TAKE THE LEAD — ** 1/2 — Antonio Banderas, Rob Brown, Alfre Woodard; rated PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity, violence, brief drugs, racial epithets).

"Take the Lead" was clearly inspired by "Mad Hot Ballroom," the charming 2004 documentary about a program that teaches New York City public school students how to ballroom dance. But it also has a lot in common with "Stand and Deliver" and "Dangerous Minds," two dramas about teachers using unconventional methods to reach inner-city teens.

"Lead" is certainly not as rousing as "Stand," and at times the plotting is sillier than "Dangerous."

What redeems this film somewhat are its plentiful dancing scenes and a charismatic lead performance by Antonio Banderas as Pierre Dulaine, a former professional dancer.

When he witnesses a teen vandalizing a car in a school parking lot, Pierre becomes concerned and decides to volunteer his services as a dance instructor at the school. To his surprise, the principal (Alfre Woodard) agrees to the plan and assigns him to look after students who are serving detention. Of course, she also expects him to quit after one day.

But Pierre continues to show up each day, and gradually he gets the students to dance . . . with one notable exception, Rock (Rob Brown), the vandal he saw in the parking lot and never turned in.

Screenwriter Dianne Houston's plotting is conventional and predictable, and the story is a little heavy on characters and subplots — one of which examines Rock's adversarial relationship with LaRhette (Yaya DaCosta), another student who blames Rock's family for the death of her brother.

First-time filmmaker Liz Friedlander's slick direction betrays her music-video roots, but the style does fit the dance scenes, which were choreographed by JoAnn Fregalette Jansen.

And she has a very appealing cast. Banderas is appropriately low-key (he also clearly demonstrates his dancing skills), and Brown ("Coach Carter") helps flesh out a character that could have been merely one-note.

"Take the Lead" is rated PG-13 for occasional use of strong profanity, racial epithets and crude slang terms, some sexually suggestive dance moves, violence (some gunplay and an act of vandalism), and some brief drug content (mostly references). Running time: 115 minutes.

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E-mail: jeff@desnews.com