You Don't Need Feet to Dance

Stricken with polio, African-born dancer and musician Sidiki Conde is nevertheless an inspiring, enthralling force of nature. Conde came to NYC's East Village from Guinea to escape poverty and a nasty dictatorship, while his wife had to move to Madagascar for work. Director Alan Governar's documentary approach here is simple and direct, following Conde around during a typical day in his precarious existence. From the struggles of just getting out of bed and into the bath, to his work teaching handicapped children the fundamentals of dance and rhythm, to the staging of his own music and performance art on the street, Conde's plight is not one in which self-pity has any place, even though he has no use of his legs. Rather, his relentless enthusiasm in the face of the grim realities of being handicapped in the big city is absolutely infectious. Although some clarifying voiceover narration would have been nice, and Governar misses an opportunity to make a broader and deeper contextual statement about the struggles of people with handicaps in urban environments, Conde's personality and indomitable can-do spirit ultimately win out. DVD extras include extended and deleted scenes, and a portrait gallery. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (M. Sandlin)