The Stars of "Center Stage" Are Having a Virtual Reunion
Bunheads, clear your calendars! As many of you already know, Center Stage is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The 2000 teen dance drama, which follows Jodie Sawyer and her friends at the fictional American Ballet Academy, has since become the quintessential ballet flick, for obvious reasons. It not only brought ballet—and lots of it—to the big screen, it gave ballet dancers, including American Ballet Theatre’s Ethan Stiefel and Sascha Radetsky, top billing. And while the movie spawned two sequels and is available on both disc and digital platforms, earlier this year we announced that a TV series is in the works. Now, there’s another reason to get excited: On Tuesday, September 1, the stars of Center Stage are having a virtual reunion on YouTube.
That’s right: Zoe Saldana and Amanda Schull, who played Eva Rodriguez and Jody Sawyer, respectively, will join Stiefel and Radetsky and share their favorite memories of the film. (Fun fact: Saldana, who has gone on to star in huge blockbuster movies like Avatar and Guardians of the Galaxy, made her film debut in Center Stage.) And as an added bonus, CNN’s Poppy Harlow will host.
The reunion, dubbed Up Close and CENTER STAGE, is a fundraiser for ABT’s Crisis Relief Fund. To watch, tune in to ABT’s YouTube channel at 7:30 pm EDT. The event is free, although donations are encouraged. A ticketed VIP event will be held beforehand.
