DANCE ACADEMY
Australia, 2017, 101 minutes, Colour.
Xenia Goodwin, Alicia Banit, Jordan Rodriguez, Keiynan Lonsdale, Miranda Otto, Tara Morice, Thomas Lacey, Nick Westaway, Julia Blake, Matt Day, Lewis Fitzgerald.
Directed by Jeffrey Walker.
It is fair to give a warning for audiences contemplating seeing Dance Academy. It is definitely a film for those who have a passion about dancing and, especially, about ballet. Audiences who do not share this passion will probably not be absorbed by the film.
2010-2013 saw a very popular television series, Dance Academy, nominated for many awards and winning a number for children’s television prizes. A group of teenagers lived together at the Academy, at close quarters – with some expected consequences – and are put through a rigorous course and routines.
Most of them return for this feature film, written and produced by the creators, Samantha Strauss and Jennifer Werner, and one of the directors, Jeffrey Walker (young director also well-known for the Jack Irish telemovies).
What happened to the characters in the years after the Dance Academy?
The film focuses on Tara (Xenia Goodwin) who is seeing with a group preparing storylines about what might have happened. It emerges what happened to Tara was that she felt twice, breaking her back, twice going into rehabilitation and, finally, being able to dance again (though with continued apprehensions which are still realistically visualised at key points in her dancing) but working as a waitress. She has a lawsuit against the National Ballet, for $1 million, but her main desire is to become part of the ballet ensemble again.
She is in love with Christian (Jordan Rodriguez) who is now teaching young children in Sydney how to dance. When she meets an important member of the ballet board, Madeline Moncur, Miranda Otto, they have a conversation which leads her to believe that she should audition again and drop the suit. It is not as easy as all that, she is not chosen, while another member of the group, Abby (Dena Kaplan) has been successful. In the meantime, another member of the group, Kat (Alicia Bennett) is appearing in very popular television series, Belle, and is feted all around New York and the US, until she pulls a publicity stunt releasing suggestive photos which the studio heartily disapproves of.
Ben is dancing in the US but has developed leukaemia and is living in Texas with an Australian couple, the wife played by Tara Morice who was on instructress in the series. There is a new character, Ollie, a would-be singer who fails at auditions.
Disappointed, Tara goes to New York where most of the action of the film takes place. She auditions and auditions, finally becoming despondent and going to visit Ben in Texas. Together they conceive a dance routine which they want to take to the Festival in New York City – and do, but not with the expected results and Tara having to make a key decision for her life. But, the whole group is brought together in New York.
There are a number of cameos from veteran Australian actors including Julia Blake, Matt Day, Lewis Fitzgerald.
A lot of dancing, a lot of ballet, both auditions and performance, and quite a deal of young adult angst – but audiences will leave the cinema in a more buoyant frame of mind.
1. The popularity of the television series, the response of its audiences? Interest in the aftermath of the characters leaving the academy?
2. The Sydney locations, New York City, Texas?
3. The range of dance in the film, ballet, modern dance, auditions, rehearsals, performance? Classical and modern?
4. The range of the musical score, for the dancing?
5. The characters in the series, their age, growing up, the experience of the Academy, the hard course, relationships? The teachers?
6. The focus on Tara, creative writing, stories, discussions with the group? Her ideas? Christian, his teaching, relationship with Tara, his work with children? Tara, the memory of her accidents, breaking her back twice? Treatment, recuperation? Work as a waitress? Hopes for the National Ballet? The encounter with Monica, the conversation, feeling encouraged? Her friendship with Abby, going to the audition, not being chosen? Her dancing and the film showing flashbacks, percussion sounds, surreal images of her accidents?
7. Tara, upset, the lawsuit, the million dollars, the advice of the lawyer? The decision to withdraw? The discussion with Monica, Monica’s stances?
8. The decision to go to New York City, the discussions with Christian, leaving? Arriving, meeting Kat, Kat and her successful television series, Tara staying with her, Kat’s life and style, going to clubs, parties? Xavier, his singing, partnership with Kat – and her reactions to him? The encounter with Ollie, at all the socials, for leads, his hopes?
9. Tara following the leads, many auditions, her not being selected? Going to Texas, meeting Ben, the couple, the former teacher, the hospitality, Ben and his leukaemia? The discussions, the decision to choreograph Persephone? The practices, the application to the Festival?
10. Going to New York City, the opportunities, the meeting with Monica, Monica offering Tara membership of the ballet, Tara returning?
11. Ben, in New York City, his collapse, hospital, Tara going to the hospital, Monica not approving, yet inviting her to go to the rehearsal? Membership of the group – and Tara’s refusing?
12. Kat, the scandal of the photographs, her being dropped from the series?
13. Ollie, singing, dancing, his help, the final performance with Abby and Ollie?
14. In the theatre, the speech by the former director of dance, the audiences, the performance of Persephone, the style, lighting, dance, success?
15. The reunion of all the friends in New York City, Christian coming to visit Tara?
16. The return to Sydney – and the future?
