While Maria and Brandon work with the group and develop their own relationship, an old flame from Maria's former street life finds her and tries to persuade her to return. Louis was a former boyfriend and leader of an award winning dance group. Although Louis tries to persuade her to join his group and return with him, Maria knows the street life is not where she wants to be. Maria and Brandon begin to develop a romantic relationship as Maria begins to discover who she wants to be. Together they begin to transform their dance group and discover a mutual passion for dance.
The conflict between Maria's old life on the streets of Brooklyn and her new life as a working adult and professional dancer begins to resolve as Maria puts her heart and soul into transforming her new group as well as her new relationship. The theme of discovering herself as she rebuilds her life continues through the movie. Like Honey Daniels whom Maria idolized, Maria soon discovers who she really is.