#hsm 2

[kitherondale]

High School Musical 2 2007 | dir. Kenny Ortega

[leons-lady]

actual hsm fanart in the year 2024? YEAH WHAT OF IT?

[aletterinthenameofsanity]

Every so often I'll just be living my life and randomly remember that "I Don't Dance" exists. The song that has lines like "I don't dance/there's just one little thing that stops me every time," "slide home, you score, swingin' on the dance floor," "you better sping that pitch you're gonna throw me," and "I can prove it to you 'til you know it's true/I can swing it, I can bring it to the diamond too." (And Chad and Ryan have better musical chemistry than Troy and Gabriella ever had, argue with the wall.) And then Chad and Ryan SWITCH CLOTHES AFTER SINGING THIS SONG TOGETHER.

And Disney is trying to tell me that anyone other than Ryan Evans was Disney's first gay character? The only reason that's true is because they were cowards back in 2007 and literally nothing else.

[feralnumberfive]

Happy Pride Month specifically to the "I Don't Dance" scene in HSM 2

[thirstghosting]

IM JUST KEN

ANYWHERE ELSE ID BE A TEN

[lokis-bitter-ghost]

sorry i know this is not a new take at all by ANY means but the fact that the byler fight at rink-o-mania is perfectly synced with troy and gabriella arguing in "gotta go my own way" is the funniest piece of information i have ever had the pleasure of knowing. literally what is funnier than that. i cant think of anything.

[jeskaasblog]

High School Musical 2 you will aways be famous

Best hsm movie

[murdockbuckley]

andreil

[book-girl4evaaa]

OMG MY COSTUMES ARE ACTUALLY SO CUTE IM GOING TO DIE

[awakefor48hours]

Please consider reblogging for a larger sample size

*Edit, now that this poll is dead, please read tags

[imjustavenuxwithaboomerang]

gotta go my own way is so portwell-coded

[photoeditsfreak]

“I don’t dance”

Is this fandom even active anymore? Idc

[kkqueergurl]

I don’t dance (or does he?) an essay by me

It’s no secret that the High School Musical Movies are favorites amongst Gen Z and Millennials alike. Written by Peter Barsocchini and directed by Kenny Ortaga, the movies made roughly around 1 billion dollars. With fans across the world, this Disney Channel Original franchise has quickly turned into a classic. 

The second movie became one of high debate, with energetic numbers like Fabulous, and heartfelt songs like Everyday. And one number in particular, a fan favorite at the climax of the movie, titled I Don't Dance. 

When Ryan has a fight with his sister, he joins his fellow Wildcats at the staff baseball game. There, he sees Chad and the other jocks in baseball uniforms. He greets them and apologizes about the talent show. They say that without Troy, there was no way they’d get up on the stage and dance, but Ryan disagrees. He makes a remark about how if he can play baseball, then the boys could dance. Chad asks as Ryan turns around if he “has game” and Ryan smiles saying he has a little. The camera then cuts to a dance number in the field, where the two boys are on opposing teams, and are often playing directly opposite each other. At the end of the number the boys end their song with Ryan hitting the ball, and sliding into the base, but at the same Chad appears, and tags him out. Ryan stands up, admitting defeat. He starts to leave the field but not before Chad can stop him, asking “If I were to do the talent show, what would you have me do?” And Ryan can be seen smirking in the corner. 

But the specific scene that got people talking was the next scene, where we see the two sitting at a picnic table, practically on top of each other, sharing a tray of fries. Chad seemed to be in Ryan’s white t-shirt, and blue newsboy cap. And Ryan was in Chad’s red baseball uniform and hat. Chad asks what Ryan ment about “a little game” and Ryan laughs saying he had been a little league champion when he was younger. Chad uses the distracted moment to steal a fry and stare at his friend.

This caused an uproar with fans bombarding the cast and team about it. Most complained about how the two didn’t get a love story, or any closure for that matter. Those complaints started rumors on how they thought Ryan could possibly be queer. Going off looks, the character is almost always in tight pants and small tops, accessorized with a hat of some kind. Or off mannerisms, Ryan is a gifted dancer and choreographer, and talks in a higher register than the other guys. It didn’t help that he never was shown dancing with any other girls. He was almost always paired with his sister, Sharpay. 

 The directing team decided that Disney wasn’t ready for an openly gay character like that, so in the third movie they had him take another character that had caused some controversy, Kelsi, to senior prom. The two had been shown hanging out in many scenes before that, but none romantic. Even his promposal was quick and more like two friends joking around. 

Fans turned to Chad for more evidence on this possible love affair. And they looked at the lyrics of I Don't Dance. It almost came across as a metaphor for sexuality. He didn’t want to dance (a typically queer hobby) even though he enjoyed it, because of his reputation as a jock (a typically straight hobby). A lyric that specifically comes to mind is when he says “I’ll show you how I swing.” While looking right at Ryan, smirking. The line seemed to have some sort of sexual meaning behind it. But that one is just a theory. 

In 2020, the director, Kenny Ortaga said he could see Ryan coming out in college. And how he hadn’t even thought fans would take it that way. Because even working with Disney, it wouldn't have been possible at that time. But in the sequel show, fans were given closure when Lucas Grabeel, who played Ryan in the movies, said Ryan was happily partnered “with twins on the way”. 

While this wasn’t what fans were hoping for, it was better than Disney just pretending they hadn’t unknowingly written one of the best queer love stories without the characters even kissing.

[strawbsswift13-2]

I watched the high school musical trilogy I actually ship chad and Ryan so hard it's not funny. Anyone else notice how they switched clothes after their lil mating song?