt cause Sara to lose interest in her initial dream, however, with the help of her friends, father and new found love, Sara gets the courage to audition for Julliard dance Academy. Most

Teen pregnancy being more common in minority groups like African-Americans and people of lower socioeconomic status. Seen in the character, Chenille Reynolds is a teenage mother. Her son being about 2 years old, Chenille must have been pregnant during her middle or earlier years of high school. She doesn’t spend much time nurturing her child; rather her grandmother is the boy’s primary caregiver, as she too raised Chenille and her brother Derek. In the movie, Chenille was getting ready to go out with Sara, instead of having to worry about childcare, she is able to go and come as she pleases because of her family support system. This family dynamic is very common in the African-American community, emphasizing the importance of grandparents and how they have a huge involvement in the development of children and adolescents. Many children are raised primarily by their grandparents or an extended family

For some individuals the predisposition to achieve is higher, this is often based on culture and ethnicity, for example, the character Derek. Derek is a young African American male living in the poorer area of Chicago. Although he is expected to get involved in criminal activities such as drive-bys, like is once friend Malaki; he chooses a different route, by pursuing a career that will carry him far beyond his current socioeconomic status and cultural expectations. Alternatively, Sarah destined for a more promising future based on her culture and ethnicity, however she had to endure many obstacle to achievement. Stuck with guilt, Sara no longer wanted to achieve the goal set out and worked so hard for as a young child. At first she procrastinated by avoiding any opportunities and even quitting dance. Anytime she was face with her goal, in the situation when Derek realized that she is an amazing ballerina and the event of her mother’s death driving to her ballet recital, she would begin to cry, feel anxious and avoid conversation. Nevertheless by the end of the movie, she began to gain interest and seek out ballet class but still felt the need to protect her self-worth by avoiding opportunities’ for failure such as not wanting to audition for Julliard because of doubt and lack of self-efficacy. The “Save the