Centre stage = Center stage (Collector's edition)

In this teen ensemble drama, the fortunes of several young ambitious dancers are determined over one year’s tuition in a prestigious New York dance school, as they compete for just a few contested places. Jody is the sweet natured ingenue outclassed by the elite students of the school; Maureen is the child protegee dealing with bulimia and a domineering stage mum; Eva is the African-American rebel seeking validation from her peers. The students struggle with the demands of the school and their personal relationships that at times threaten to thwart the achievement of their exacting goal. Most characters are drawn from stock stereotypes (from the “Fame” repertoire), but the drama is affective in its evocation of the young protagonists’ qualms about their uncertain future. Real dancers play most of the main characters, which explains some of the wooden acting, and although the narrative progression is far from unpredictable, the dance sequences are quite stunning and fun to watch. The narrative also touches on body image among female dancers and old style choreography and teaching methods, versus a modern approach. Cast includes: Amanda Schullm, Zoe Saldana, Susan May Pratt, Donna Murphy, Debra Monk, Ethan Stiefel, Sascha Radetsky.