Disney
Gotta Kick It Up!, the 2002 Disney Channel Original Movie, was one of the first films that the entertainment company produced that had a largely Latina cast. Whether you watched it when it came out in the early aughts or you stream Gotta Kick It Up! on Disney+ today, the movie is still culturally-relevant today.
The script, written by Nancy De Los Santos and directed by Ramón Menéndez, is based on the real-life experience of producer and former teacher Meghan Cole.
Segue text: Here’s how to stream Gotta Kick It Up! right now:
How to Stream ‘Gotta Kick It Up!’ – Exclusively on Disney+
Gotta Kick It Up! is one of the many original Disney movies that will be streaming exclusively on Disney’s new subscription streaming service, Disney+.
You can sign up for a 7-day free trial of Disney+ HERE, which will allow you to stream Gotta Kick It Up! and hundreds of other movies and shows on your computer, phone, tablet, smart TV or streaming device. If you extend past the free trial, the service costs $6.99/month. You may also opt for this discount bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ for $12.99/month.
- 1. Sign up for Disney+ here
- 2. Go to Disneyplus.com or download the Disney+ app on your device
- 3. Log in using your information
- 4. Search for “Kick It Up”
- 5. Tap on Gotta Kick It Up!
- 6. Tap the Play Button
- 7. Enjoy!
Disney+ also boasts a vast library of Disney-owned movies and series — plus several new original series coming soon. The service includes unlimited downloads so you can watch offline whenever and wherever you want. The list of compatible devices and smart TVs includes iPads, Apple TV, Amazon devices, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Chromecast, Roku, PS4, and Xbox One.
‘Gotta Kick It Up’: Overview
Release Date: July 26, 2002
Creators: Meghan Cole is the creator and Nancy De Los Santos wrote the script
Director: Ramón Menéndez
Starring: America Ferrera, Camille Guaty, Susan Egan, Miguel Sandoval
Rating: G
Synopsis: “Gotta Kick It Up!” follows the true story of a southern California middle school as they train with their corporate-executive-turned-biology teacher to find themselves as young Latinas and to become a competition-ready dance team.
How Long Is ‘Gotta Kick It Up’?
“Gotta Kick It Up!” is an hour and 18 minutes, or 78 minutes, in length.
‘Gotta Kick It Up’ Plot
The movie starts with Marshal Middle School coming to terms with the fact that they might not have a dance team this year, as they don’t have an official coach. When Daisy, Yolanda, and their crew figure out that their biology teacher, Heather Bartlett, was a Juilliard-trained dancer, they pressure her into coaching them. Bartlett and the team butt heads, creatively. Ultimately, however, both realize that they can’t win without each other.
‘Gotta Kick It Up’ Cast
The 2002 movie cast some of the biggest names in TV and movies of the 2000’s. Check out our breakdown of the characters and the actors behind them below!
AMERICA FERRERA as YOLANDA “YOLI” VARGAS
Ferrera played Yolanda, the fun-loving, overall-wearing bright soul of the group. This was Ferrera’s first big movie role following the premiere of her movie, “Real Women Have Curves” at Sundance. Since then, she’s moved on to become an award-winning actress for her work in “Ugly Betty,” for which she won a Golden Globe, a SAG award and an Emmy.
CAMILLE GUATY as DAISY SALINAS
Guaty portrayed the team’s ringleader Camille in the “Gotta Kick It Up!” After she appeared in the movie, Guaty went on to appear in popular shows including “Prison Break” and “The Vampire Diaries.”
SUILMA RODRIGUEZ as MARISOL
Rodriguez played the role of Marisol, one of the other members of the Marshal Middle School dance team. Rodriguez has continued to act, but she’s also started to gain credits as a producer, director and writer on programs like “Love In Moreno Valley” and “Girls On Girls.”
SUSAN EGAN as HEATHER BARTLETT
Egan plays Heather Barlett, the dot.com executive turned middle school teacher who is a professionally trained dancer from Juilliard. Although Egan has an extensive voice acting resume, she’s only appeared in a few live-action programs since then, including “13 Going On 30” and “Modern Family.”
‘Gotta Kick It Up’ Songs and Soundtrack
While Disney did not release an official soundtrack for the film (according to an interview on an internet forum from one of the singers), the music from “Gotta Kick It Up!” is still iconic. The film featured a handful of Latin and Latin-infused songs like “Bailando En La Ciudad” by Myra and “Shake Shake” by Charlene Licera, which was never officially released as a single.
‘Gotta Kick It Up’ Reviews – What the Critics Said
Viewers loved — and continue to love — “Gotta Kick It Up!” The movie was one of the few films that featured a Latina-heavy cast on Disney Channel, and commenters and reviewers online continuously praise it for this reason.
Where ‘Gotta Kick It Up’ Fits in the Disney Movie Pantheon
“Gotta Kick It Up!” was and is one of the few Disney Channel original movies that showcased a Latina-heavy cast. Not only was the cast mostly Latina, but the movie also did a superb job in showing the various types of Latinas instead of boxing them in.
People who loved the movie as kids say the positive message continues to “[shine] through,” even with the somewhat “corny use” of the motto, “Si, se puede.” The movie was also recently named one of the 10 absolute best Disney Channel movies of all time by POPSUGAR, and it was named one of the films Parade Magazine is most excited to stream once Disney+ launches.
‘Gotta Kick It Up’ Trailer
‘Gotta Kick It Up’ Trivia: 5 Fast Facts
“Gotta Kick It Up!” has one of the coolest backstories in DCOM history. Check out why below!
1. The film is based on a true story
Meghan Cole, a producer for Disney, pitched her experience as a teacher at an inner-city school in Southern California as the blueprint for the story. Many of the details in the film were taken directly from Cole’s experience with the exception of the consistent use of “si, se puede.”
2. The director was excited to cast Latina actors
“Gotta Kick It Up!” director Ramón Menéndez said that of all of the exciting things associated with directing this film, he was most excited to pull together a Latin cast. In an interview with the New York Times, the best part of the project was sending out casting directors and ”looking at Latina girls to be pulled into a movie and be part of this process and learn and present an image of Latina girls to all the Latina girls out there.”
3. Susan Egan has a huge past with Disney
“Gotta Kick It Up!” was not Egan’s first time working with in the house of mouse. She also originated the part of Belle in the Broadway production of “Beauty and the Beast,” and she also voiced Hercules’ sassy love interest Megara in “Hercules.”
4. The film was the screenwriter’s first major writing credit
In a candid interview, screenwriter Nancy De Los Santos talked about the cultural impact of the film and how the movie broke through a lot of barriers to become one of the first Latina-focused films for Disney Channel. “I am proud of all my work…But…’Gotta Kick It Up’ was my first major writing credit, and I will always hold this story dear to my heart. When it first aired, and for about five years after that first airing and sub sequential airings over the year, I’ve had countless young girls – all Latinas – tell me that [it’s] their favorite film…”
5. The film’s famous line has a historical backstory
The phrase “si, se puede” is constantly chanted throughout the film. It translates to “yes, we can,” and the line is attributed to Dolores Huerta during the protest of the United Farm Workers in the 1970s when the leader of the movement, Cesar Chavez, fasted for 25 days in protest of the anti-farm worker legislation that was passed in Arizona.