Center Stage is a 2000 film directed by Nicholas Hytner.

Tagline: Life doesn't hold tryouts.

Plot

After competitions, 12 young dancers make it into the American Ballet Academy, which may be based on the School of American Ballet. They will prepare for a recital to determine who will be asked to join the American Ballet Company, which appears to be based on either the American Ballet Theatre or the New York City Ballet. Tensions mount between Jonathan (played by Peter Gallagher), the company's aging choreographer, and Cooper (Ethan Stiefel ), his best dancer, who also wants to choreograph. The brilliant Maureen (Susan May Pratt ) seems poised for success, but she discovers that life is passing her by. Jody Sawyer (Amanda Schull ), whose body may be the wrong type and whose technique is ragged, elicits Cooper's interest. The edgy, smart-mouthed Eva (Zoe Saldana) loves to dance but seems destined to be stuck in the back of the chorus. The recital will decide their fates.

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