Center Stage

Pirouetting out of Columbia Pictures comes a finger-clickin8217;, hot steppin8217;, merry makin8217; film that traces the hurdy-gurdy lives of a batch of freshers at the fictitious American Ballet Academy. Its magic is tied up in a fleet of dancers who were obviously chosen for their ability to shake their stuff rather than deliver their lines. So stark is the divide between the dancing and acting, that one is left with the distinct impression of two parallel films 8211; one, flying with rhythm and life, the other dipped in the dull colours of the predictable and unconvincing.

However, strong themes like bulimia and the pressures of an artiste8217;s life are squandered by director Nicholas Hytner The Madness of King George, Crucible for a more light-hearted approach. Though accomplished actors like Donna Monk and Peter Gallagher have been cast, they are not enough to carry the movie to success.