Anyone who tried to make their way down College Avenue this weekend a half hour prior to any of the showings for Save the Last Dance was probably not surprised on Monday when the Associated Press reported it topped the box office, bringing in an estimated $24 million in its opening weekend.

The sidewalk was so crowded that many pedestrians were forced onto the street.

While I was waiting in line to see the show, and the closer it got to show time, the closer I thought I was going to be witnessing a cat fight over the chance to see Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas dance to Pink's newest release, "You Make Me Sick."

Let me first say I am a sucker for dance flicks. From Dirty Dancing to Flashdance to Center Stage, I just can't get enough of these movies. They're sexy, they're fun and they all have passion — not only for the art of dance but also for a dream.

While watching Save the Last Dance, I noticed many scenes that were garnered from all of these dance movies. However, it's much more than just a movie about dance.

Save the Last Dance tells the story of Sara, played by Stiles, a white teenager from a small town who moves to the south side of Chicago to live with her father.

In Chicago, she attends a predominantly black high school and cultures clash as the former ballet dancer is introduced to hip-hop.

Along the way Sara is befriended by Chenille, played by newcomer Kerry Washington. Chenille is a strong, young, single mother who could have been a forgettable character but due to Washington's performance, she is one of the more memorable.

Through their mutual love of dance, Sara eventually falls for Chenille's younger brother Derek, played by Thomas.

Last Dance is a movie about interracial relationships, both in friendship and love, but it's also about a girl's journey to find herself after all her previous identities have been lost or suppressed.

These are heavy topics, which the movie fully explores with candor and truth.

Unlike the leading lady in most dance flicks, Sara is refreshingly strong-willed, defensive and a bit disclosed, yet open-minded. She's much different from the waif-like Baby in Dirty Dancing.

Stiles' performance was amazing, but truthfully I can't think of a movie where Stiles hasn't nailed her character and stolen the show at the same time.

(If you don't believe me, check her out in Michael Almereyda's Hamlet — she even outshines Ethan Hawke.)

Thomas is solid as Derek, but most impressive was the on-screen chemistry between he and Stiles.

Director Thomas Carter, whose previous works include Swing Kids and many television dramas, really did a good job at inviting the audience into the movie.

The juxtaposition between the beauty found in the movements of dance and the harsh realities found in the world was quite striking.

And the score was amazing — it really helped to weave the world of dance together with the outside world.

In short Save the Last Dance was one of the best movies I have seen in a long time.

I was enjoying it so much that I didn't want it to end. Many felt the same as I — the majority of the audience stayed through the credits, staying to see every second of the last dance.