Center Stage cobbles together some of the best elements
of Fame, The Turning Point, Flashdance, and Dirty Dancing, so it feels very homogenized and predictable.
That's not to say it's bad. I appreciated that the film did not
gloss over the darker sides of the dance world (unhealthy
obsessions with body images, bulemia, the unnatural and
tortuous effects of ballet on the body), but neither does
Center Stage dwell on them. The tone is mostly upbeat, the
structure formulaic. Although cliched and familiar, this movie does not stint on
dance sequences, and the dancing in this film is pretty
phenomenal. Especially noteworthy is Ethan Stiefel, who
plays the ballet company's male star. He is easily the most
electrifying male dancer since Baryshnikov and may even
be better. Check out his performances here of MacMillan's
Romeo and Juliet and Balanchine's Stars and Stripes and
see if you disagree.
of Fame, The Turning Point, Flashdance, and Dirty Dancing, so it feels very homogenized and predictable.
That's not to say it's bad. I appreciated that the film did not
gloss over the darker sides of the dance world (unhealthy
obsessions with body images, bulemia, the unnatural and
tortuous effects of ballet on the body), but neither does
Center Stage dwell on them. The tone is mostly upbeat, the
structure formulaic. Although cliched and familiar, this movie does not stint on
dance sequences, and the dancing in this film is pretty
phenomenal. Especially noteworthy is Ethan Stiefel, who
plays the ballet company's male star. He is easily the most
electrifying male dancer since Baryshnikov and may even
be better. Check out his performances here of MacMillan's
Romeo and Juliet and Balanchine's Stars and Stripes and
see if you disagree.