The Forbidden Dance

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The Forbidden Dance a.k.a Lambada, The Forbidden Dance or The Forbidden Dance Is Lambada is a 1990 movie starring, former Miss USA, Laura Harring.

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Nisa (Laura Harring) is the princess of a Brazilian tribe who comes to Los Angeles to stop an American corporation from destroying her rainforest home. With her is tribal shaman Joa (Sid Haig), who uses black magic to get past the company guards and see the chairman of the corporation, resulting in his arrest.

Left to fend for herself in L.A alone, Nisa finds work in a Beverly Hills mansion as the servant of an a uptight couple whose son, Jason (Jeff James), lives only to dance. After spying on Nisa as she dances provocatively in her bedroom, Jason takes her out to a club. She is rejected by Jason's friends, and he is berated by his parents for dating the help.

Nisa runs away and gets a job at Xtasy, a sleazy dance joint/brothel, as a dance partner for male customers. Jason visits the club with his friends, but Nisa rebuffs him. He becomes morose, turns away from his buddies and girlfriend Ashley (Barbra Brighton) and returns to Xtasy to try to take Nisa out of the place. A bouncer beats up the would-be rescuer and prepares to deflower Nisa, but fortunately Joa walks in and magically stuns the attacker, which clears the place.

The shaman then heads back to the tribe, while Nisa and Jason, now in love, prepare for a dance contest, hoping to speak out about the plight of the rainforest when they are showcased on TV.

They win the contest, but the corporation's head stooge, Benjamin Maxwell (Richard Lynch), kidnaps Nisa afterwards. Jason finds them and helps Nisa to escape, but twists his ankle, ruining their chances of performing on the TV show.

Luckily, Joa shows up backstage, heals Jason's wound, and the dance goes ahead as planned. The crowd loves them, they start a boycott against the destruction of the rainforest, and everyone gets into the lambada.