Center Stage

What’s the Story?

A combination of high-stakes drama, sweet-natured characters, and bravado performances, CENTER STAGE follows a group of teen ballet dancers during their stressful tryouts for the prestigious American Ballet Academy. Along with great dancing, the film portrays an honest look at the less glamorous side of professional dance and follows the behind-the-scenes soap opera stories of the dancers. A number of the dancers can't resist the city's nightlife and are chastised for being hung over at an early morning rehearsal. Maureen deals with her pushy stage mother. Cooper (Ethan Stiefel), the bad boy, seduces Jody (Amanda Schull). During a dress rehearsal, male lead Erik collapses in pain from an injury and his career hangs in the balance. Several girls struggle with their body types and especially their weight -- one is banished from the program for her healthy appetite.

Is It Any Good?

Young dance fans looking for a movie to call their own need look no further. Center Stage features lots of cool jazz and modern moves, but it also provides beautiful footage of traditional (and not-so-traditional) ballet. Cast in its leading roles are some excellent dancers, particularly Ethan Stiefel as Cooper, whose performance in "Stars and Stripes Forever" is truly amazing.

Although the dancing looks more than impressive to any lay viewer, it must be said that the choreography will probably strike professional dancers as unoriginal, emphasizing showmanship over artistry (think Flashdance).