The Future of Ballet As Told By Center Stage

When the movie Center Stage premiered, I was an eleven year old budding ballerina. Little did I know at that time, that I would be on my way to the school that inspired the film, the School of American Ballet. 

This poster brings back so many good memories!

By the time I was sixteen, the film was a cult classic in the ballet world. We would watch the movie on loop in the dorms, because the dancers in the film were superstars in the ballet world, dancers like Ethan Stiefel, Sascha Radetsky, and Julie Kent. Also recognizable in the background were New York City Ballet dancers Janie Taylor, Jared Angle, Craig Hall, Rebecca Krohn and Jonathan Stafford. We simply couldn't get enough of their younger selves personified on the big screen. 

Now as a corps de ballet member with the New York City Ballet, I've had the pleasure of meeting some of these superstar dancers both from ABT and NYCB. Not going to lie, I maybe freaked out a little the first time I met some of them. After speaking with them about the movie (because I just had to bring it up), I became aware that this film only speaks to a certain generation (Millennials). The Gen X dancers were either in the film or already involved in their own careers to appreciate it. And the Gen Z dancers are streaming dance documentaries with the click of an Apple TV remote. 

So why does this movie speak only to Millennials? Well for starters it is because of the reason I listed above, massive principal dancer star power. Second, as a former student of the School of American Ballet, it feels like I actually lived it. While I was a student, a principal dancer was secretly dating a student just like in the movie, and a mom of an advanced student was working on the administrative side of the artistic staff just like in the movie. Crazy right? Third, there were common themes like anorexia, bulimia, the stresses of preparing for the Workshop, wondering if you were going to get a spot in the company, dating for the first time, and experiencing life as a teenager in the city. This movie spoke to us as Millennial teenagers going through this process, and while reminiscing, I couldn't be happier that we found something to relate to in this crazy world. 

After reflecting fondly on this movie, I decided to watch it again this summer. I followed my own advice from a former post, Summer Ballet Fix, and watched a silly movie with some of my closest friends while we shared a house on tour in Saratoga Springs. 

Well let me tell you, this movie is better now than it was when I first watched it! You want to know why? Well, I noticed that three out of the four members of the New York City Ballet interim team are in the movie. Yes, you heard me right. Three out of four of my current bosses are dancers in the background of my favorite film, and it was a hoot to watch them as innocent young dancers, with no idea of what's to come. 

Jonathan Stafford, Rebecca Krohn, and Craig Hall (Justin Peck is a Millenial so therefore not in the film) the current members of the New York City Ballet interim leadership team, were semi featured in the film. Jonathan, the leader of the team, is memorable for marking (step touch, step touch, pas de bourrée, double pirouette) in the back of Cooper Nielson's new ballet for the student workshop. Rebecca Krohn was in the background of all the ballet classes and performances as we as Craig Hall. 

This got me thinking. Does Center Stage tell the future of ballet? Was the film wise beyond it's years? Did the casting agents realize the true potential of some of these dancers? There are so many future professional dancers in that film just starting out, that grow up to be superstars. Not to mention the three members of the interim team that are currently now leading the New York City Ballet. Who would have thought?

Since Center Stage, no other ballet film had that much star power from different ballet companies all over the United States. Who knows if it was the film, or if at that time there was a burst in talent in the ballet world. Either way the film showed us the future and we didn't even realize it. The "students" in Center Stage are now leading professional ballet companies. The future of ballet was right there on the silver screen and we had no idea!

Thank you for indulging my love of Center Stage and also my crazy conspiracy theories about how the film was foreshadowing the future of ballet while also acting as a guide for my young teenage self. Needless to say, I still recommend it to every budding ballerina and male dancer. You can learn a lot about this crazy world, while also watching some ballet superstars in their awkward teenage years. It's the perfect package.