Ren McCormack, a teenager from Chicago, moves to a small rural town where he faces a culture shock. The town, led by its conservative pastor, Reverend Shaw Moore, has strict ordinances including a ban on dancing and rock music, which are believed to be the root of immorality and loss of innocence in the youth. With a love of dance and music instilled from his city life, Ren struggles to fit into the restrictive community, and he quickly becomes an outcast among his peers. His only solace is his burgeoning friendship with Willard Hewitt, a local boy who shares Ren's affinity for dance, and his interest in Ariel Moore, the rebellious daughter of the Reverend.

As Ren begins to integrate into the school and social scene, he learns the tragic story behind the dance ban: a fatal accident involving several teens coming back from a dance led the town to prohibit such activities to prevent further incidents. Despite understanding the town's grief, Ren firmly believes that dancing and music are vital outlets for expression and healing. With Ariel's help, and faced with Willard's initial cluelessness but eventual eagerness to learn dancing, he decides to challenge the ban. Ren's challenge to the status quo stirs up controversy as he encourages his classmates to fight for their rights. Amidst this, he must navigate his complex relationship with Ariel and her overprotective father, who stands as Ren's chief obstacle in reviving the town's spirit through the joy of dance.