Sara and Derek's relationship is developed further through teaching Sara how to dance hip- hop. Their rehearsal scenes are set to hip-hop music and the dancing is mildly sexual, as they dance around the issue of how much physical contact they should make. As their relationship continues to grow they become aware of opposition to their interracial romance. Sara provokes a white woman clearly bothered that she and Derek are together by making out with Derek in public. Derek's friend Malachi as well as Derek's ex- girlfriend Nikki let the couple know that their relationship is not acceptable to them, and when upset about her sick son, Chenille lashes out at Sara as well. Sara's father is not happy about the relationship after Sara gets into a fist fight with Nikki at school. It is not clear if he is upset about the interracial aspect of the relationship, or just the fact that it is causing his daughter grief at school. While the difference between Sara and Derek is based mostly on race rather than class, it is still both whites and African-Americans that are uncomfortable with the couple. The class/race issue plays into the seduction of Sara. When Derek teaches Sara to dance, it is a metaphor for opening her up to her sexuality. .
While Save the Last Dance only uses contemporary music, during the seduction scene a cover of the song "True Colors- is played, and in fact Sara is seen turning the stereo on before she and Derek begin to make love. Music is used to signal a change in ideology, but it is also used to comfort the audience on a certain level, as an interracial couple is still somewhat unacceptable in today's society. The song is an older piece, but remade for this film it produces a soothing metaphor for the audience. The music attempts to communicate to the audience that the difference of color of Derek and Sara's skin does not matter; rather what matters is that they are a man and a woman in love.