Wednesday, 18 September 2013

Center Stage: Turn it up - review

Kate Parker dreams of being a student at the American Ballet Academy, so after leaving her younger sister and good for nothing father behind in Detroit, she makes the move to New York in the hope of achieving her dream.

With an audition set and her ambition high, Kate is determined to show her sister than you can achieve anything if you work hard enough, but when the director chooses  a rich girl whose father is an investor in the Academy over her, Kate’s dreams are dashed forcing her to apply for other dance companies while sleeping in her car.

Determined to make a go of her chance in New York, Kate can’t bring herself to tell her sister she didn’t get in, so as she spends her days trying to make it she meets Tommy, a former hockey player turned ballet dancer who was lucky enough to get into the Academy.

As they get to know each other, Kate is appreciative when Tommy arranges for her to work at a friend’s bar, but he has an ulterior motive, having witnessed her dance skills, he wants her help with his technique and performance.

With every spare moment spent together practicing both Kate and Tommy fall for each other and as their dance skills improve, Tommy is chosen to privately audition for a new production along with his dance partner Suzanne. Although Kate is happy for him she realises her own dream is slipping away and when her sister Bella turns up in the hope of watching her perform she confesses she didn’t get into the Academy and has been working in a nightclub.

As she continues to work wherever she can, Kate attends a gala as a waitress and after watching Tommy perform with Suzanne she sees them share a kiss and decides to end their relationship and leave New York. But as Bella begs her to not give up and persuades her to attend an open audition, Kate starts to believe in herself again and is determined to show she can make it.

As a sequel to my favourite film, Center Stage, I was sceptical of watching this movie as I knew it wouldn’t be as good as the first film, but I was pleasantly surprised. Apart from being set in the same ballet school and featuring 2 returning characters, this movie gave a different spin on the world of dance.

Combining hip hop and ballet, the storyline was very predictable but I really enjoyed it and as a fan of dance, I would definitely watch it again.

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