# Center Stage (2000/I)

### reviewed by
Berge Garabedian

    CENTER STAGE
    RATING: 6.5 /10 --> So-so

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Okay, okay...so I was dragged kicking and screaming to this film by none other than the dance-freak herself, Mrs. JoBlo. I suppose that it serves me right for having her sit through GOODFELLAS every other two weeks. But I always like to be honest in my reviews, so it's only fair that you know that I don't like ballet, don't like opera or theatre, and certainly don't like to dance (although I don't mind a little slam-dance every now and then). All this to say that despite my obvious distaste for most of this film's themes, I actually enjoyed this frothy little pic.

PLOT: A bunch of dedicated ballet-dancing teenagers must vie for a handful of openings at the prestigious American Ballet Company. Competition, jealousy, hard work and love all find their way into the story.

CRITIQUE: Despite its unoriginal theme, this film actually managed to keep me somewhat entertained with its light drama, light humor and inspirational message for the kids. In fact, one of the main things that I liked about this movie was how it was so different than all of the other "cooler" teen flicks which pack our multiplexes every other weekend. These teenagers actually seemed to have ambitions, goals, passions for a career, as opposed to the sorry sack of sex-starved teens which usually line these films. Mind you, there's definitely a place for those boogers as well, in fact, I enjoy a good time as much as the next guy, but it was still nice to see some kids actually trying to make something of themselves. Refreshing, really. The film also featured many great dancing moments, as you would expect, and despite it being ballet-dancing, which I admit to despising personally, I still managed to remain quite interested, if only because of the superior technique utilized so masterfully by these boys and girls. But when you consider that this film is aimed primarily at teenage girls, it doesn't really make sense to read reviews of the movie coming from 50-year old men, who will more than likely, not appreciate the film on the same level as its intended audience.

I personally thought that the film was okay overall (and I still haven't hit the big 30, people!), despite a couple of so-so actors, and a few lines which were just horribly trite, I did appreciate the film's integral message of persistence, hard work and truth to oneself. Many older generation folks have probably seen this theme developed better in a handful of other films, including FAME, the obvious comparison point. But on its own, this film moves along at a quick pace, offers an endearing performance from its star, Amanda Schull, and ultimately managed to keep an ol' foggie like me involved for most of its run-time, so all in all, not too shabby. Of course, I could have done without the obvious attempt at "connecting" with the younger audience, with the final ballet show featuring a corny "modern-ballet" motif, but then again, I'm not exactly a teenage girl (anymore, that is :), so who knows how that will play to its target audience.

So see this movie if you like ballet, need some teenage inspiration, or honestly just like to see boys and girls skip around in tights, or skip the movie altogether, if you're looking for something revolutionary or truly insightful.

Little Known Facts about this film and its stars: Casting this film was one of the director's most difficult tasks. Not only did the players have to be able to perform classical ballet, modern jazz, Broadway dancing and salsa, but obviously, they also needed to know how to act! The role of Cooper Nielson was given to 26-year old American Ballet Theatre superstar Ethan Stiefel, who already has a reputation as one of the greatest male dancers in the world today. The filmmakers also incorporated some parts of Ethan's own life into the movie, like the fact that he rides a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The lead role of Jody was much more difficult to cast. In fact, the director traveled to several cities all over the country, in order to find a dancer to play the part. He auditioned hundreds of young girls, but finally decided on Amanda Schull, who had just been accepted as an apprentice with the San Francisco Ballet. She celebrated her 21st birthday during the production of the film. Sascha Radetsky, a dancer in the corps de ballet of American Ballet theatre, originally read for the role of Sergei, the Russian boy, but ultimately got the role of Charlie, the boy who falls in love with Jody. The role of Sergei, the young Russian ballet student, was eventually cast with Ilia Kulik, a young Russian ice skater who took home a gold medal in the 1998 Olympics, and who makes his acting debut in this film. Two "actors" who were actually cast in this film include Susan May Pratt, most recently of 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU, who plays the part of Maureen, and Eion Bailey, from FIGHT CLUB, who plays her boyfriend Jim in the movie. This film was originally titled CITY BALLET and THE DANCE MOVIE.

    Review Date: May 5, 2000
    Director: Nicholas Hytner
    Writer: Carol Heikkinen
    Producer: Laurence Mark
    Actors: Amanda Schull as Jody Sawyer
    Ethan Stiefel as Cooper Nielsen
    Zoe Saldana as Eva
    Genre: Drama
    Year of Release: 2000
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    (c) 2000 Berge Garabedian

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