Step Up Revolution is a story about a neighborhood under threat, and the secret at its center is that Emily Anderson's father is the man who wants to reshape it. Spoilers follow.
The film opens its second act with the romance. Sean Asa and Emily grow close while The Mob plans ever larger public performances, and Emily slowly realizes what her father's development would mean in practice. The project would flatten the streets where the crew lives and gathers, and that includes the bar run by Sean's uncle. So, Emily is caught between her family and the people who have taken her in, and she says nothing.
The silence does not last. Eddy, Sean's closest friend in the crew, works out who her father is and calls her out in front of the others. The argument that follows ends with Sean in police custody. Emily believes she has lost the friends she just made, and the distraction costs her at the audition for the dance company, where she performs badly.
The low point turns quickly. Sean and Eddy are bailed out and settle their quarrel. The Mob then joins forces with another local crew and heads for the public announcement of the redevelopment, where the two groups stage a large dance protest in front of the officials and the crowd.
Bill Anderson watches his daughter dancing happily among them, and that changes his mind. He gives up the plan to clear the area and chooses to revitalize the community instead. Sean and Emily get back together, and the crew's online following pays off with an offer to dance in commercials for a sportswear brand.
