Dance Movies

Center Stage, directed by Nicholas Hytner in 2000, is about a group of young dancers from various backgrounds who enroll at the American Ballet Academy in New York City. The film explores the issues and difficulties in the world of professional dance, and how each individiual copes with the stressors.

Plot

After a series of country-wide auditions, 12 young dancers gain entry to the American Ballet Academy (which is loosely based on the School of American Ballet). They work hard, attending classes every day for weeks to make them the best dancers they can possibly be, and in preparations for a final dance workshop which will determine those (three boys and three girls) who will be asked to join the American Ballet Company (which appears to be based on either the American Ballet Theatre or the New York City Ballet). The workshop will also provide an opportunity for the students to showcase their talent to other ballet companies across the country. Gaining a leading part in the workshop, is therefore essential.

Details and cameos

• Of the main characters who are dancers, four are professional ballet dancers (Amanda Schull, Ethan Stiefel, Sascha Radetsky and Julie Kent), one is a professional figure skater (Ilia Kulik), one had ballet training (Zoë Saldaña), and two were actors with no ballet training (Susan May Pratt and Shakiem Evans). Body doubles were used for many of the major dance sequences.
• After being accepted into the ABA, Jody’s mom says to her, “Indiana has a great dance program.” Schull, who plays Jody, attended Indiana University for two years in real life.
• Sergei (Kulik) is picked to join the San Francisco Ballet Company after performing in the workshop. Schull, who plays Jody, was a member of the SFB’s corps de ballet for several seasons.
• As Cooper, Stiefel makes a stage appearance astride a Harley. In real life, he is an avid motorbike rider and owns a Harley-Davidson Wide Glide.
• There is a subplot in which Cooper attracts the financial support of a flirtatious wealthy female philanthropic (played by Elizabeth Hubbard). A 15 August 2004 New York Times article entitled “How Much Is That Dancer in the Program?” revealed that Stiefel has a very similar real-life sponsorship relationship with a philanthropist named Anka Palitz.
• After the performance of Stars and Stripes, Cooper (Stiefel) shuns Jody and walks out of the theatre with another woman. This woman is played by Gillian Murphy, Stiefel’s actual girlfriend and a Prima-ballerina of American Ballet Theatre.

Cast

• Amanda Schull – Jody Sawyer
• Zoë Saldaña – Eva Rodríguez
• Susan May Pratt – Maureen Cummings
• Peter Gallagher – Jonathan Reeves
• Donna Murphy – Juliette Simone
• Debra Monk – Nancy Cummings
• Ethan Stiefel – Cooper Nielson
• Sascha Radetsky – Charlie Sims
• Julie Kent – Kathleen Donahue
• Ilia Kulik – Sergei
• Eion Bailey – Jim Gordon