Center Stage: 20th Anniversary Salute

Back on May 12, 2000, just a few months after the turn of the century and the Y2K scare, a little movie called Center Stage from Columbia Pictures, directed by Nicholas Hytner and written by Carol Heikkinen, was released.

The teen drama focused on a group of young dancers from various backgrounds who enroll at the fictitious American Ballet Academy in New York City. The film explored the issues and difficulties in the world of professional dance, and how each individual copes with the stresses.

The much more lengthy synopsis of the movie follows:

After a series of country-wide auditions, twelve young dancers gain entry to the American Ballet Academy (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 the three boys and three girls who will be asked to join the American Ballet Company (loosely 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.

Tensions mount between Jonathan Reeves (Peter Gallagher), the company’s aging choreographer and director, and Cooper Nielson (Ethan Stiefel), his best dancer, who also wants to choreograph. They also have issues because Kathleen Donahue (Julie Kent), Cooper’s ex-girlfriend and fellow dancer, left him to wed Jonathan. Star student Maureen (Susan May Pratt), a closet bulimic who seems poised for success, discovers that life is passing her by when she meets a pre-med student (Eion Bailey) who shows her the merits of a life without ballet, to the dismay of her controlling stage mother (Debra Monk), herself a failed ballet dancer and current ABC employee. Sweet Jody Sawyer (Amanda Schull), despite underdeveloped turn out, body type issues, and poor footwork, is determined to dance professionally, but it appears less and less likely as the movie progresses that she will be good enough. Jody’s parents, Jonathan, Maureen, and ballet teacher Juliette Simone (Donna Murphy) try to convince Jody to move on from dance and attend college. Jody refuses to give up on her dream of being in a professional ballet company. Talented, but smart aleck Eva Rodriguez (Zoe Saldana; doubled by School of American Ballet alumna and former New York City Ballet member Aesha Ash) from Boston loves to dance but seems destined to be stuck in the back of the corps because of her bad attitude. Tensions also arise between Charlie (Sascha Radetsky), a naturally gifted fellow advanced student from Seattle, and Cooper over Jody; Charlie has a crush on Jody, who had a one-night stand with Cooper and remains infatuated with him.

Despite Jonathan’s objections, Cooper choreographs a rock/pop music-based ballet for the workshop. Three ballets are presented; Jonathan and another choreographer create the other two respectively—the two more “traditional” ballets are not danced to actual ballet music, however. The first (not shown, beyond entrances of the corps and soloist from the wings) is to Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony, while Jonathan’s ballet (choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon) is set to Rachmaninov’s 2nd Piano Concerto. Cooper’s ballet (choreographed by Susan Stroman, who won an American Choreography award for her work on this film) mirrors the relationship between himself, Jonathan, and Kathleen. Jody, Charlie, and their gay friend Erik (Shakiem Evans) are set to dance the three lead roles when Erik sprains his ankle in a final rehearsal. To Jonathan’s protests and Jody’s apprehension, Cooper steps in to fill the role, and the tensions between Jody, Charlie, and Cooper play out on the stage.

After the final workshop, Cooper starts his own dance company, much to Jonathan’s chagrin, as Cooper’s financial backer is a wealthy widow, who Jonathan was hoping would donate to American Ballet Company. Cooper asks Jody to be a principal dancer, as her dancing style, though technically deficient, is perfect for his company. He also asks to date her, but Jody turns him down in favor of Charlie. Maureen decides to give up ballet because she finally realizes that ballet is just something she does well and not what she wants in life. She decides to attend regular university and also seek help for her eating disorder. Eva is picked by Jonathan to join ABC after proving her worth in the workshop, surprising everyone by dancing in place of Maureen as the lead in Jonathan’s ballet. Charlie, and fellow advanced students and friends Anna (who was always favored by Jonathan and who danced “Gelsey Kirkland’s part” as the lead in the Italian Symphony ballet; played by SAB alumna and former NYCB corps member Megan Pepin) and Erik are also asked to join the American Ballet Company, and Sergei (famed figure skater Ilia Kulik), Charlie and Erik’s roommate and friend, joins his girlfriend Galina in the San Francisco Ballet Company.

At the time of the movie’s release, Ethan Stiefel, Sascha Radetsky and Julie Kent were all professionally trainer dancers [all three were part of the American Ballet Theatre]; lead star Amanda Schull [who has gone on to star in TV shows like Pretty Little Liars, One Tree Hill, Suits and 12 Monkeys] was also a professional dancer at the San Francisco Ballet School and was “in the right place at the right time” when the casting director discovered her. [Source: Entertainment Weekly].

RELATED: Amanda Schull Interview

Center Stage was Amanda’s film/acting debut. As for Zoe Saldana [who has, of course, gone on to star in Guardians of the Galaxy/The Avengers franchise, Columbiana, Avatar and Star Trek – just to name a few], had only appeared in two episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit prior to Center Stage; and while she did have ballet training, as mentioned above, she had a dance double in the film. Actors Susan May Pratt (from 10 Things I Hate About You) and Shakiem Evans had no ballet training with body doubles being used for many of their major sequences.

Of course, Peter Gallagher was well known for his work in Sex, Lies and Videotape, While You Were Sleeping and American Beauty prior to his role in Center Stage; and he has gone on to star in the FOX drama The O.C., Covert Affairs and was seen in this year’s Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.

Donna Murphy had appeared in episodes of the soap opera Another World and the short-lived acclaimed series Murder One before appearing in Center Stage. She has since been seen in Spider-Man 2 (alongside Alfred Molina and Toby Maguire), the Nicolas Cage-led flick World Trade Center and provided the voice for Mother Gothel in the animated film Tangled.

And, Eion Bailey, who went on to play Pinocchio/August Booth in Once Upon a Time as well as roles in the mini-series Band of Brothers and TV shows like ER and Covert Affairs had appeared in the box office film Fight Club and episodes of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, Dawson’s Creek and the short-lived Jennifer Garner-led series Significant Others prior to the film.

While the film received mostly negative reviews, and made less money in its box office gross than it cost to be made, it did open at #6 at the box office during its opening weekend. The film, as many know, has since gone on to become a pop culture phenomenon and fan favorite that spawned a box office sequel – Center Stage: Turn It Up – which came out in 2008, and Center Stage: On Pointe, which was released to the small screen on Lifetime, back in 2016.

A piece of music history also stems from the movie. Singer Mandy Moore (of This Is Us and Tangled fame) had her highest charting song – her only top 40 song in the nation – from the soundtrack to Center Stage. That song is “I Wanna Be with You.” That single spent 16 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100; and the video featured then 16-year old Moore in a dance studio, singing to her love interest, who was played by Sascha Radetsky – Charlie from Center Stage.

Here is a trailer for Center Stage:

You can also check out information on where the movie was filmed thanks to these details provided by the folks at Entertainment Weekly).

Are you a fan of Center Stage? How many times have you seen the movie? Do you have a fan favorite movie that you’d like us to pay tribute toward? Please share.