Ms - The CIAstatic.thecia.com.au/reviews/c/centre-stage-turn-it-up... · Web viewExecutive in Charge of Post Production Steve Tannen Post Production Coordinator Maureen Doyle Visual

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SONY PICTURES RELEASING PRESENTS

PRODUCTION NOTESRelease Date: October 30, 2008

Running time: 95 minsRating: M

Publicity Images Available at:www.sonypicturespublicity.net

http://www.sonypicturespublicity.net/

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Cast

Tommy Anderson Kenny WormaldKate Parker Rachele Brooke Smith

Suzanne Von Stroh Sarah Jayne JensenBella Parker Nicole Muñoz

Sal Christopher RussellJonathan Reeves Peter GallagherCooper Nielson Ethan Stiefel

Harris Christian VincentAllison Daniela Dib

Lexi Crystal LoweMonica Straus Lucia WaltersNick Hoffman Cody Green

Valerie Taft Jacqueline SteuartMr. Von Stroh Keith Gordey

Mr. Parker Anthony HarrisonSuzanne Groupie #1/Stepsister Kristen Wicklund

Suzanne Groupie #2 Christl LeslieTow Lot Guy Walcott E. Morgan

Dance School Receptionist Aliyah O’BrienDance School Instructor #1 Deni DeloryDance School Instructor #2 Maya Massar

ABA Audition Voyeur Cameron McKinlayCatering Girl Vivana Dal Cengio

Stage Door Guy Sean CareyABA Receptionist Tanya Champoux

Club Dance Ringleader Aakomon “AJ” JonesClub Krumper Christopher Lil “C” Toler

Detroit Dancers Misha Gabriel HamiltonColin TrickeyKim SatoKenny MugishaJheric Hizon

Club Dancers Ariké RiceAmy AllenHarry Shum Jr.

ABA Dancers Kyle ToyMarco Arimare Brichelle BruckerFelicia LauPeter StarrTara WilsonJaclyn WeatleyDanielle DemiKevin KongEric Burrough

Glass Slipper Audition Dancers Livona EllisTonya TannerNathalie MarrableTeghan FedorGillian AbbottTheresa Coombe

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Crew

Director Steven JacobsonWriter Karen Bloch Morse

Based on Characters Created by Carol HeikkinenProducer Laurence Mark

Executive Producers Vicki SotheranGreg Malcolm

Executive Producer David BlackmanDirector of Photography Dino Parks

Production Designer Geoff WallaceEditor Ian SlaterMusic Laura Karpman

Music Supervisor Christopher VioletteBallet Choreographer Odessa Munroe

Choreographer Aakomon “AJ” JonesCostume Designer Angelina Kekich

Casting by Karen MeiselsSean Cossey, CSA & Stuart Aikins, CSA

Assistant Choreographer Ariké RiceAssistant Ballet Choreographers Kyle Toy

Marco Arimare

Unit Production Manager Donald Munro

First Assistant Director Bobby Bastarache

Second Assistant Director Trevor McWhinney

Art Director Joanna DunnSet Decorator Tasha Moth

Script Supervisor Janice Melnyk

A-Camera Operator Pieter StathisFirst Assistant A-Camera Cam Hayduk

Second Assistant A-Camera Cynthia GreerAdditional Second Assistant Henry Zhao

B-Camera Operator Harvey LaRocqueFirst Assistant B-Camera Tobias Sarin

Makeup Department Head Naomi HiranoHair Department Head Russell Brady

Gaffer Scott ClarkBest Boy Lighting John Marilley-Bodner

Key Grip Garry BrookSecond Grip Fabio Sartor

Dolly Grip Ed McMahon

Production Mixer Sebastian SalmBoom Operator Colin Smith

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Special Effects Coordinator Darren MarcoixSpecial Effects Assistant Myriam Cournoyer

Location Manager Dominic MainProduction Coordinator Tricia LeighProduction Clearances Samantha SchwannProduction Accountant Laurie Watt

Construction Coordinator Chris ThompsonProperty Master Graham Coutts

Unit Publicist Lapacazo SandovalStill Photographer Chris Helcermanas-Benge

2nd Second Assistant Director Andrew NiiranenDGC Trainee Simona Pandele

Executive for LMP Petra AlexandriaAssociate Producer Marcele Kutkauskaite

Production Assistants Dylan KilgourTracy TolleyDarren Kaliciak

Casting Associates (CAN) JJ OgilvyLiam Corcoran

Extras Casting Freeman Casting

Transportation Coordinator David HallidayTransportation Captain Don Stenstrom

Transportation Co-Captain Bob Buxton

Catering Truffles Fine FoodsNin Rai

Playback Services Provided by Ray Collins Derek Howard

Production Legal Services Provided by Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLPRobert DarwellJamie Afifi

POST PRODUCTION

Post Production Supervisor Christopher Kulikowski First Assistant Editor Brendan Walsh

Post Production Services by Digital Cut Post

Supervising Sound Designer Randy Babajitis

Sound Editors Richard KittingJason Gaya

Assistant Sound Editors Phillip YoungRobert DehnTiffany Lentz

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Corey J. Grasso

Supervising Dialogue/ADR Editor Dhyana Carlton-TimsADR Mixers Andrew Morgado

Judah Getz

Foley Editors Joshua AdenijiLevent Erdogan

Foley Artist Vicki O’Reilly VandegriftFoley Dance Artist Nora Sanchez

Foley Mixer Zach Michaelis

Re-recording Mixers Jonathan Wales, CASScott Hinkley

Voice Casting by Joe CappellettiPost Production Sound Services Provided by Sonic Magic Studios

Assistant to Composer Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum

Main Titles Designed by Matt ClementsRicardo Castro

Digital Intermediate, Opticals & VFX by HTV Illuminate

Digital Colorist Andrew DrapkinDigital Conform & Opticals Bruce Cathcart

Executive in Charge of Post Production Steve Tannen Post Production Coordinator Maureen Doyle

Visual Effects Supervisor AJ UllmanVisual Effects Artist James Betteridge

MUSIC

“Raising the Barre”Written by Laura Karpman, Richard Nichols,

Mone Medusa SmithPerformed by Medusa

“Give It All I’ve Got”Written by Phillippe Deschambault

Performed by Bekki Friesen

“Balloon”Written by Sara Haze, Nathan Meckel

and Pamela ReswickPerformed by Sara Haze

Courtesy of Beachfront RecordsBy arrangement with Pen Music Group, Inc.

“You Should Be Gone”Written by Phillippe DeschambaultPerformed by Christelle Radomsky

“Turn Around”Written by Michael Greene, Phillip Jacobs,

Eric Olson, Nate ThackerPerformed by Soul P

Courtesy of Beatmart Records/Position Music

“Burnin’ (Woy Yoy Yoy)”Written by Jeanette Bhaguandas, Keith Lewis, Rohan

StephensPerformed by Ms. Triniti

Courtesy of Unseen Lab Recordings, Inc.

“I Ain’t Goin Nowhere”Written by Michael Greene, Todd Collins

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Performed by Soul P Courtesy of Beatmart Records/Position Music

“Num Num”Written by Joachim Rugg, Stella Mwangi,

Abdul SalehPerformed by The DNC

Courtesy of Choicetracks/Position Music

“Loosen Up”Written by John Hermanson, Eric Fawcett,

Casey Golden, Bryan Hanna, Joanna Jahn, Daron Walker

Performed by Golden featuring Sophia ShoraiCourtesy of Modern Music

“Street Ballet”Written by Laura Karpman, Richard Nichols

Performed by Medusa

“Mista Ambarosia”Written by Thomas Edward Fugleberg, Joel Dodson

Performed by The Spectaculars

“Don’t Sweat”Written by Eric Barrier, William Griffith,

Jeanette Baghaundas, Keith Douglas LewisProduced by Qmillion

Performed by Ms. Triniti

"Paper Plane"Written and Performed by Lucy Schwartz

“A Part In That Show”Written and Performed by Chris Joss

Courtesy of ESL Music

“Act Like You Want It”Written by Ali Theodore, Vincent Alfieri, Julian Davis,

Michael Klein, Joseph KatsarosPerformed by X5 featuring Mr. Fang

Courtesy of DeetownBy arrangement with Format and Position Music

“Inside Outside”Written by Ali Theodore, Sarai Howard,

Michael KleinPerformed by Miss Eighty 6

Courtesy of DeetownBy arrangement with Format and Position Music

“Swing Baby Swing”Written by Joachim Rugg, Stella Mwangi,

Abdul SalehPerformed by The DNC

Courtesy of Choicetracks/Position Music

“Nobody Hot As Me”Written by Jacques Slade, Dious Clay

Performed by KUCourtesy of Choicetracks/Position Music

“Rainmaker”Written by Guy Roche, Michael “Smidi” Smith, Elizabeth

VidalPerformed by Sara Haze

“Ten Things To Prove”Written by Amali Ward, Beau Golden,

Michael AvenaimPerformed by Amali Ward

“24”Written by Jemma Griffiths, Justin Griffiths

Performed by JemUnder license from ATO RecordsBy arrangement with Zync Music

“You Belong”Written by Rob Bonfiglio

Performed by The Skies of America

Portions of the score contain samples from“Swan Lake”

Written by Pyotr TchaikovskyPerformed by The Russian State Symphony Orchestra

Dmitry Yablonsky, conductorCourtesy of Naxos

By arrangement with Source/Q

“La Bayadère”Written By Ludwig Minkus

Black Swan Pas de Deux choreography after Marius Petipa

Ballet Piano performed & arranged by Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum

© 2008 Stage 6 Films, Inc.All Rights Reserved

Stage 6 Films, Inc. is the author of this film (motion picture) for the purpose of copyright and other laws.

Special Thanks to:Gillian Murphy

Scotiabank Dance CentreHarbour Dance Centre

Wild Coyote BarThe City of Vancouver

Carlos M. Arrea

Centre Stage: Turn It Up Production NotesPage 8

CENTRE STAGE: TURN IT UP

Centre Stage: Turn It Up focuses on a naïve but gifted young woman who must overcome her

lack of training to achieve her dream of becoming a professional dancer and who ultimately does

so in an unlikely way with the help of a hockey player-turned-dancer.

Featuring a fresh, young cast, this second installment about life at a legendary New York City

dance academy marks the directing debut of Steven Jacobson. Steven first displayed his

directorial skills as the second unit director on Dreamgirls, which was produced by Laurence

Mark, who also produced both Centre Stage movies. The screenplay is by Karen Bloch Morse.

David Blackman, Vicki Sotheran and Greg Malcolm are executive producers.

The street dance and hip hop sequences were choreographed by Aakomon “AJ” Jones,

Dreamgirls co-choreographer, and Odessa Munroe served as ballet choreographer. There are two

other Dreamgirls alumni in key positions: Dino Parks, who was the second unit cinematographer

on that film, and Ian Slater, who was the first assistant editor, served as the director of

photography and the editor of Centre Stage: Turn It Up. Angelina Kekich designed the costumes,

and the music was composed by Laura Karpman.

THE STORY

Life has not dealt Kate Parker (Rachele Brooke Smith) an easy hand. In fact, luck has been

largely absent for her and her little sister, Bella (Nicole Muñoz), since the death of their mother.


Living in Detroit with an emotionally distant father and stuck in a dead-end job, it’s only when

Kate dances with her street crew that she feels truly alive and free.

Growing up with the dream of one day dancing classical ballet, Kate had no choice but to

practice at home and study the moves of famous dancers by replaying classic performances on

her VCR. But with greater maturity and growing confidence in her dancing skills, Kate is

determined to audition for New York’s prestigious American Ballet Academy (ABA). Being

accepted by Academy Artistic Director Jonathan Reeves (Peter Gallagher) and the

internationally celebrated Cooper Nielson (Ethan Stiefel) would prove to her sister and herself

that dreams really can come true.

Firmly convinced that she will be admitted to the famous school, Kate kisses her baby sister

goodbye and prays that her old car will survive the trip to New York in time for the auditions.

But once inside the hallowed halls of the ABA for the grueling audition process, Kate is faced

with the overwhelming fact that her background places her far behind the competition. She’s

particularly competitive with Suzanne Von Stroh (Sarah Jayne Jensen), a prodigy from a wealthy

family, trained in classical ballet since the moment she could walk.

While showing tremendous potential, Kate is ultimately rejected by the Academy in favor of

Von Stroh. With no money and no place to stay, Kate befriends Tommy Anderson (Kenny

Wormald), an ex-hockey player and unlikely new ABA student, who is astonished at Kate’s

natural ability and helps her find a job at the Foundry, a local New York nightclub. The


chemistry he and Kate discover while dancing together at the club sparks a new determination in

both of them to overcome all obstacles on their way to fulfilling their dreams.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

Dance is a universal language. It has the power to reach out and touch people in a way that words

often cannot. Sometimes it is refined and precise, glorifying technical perfection achieved after

years of discipline. Other times it is raw and full of so much emotion that you can almost feel

yourself levitate as you watch bodies defy gravity. And sometimes it is as simple and freeing as

spinning around in your bare feet whenever the mood strikes you.

Centre Stage: Turn It Up combines the elegant and rigorous classical ballet world of its

predecessor with the electrifying, kinetic energy of the street. The dance-fueled story deals with

themes of passion, family responsibilities and struggle while amplifying its mix of emotions with

sheer motion.

For director Steven Jacobson, the project offered an exciting opportunity to tell a tale about

passion and performance in a style that was youthful and real, with the added exhilaration that

can only emerge through dance. A fan of such iconic dance films as Fame, Dirty Dancing and

the original Centre Stage, as well as a devotee of dance works ranging from the classical ballet

repertoire and the choreography of Matthew Bourne (The Car Man) to David LaChapelle’s

“krumping” documentary Rize, he welcomed the challenge of creating a heartfelt, authentic story

that freely merged dance styles as diverse as ballet, jazz, hip hop and tango. “For these young


characters, dance is the way they express themselves most honestly,” Jacobson explains. “For

them it’s not a case of ballet vs. hip hop vs. jazz—they’re all just different kinds of creative

expression; and for Kate and Tommy especially, they’re the means by which they connect

emotionally with each other.”

“This is a story about the power of having a dream and about how two young people reach for

the stars, each needing the other to realize their potential,” offers producer Laurence Mark.

“Although this movie takes a different turn than the first film,” says executive producer David

Blackman, “we thought it was important to bring back two of the original stars. We were very

fortunate and excited that both Peter Gallagher and Ethan Stiefel agreed to reprise their roles.”

David Blackman continues, “We wanted very much to maintain the integrity of the first film, but

also to update the story by adding a blend of dance styles, trying to create something new.”

Kate must demonstrate her talent in spite of her lack of training in traditional dance circles. A

budding romance with Tommy, who has entered the rarefied world that rejected her, is the last

thing she wants; but because of their chemistry on the dance floor and off, it turns out to be

exactly what both of them need.

“She doesn’t seem to fit in the demanding world of ballet in spite of her obvious abilities as a

dancer—her training comes from the raw energy of the streets,” Mark notes. “Her overwhelming

desire is to dance, and so she ultimately keeps at it despite the odds.”


Even after many rejections, Kate’s dreams are too strong to fade forever, and she eventually

realizes that the established road to success is only one possible path.

Director Steven Jacobson explains: “Kate has a natural gift, but unlike Suzanne, she doesn’t fit

into an easily definable category: she has virtually no formal training, just a burning desire to

perform, and that’s not a quality that the ABA is set up to recognize. Tommy managed to win a

spot at the Academy, but he can relate to Kate’s plight better than most—he began as an outsider

to the ballet world himself, having made the transition from hockey skates to ballet shoes. Kate

and Tommy find a connection with each other through dance that they have never felt with

anybody else, and it’s magical.”

“Centre Stage: Turn It Up is fundamentally a love story told through the eyes of two very

different people and told through dance,” Mark concludes.

THE CASTING

By all accounts, it was a formidable challenge to find the right girl to portray the leading lady,

Kate Parker. She had to be adept at both ballet and hip hop—and she had to be convincing in the

role.

The filmmakers undertook an exhaustive search, with postings in hundreds of dance studios in

cities across the US, and many open casting calls in the States and in Canada. Ironically, it was at


a dance studio in Los Angeles that Rachele Smith approached director Steven Jacobson and

timidly requested an audition.

“The moment she started to dance in that studio,” recalls Jacobson, “everybody’s eyes went

straight to her, and I felt we might finally have found our lead. Then she came in for a day-long

audition and worked harder and more passionately than any of the other contenders. It was quite

astounding.”

“We hit the jackpot in casting Rachele,” adds Blackman. “This young actress can be vulnerable

yet strong—and she can switch in an instant from ballet, jazz, street dance and hip hop.”

For Rachele, the role was everything she ever yearned for. “To combine my two passions, acting

and dancing, at the same time in my first movie was amazing,” she says. “I couldn’t have

dreamed for any more. I am just so thankful that the team saw my passion and believed in me

and creatively supported me in every step of the filmmaking process.”

The filmmakers were excited to find another talented newcomer, Kenny Wormald, to play the

role of Tommy Anderson. While he has extensive ballet training, Kenny comes primarily out of

the hip hop world, where he has worked as a professional dancer with such top talent as

Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, and Chris Brown. He is also known for his

appearances on the MTV series, Dancelife. Steven Jacobson notes, “Kenny has a natural charm

and charisma that is apparent the instant you meet him. His dance abilities are awe-inspiring—

his moves are breathtakingly fluid.”


While Kenny is steeped in the hip hop world, the role of Suzanne required someone with a

different set of skills. Enter Sarah Jayne Jensen, a Broadway-trained actress who has worked

with major choreographers like Susan Stroman and Julie Taymor, and appeared in the hit movie

musical, “Hairspray.” “Sarah has the sensitivity and resources of an experienced actress, along

with her tremendous ballet skills,” offers Jacobson. “I want people to like Suzanne, despite her

ruthless determination. Sarah Jayne made her real, rather than a two-dimensional villain.”

DOING THE WORK

When the cast was set, Jacobson now faced the sizeable challenge of bringing a high-energy

polyglot of dance styles to the screen. He collaborated closely with both of his choreographers:

Odessa Munroe, who created the ballet routines and the ballet/jazz finale, and Aakomon “AJ”

Jones, who handled the street and club dance sequences.

“So much of this story is conveyed through dance,” explains Jacobson. “With every gesture and

every step, we learn more about how the characters feel about themselves and each other. AJ and

Odessa were working in very different disciplines, but that was a unifying goal for both of them:

that each dance shows us a little more about what is going on between these characters.”

“What makes this film especially exciting for me is the mix of diverse dance styles. For instance,

getting to watch classical ballet star Ethan Stiefel do a hip hop routine was a rare treat,” says

Mark.


Jacobson took a wide-open approach. “I wanted the club and street dances to seem entirely

credible and spontaneous, rather than being overly rehearsed or contrived,” says the director. “I

also felt that all the dance in the movie—ballet and hip hop alike—should be deeply and

authentically emotional, and AJ and Odessa exceeded my expectations in realizing these goals.”

“All of the dancers approached each musical number with passion, imagination and tremendous

heart,” adds Munroe. “It was an amazing collaboration with a director who was always focused

on having the dance numbers move the story forward.”

When asked what made working with the director so satisfying, both choreographers

enthusiastically embraced the same word. “Freedom, freedom, freedom,” Munroe and AJ

confirm. “That is what Steven gave us! It was such a pleasure to work with an artist who truly

understands and respects the creative process. His camera team, lead by Dino Parks, seamlessly

matched the movement of the dancers. The result, we believe, is a lush sweep that visually

captures the pure adrenaline rush from the dancers’ and audience’s points-of-view.”

The power and talent of the energetic young cast awed even Ethan Stiefel: “It was clear that their

hard work paid off, and the casting seemed pitch-perfect.”


THE LOOK

When it came to the look of the film, from the beginning, director Jacobson felt the key to

capturing the excitement was in choosing a director of photography who understood movement.

The energetic hand-held camera, constantly moving frame, and frequent jump cuts highlight the

youth of the characters and the small, often unobserved moments that sometimes define them.

“Steven was very committed to making the movie a singular experience that would stand on its

own,” offers cinematographer Dino Parks. “He was insistent on making the story feel and look

real.”

“We really tried to take different approaches to the various dance sequences, just to keep things

interesting,” says Parks. “Example, when Ethan Stiefel dances ballet, the camera stayed back to

achieve a classical look and to give him his space. Other times, we moved the camera in close in

impossibly tight spaces, sometimes inches away from the dancers. In the club where Kate works,

we always tried to capture a myriad of perspectives to try to reflect the energy and heat that

happens when so many people are moving to the same beat.”

“In the finale, which is an emotional and theatrical number, we used a combination of Steadicam

and hand-held shots, with long lenses, moving either with or in counterpoint to the dancers. Our

objective was to cover the dance in such a way as to allow Ian (editor Ian Slater) to influence the

rhythm of the piece, along with the music and the choreography,” concludes Parks. Jacobson


adds: “Dino covered the finale with a tremendous sense of movement and flow, and then Ian put

the pieces together seamlessly, and with a real kinetic energy. I was delighted with the result.”

Production designer Geoff Wallace created an abstract set for the finale, using transparent

plexiglass “brick walls” that echoed other environments seen in the film, while also providing a

clean, geometric space with which the dancers could interact.

“We chose an aesthetic that would give the film a more immediate, contemporary feel,” shares

Jacobson. “I wanted to get the camera right in amongst the performers, as close as possible: to

place the audience in the dance, not outside it. The physicality of dance is so energizing, and I

wanted to break down any barrier between the bodies in motion and the audience observing

them.”

THE MUSIC

Centre Stage: Turn It Up boasts an electrifying soundtrack courtesy of many cutting-edge young

recording artists, along with the work of Julliard-trained composer Laura Karpman. “Music is the

lifeblood of any dance movie,” Jacobson asserts. “It propels the dance itself and inspires the

choreographers, but it’s also important that each cue represents the characters honestly and feels

organic to their personalities.”

Karpman’s extensive work on the film includes several cues that blend the beats and samples

characteristic of hip hop with a complex classical sensibility. She collaborated with members of


lauded hip hop collective The Roots, known for using real instruments instead of the more

common drum machines and synthesized rhythms. In the distinctive opening song, for example,

she began with beats from The Roots, upon which she layered a multitude of real-world

percussive sounds and melodic lines, adding samples from a performance of Tchaikovsky’s

“Swan Lake.” Finally, Karpman added a high-energy rhyme from indie rap artist Medusa. The

result is not quite hip hop, and certainly not purely classical, but it spans the gap between the two

genres without compromising either one.

In addition to Karpman’s diverse selection of songs and score cues, the film incorporates many

exciting new tracks from hot emerging artists, such as eighteen-year-old singer-songwriter Lucy

Schwartz, dancehall diva Ms. Triniti, Australian Idol finalist Amali Ward, and soulful young

singer-songwriter Sara Haze. Ms. Triniti performed a dynamic new version of the touchstone hip

hop classic “Don’t Sweat The Technique” especially for one of the Centrepiece club dance

numbers.

The finale is accompanied by one of the film’s most memorable tracks: “24” by Welsh singer-

songwriter Jem. “The minute I played that song for Odessa and her assistants, I knew I didn’t

have to look any further for the finale song,” Jacobson recalls. “They were so inspired by the

emotion and power of it, and they felt they could create something different from what the

audience may be expecting.”


FILM CREW AND CAST BIOS

KENNY WORMALD (Tommy Anderson)

Kenny Wormald’s film credits include You Got Served, Clerks II directed by Kevin Smith and Jackass 2. As a dancer, his television credits include “Dancelife,” “Ellen,” “Fashion Rocks,” “Teen Choice Awards,” “Saturday Night Live” with Nelly Furtado, “People’s Choice Awards” with Jessica Simpson, “MTV Movie Awards” and the “VH1 Awards” with Mariah Carey.

His live performances include Justin Timberlake World Tour 07’, Jennifer Lopez - London Show, Justin Timberlake Fashion Show, Jennifer Lopez Club Tour, The Pussycat Dolls and the Hip Hop Dance Awards. He has appeared in numerous music videos including Christina Aguilera’s “Candyman,” Nelly Furtado’s “Promiscuous,” Mariah Carey’s “I Like That,” and Madonna’s “American Life.”

RACHELE BROOKE SMITH (Kate Parker)

Rachele Brooke Smith is originally from Phoenix, Arizona. She began her career studying gymnastics at the age of 6, but at 13 she discovered that her true passion was dance. She started dancing competitively and soon began choreographing, teaching, and dancing with local professional companies. She recently moved to LA when she was accepted into the EDGE Performing Arts Scholarship Program in which she continued her training in ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, hip hop, partnering, voice, and acting under the direction of the top choreographers and coaches.

Centre Stage 2 marks Rachele’s film debut.

SARAH JAYNE JENSEN (Suzanne Von Stroh)

Sarah Jayne Jensen is originally from Sandy, Utah and was most recently seen as ‘Shelley’ in the New Line feature film Hairspray starring John Travolta. She originally moved to Los Angeles to sign with record label BMG, but while visiting her sister in New York, she booked the national Broadway tour of “Fosse.” She decided New York City would be the best place for her, and went on to such Broadway shows as “Oklahoma!” starring Patrick Wilson, “Gypsy” starring Bernadette Peters, and “Wonderful Town” starring Donna Murphy and Brooke Shields. Her Off-Broadway credits include “Urban Cowboy,” “Dance with Me” and “Princesses.” She recently appeared on ABC’s Emmy nominated hit “Pushing Daisies.”

PETER GALLAGER (Jonathan Reeves)

Peter Gallagher is one of America’s most respected actors and has starred on stage, television and in film. Gallagher recently starred in The Country Girl on Broadway for director Mike Nichols. Gallagher, born in NYC and raised in Armonk, New York, developed an interest in acting as a teenager starring in school plays and musicals. After graduating from Tufts


University, he made his professional stage debut in the 1977 revival of “Hair,” followed by a starring role in the Broadway production of “Grease” and “The Corn is Green.” He wowed audiences with his performance as the charismatic Sky Masterson in Jerry Zak’s Tony winning revival of the Broadway musical “Guys and Dolls.”

In 1986 Gallagher earned a Tony Award nomination for his highly acclaimed performance opposite Jack Lemmon in “Long Day’s Journey into Night.” The segue from stage to film began in 1980 with Gallagher’s feature film debut in Taylor Hackford’s The Idolmaker. Many film roles have followed including; Dreamchild, Bob Roberts, Watch It, The Hudsucker Proxy, the comedy hit While You Were Sleeping, To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday, Cafe Society, Johnny Skidmarks, and The Man Who Knew Too Little. Gallagher was also seen in the Oscar-winning film American Beauty and the Adam Sandler box office smash, Mr. Deeds.

Gallagher also starred in Sony Pictures’ Centre Stage, directed by Nicholas Hytner. He returns to reprise that role in Centre Stage: Turn it Up.

ETHAN STIEFEL (Cooper Nielson)

Ethan Stiefel is a Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre. In 2007, he toured with American Ballet Theatre in London, Paris, Miami and Detroit. Recently, Mr. Stiefel made his debut with The Australian Ballet in Rudolf Nureyev’s staging of “Don Quixote” in Melbourne and Sydney.

During American Ballet Theatre’s 2007 Metropolitan Opera season, he appeared as the Prince in the Company’s new staging of “The Sleeping Beauty,” Solor in “La Bayadere,” Oberon in ‘The Dream,” Siegfried in “Swan Lake” and, for the first time, Lescaut in Kenneth MacMillan’s “Manon.” Mr. Stiefel is the Artistic Director of “Stiefel & Stars,” a concert ensemble, and “Stiefel & Students,” a training and performance program in specially designed studios on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.

Stiefel’s unique gifts have drawn the attention of audiences, choreographers and critics since his first performances in 1989 as a member of the New York City Ballet corps de ballet. He was described by Vanity Fair critic Robert Gottlieb as “the most talented American male dancer the City Ballet has produced since Edward Villella.” Stiefel won a silver medal at the Prix de Lausanne in 1989. He was also the recipient of a Princess Grace Foundation-USA grant in 1991. In 1998, Stiefel was nominated for the Benois de la Danse Award as one of the rising stars in ballet. In the role of Cooper Nielson, he starred in the first Centre Stage. Ethan Stiefel was born in Tyrone, Pennsylvania and grew up in Madison, Wisconsin.

Stiefel was appointed Dean of the School of Dance for the North Carolina School of the Arts in 2007.


CREW BIOGRAPHIES

STEVEN JACOBSON (DIRECTOR)

Steven Jacobson, born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, makes his feature film directorial debut with Centre Stage: Turn It Up.

Jacobson established his position in the world of music-related films as Second Unit Director on Dreamgirls, written and directed by Bill Condon and produced by Laurence Mark for DreamWorks. In addition to his directorial duties, Jacobson was involved in multiple capacities, from initial development through release. Working in close collaboration with Condon, Jacobson’s responsibilities included supervising the production of several graphic montages, working with the editors on the cutting of all Second Unit sequences, and contributing content for ancillary products such as the CD soundtrack package and the DVD extra features disc.

Beginning his career as an actor, Jacobson performed lead roles in several major Australian television series and theatre productions. Dedicated since childhood to taking a role behind the camera, he began writing, directing and editing increasingly ambitious short films between acting jobs.

Jacobson then moved to Los Angeles to study at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema-Television. After writing and directing several student films at USC, Jacobson graduated summa cum laude and began work in the motion picture literary department of International Creative Management. He then joined producer Gail Mutrux (Quiz Show, Kinsey) at her production company Pretty Pictures, where he contributed to the marketing campaign for Kinsey and served as Consulting Editor on the tie-in book, “Kinsey: Public and Private.”

KAREN BLOCK MORSE (WRITER)

Karen Bloch Morse began her entertainment career working in television in various capacities on such shows as the hugely successful Dawson’s Creek, Ned and Stacey, starring Debra Messing and Thomas Haden Church, and the WB Series Young Americans, starring Kate Bosworth.

Morse currently has several feature and television projects in development. In 2007, she wrote the romantic comedy feature First Guest for producer Blye Faust and Sam Nazarian’s Element Films.

Most recently, Morse penned Centre Stage: Turn it Up for award-winning producer Laurence Mark and Sony Pictures. Centre Stage: Turn it Up is her first produced feature.

Morse was born and raised in the suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland. She graduated cum laude from Colgate University with a major in English and Creative Writing. Her play, The Present Age, was awarded First Place in the Colgate Creative Arts Competition and was produced by the


Colgate Theater, headed by Broadway producer Jacques Levy. In addition, Karen studied writing under accomplished authors Shelby Hearon and the late Frederick Busch.

In addition to her creative achievements, Morse serves as a Head Mentor for the Young Storytellers Program, which fosters storytelling skills in fourth and fifth graders in Los Angeles.

LAURENCE MARK (PRODUCER)

Laurence Mark produced Dreamgirls, starring Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles and Eddie Murphy and written and directed by Bill Condon, which received three Golden Globe Awards, including one for Best Picture (Musical or Comedy), as well as eight Academy Award nominations, winning two. Mark also received an Academy Award nomination for producing Best Picture nominee Jerry Maguire, and he executive-produced As Good As It Gets and Working Girl, both Best Picture nominees. Currently in post-production is Julie and Julia starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams and written and directed by Nora Ephron.

Mark also recently produced I, Robot starring Will Smith, Last Holiday starring Queen Latifah, and The Lookout starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Prior to these, Mark produced Riding in Cars with Boys, Finding Forrester, Hanging Up, Anywhere But Here, The Object of My Affection, and Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion.

Laurence Mark Productions is headquartered at Sony Pictures Entertainment, where the company has a long-term production arrangement with Columbia Pictures. Mark’s other producing credits include Black Widow, Cookie, True Colors, Sister Act 2, The Adventures of Huck Finn, Simon Birch, Bicentennial Man and the original Centre Stage.

For the small screen, he was executive producer of “These Old Broads,” “Sweet Bird of Youth,” and “Oliver Twist.”

Prior to producing, Mark held several key publicity and marketing posts at Paramount Pictures, culminating in his being appointed Vice President of West Coast Marketing. He then moved into production, and as Vice President of Production at Paramount and Executive Vice President of Production at Twentieth Century Fox, he was closely involved with the development and production of such films as Terms of Endearment, Trading Places, Falling in Love, The Fly, and Broadcast News.

VICKI SOTHERAN (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER)

Vicki Sotheran has been producing films for 11 years. Her first film, The Falling, had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. Utilizing her extensive banking and finance experience, she oversees every aspect of producing, from financing, tax credit applications, tax credit refunds, production, post production, and follows through to delivery, to the satisfaction of all corporate requirements.


Sotheran and Greg Malcolm collaborated over a decade ago to form Sodona Film and Entertainment Services, and since then they have gone on to produce films for 20th Century Fox, Sony, MGM, HBO, Showtime, Life Network, and several independent producers.

GREG MALCOLM (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER)

Greg Malcolm has 20 years of producing experience. He has provided service in the in the area of development, line producing, technical support, visual effects, and has post-produced and delivered films to studios and independent production companies.

DAVID BLACKMAN (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER)

David Blackman is currently the Sr. Vice President for the Sony-based Laurence Mark Productions. In addition to bringing in new material, David is overseeing a number of projects including a family comedy at Nickelodeon with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson attached, and “Gypsy & Me” with Sigourney Weaver to star at HBO. He also serves as a Visiting Professor at the UCLA School of Film, Theater and Television Producing Program.

Prior to joining Laurence Mark Productions, David served as the Vice President at Wendy Finerman Productions. Since joining Wendy Finerman Productions in 2002, he oversaw all development at the company. He worked on the Meryl Streep-starrer, The Devil Wears Prada and P.S. I Love You. He is attached to Executive Produce a number of projects and is a producer on television projects for Sony Television and the Disney Channel. Before working for Wendy Finerman, he was the VP Production at Bridget Johnson Films. At that New Regency-based company, David generated the idea and served as Associate Producer on the Walt Disney film, Ice Princess. David grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. After graduating from Carleton College, he began his career as an intern for Cary Woods’ company at Miramax during the making of Scream, Copland, Swingers and Citizen Ruth.

He then got his first assistant job working for the producer Andy Licht. He subsequently became a creative executive for producer Steve Tisch where he worked on films such as the critically acclaimed American History X and the hit British caper-comedy Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. From there, he re-joined Cary Woods’ Independent Pictures, where he ran the Los Angeles office and contributed to the development and production of films such as The Prime Gig, starring Vince Vaughan and Ed Harris and The Assassination of Richard Nixon starring Sean Penn.

DINO PARKS (DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)

Dino Parks began his career as a Chief Lighting Technician, working with many legendary DPs including Russell Carpenter, Don Burgess, Fred Murphy, Walter Lindenlaub and Chang Wei Gu.


He became a DP in 1998, shooting low budget feature films, television programs and several short films, including the Academy Award nominee Seraglio.

Since joining the International Cinematographers Guild, in 2003, Dino has worked as a camera operator on major motion pictures and has shot 2nd unit or additional photography on many films, among them “Friday Night Lights” and Dreamgirls. He continues to work as a DP on independent films and in television. His most recent commercial spot for Under Armour aired frequently during the broadcast of the Major League Baseball playoffs.

GEOFF WALLACE (PRODUCTION DESIGNER)

Geoff Wallace has been working in the Vancouver film industry for the past twelve years. He arrived in Canada shortly after graduating in Architecture at the University of Sydney in his native Australia. That education laid the foundation for him to build a solid career in set design and art direction working on such films as Double Jeopardy, Elf and Things We Lost in The Fire, not to mention classics like Thirteen Ghosts, White Chicks and Catwoman.

During that time he has overseen the design and construction of many large sets, both in studio and on locations in and around Vancouver. Those years have also allowed him to work with designers such as Academy Award winner Richard Sylbert, Sean Hargreaves, Rusty Smith and Andrew Jackness, who have each helped distil his view of how good design will inform the audience and enhance the script.

Over the last eighteen months, Geoff has stepped up to the role of Production Designer and has so far completed four feature films, running the gamut from dark psychological thrillers to teenage comedies and dance. Films such as Centre Stage: Turn it Up and The Betrayed have allowed him to develop a style of controlled color palette and subtle unifying themes that work to create an intrinsic look for each film.

IAN SLATER (EDITOR)

Ian Slater begin his editing career working on the editorial teams of such major motion pictures as Starship Troopers, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions and Dreamgirls, collaborating with renowned film editors Mark Goldblatt, Zach Staenberg and Virginia Katz.

While working on Dreamgirls, Slater teamed up with Steven Jacobson, editing the Second Unit footage that Jacobson had directed. Due to their successful collaboration, when Jacobson was given the opportunity to make his feature film debut, he immediately invited Slater to serve as the Editor for the film. Slater says, “Working on Centre Stage: Turn It Up in the editing room presented countless challenges and Steven met each by shaping the material with endless ideas and enthusiasm!”


ODESSA MUNROE (BALLET CHOREOGRAPHER)

Odessa Munroe is a Film/Television dance choreographer based out of Vancouver BC who works mainly on US projects shooting in Canada. Odessa's favorite credit was having the honor of working on Centre Stage: Turn It Up—every dancer's dream!

Odessa's other film choreography credits include: Smallville, Men In Trees, Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, the 2004 remake of The Goodbye Girl, Life As We Know It, Little Man, Stan Helsing, Split Decision, Romeo, and Wilder Days.

In addition to working with trained dancers, Odessa has also had the honor of choreographing dance routines for actors Anne Heche, Johnny Depp, Patricia Heaton, Aaron Ashmore, Allison Mack, Peter Falk, Tom Waits, to name a few.

Odessa began her dance career as a competitive gymnast at a young age, then immediately started extensive training in jazz, ballet, musical theatre, street jazz, and hip hop. Odessa has danced on numerous film sets and commercials as well as hundreds of industrials. She is also a cast member in the touring rock musical show "Tina Journey" .

AAKOMON “AJ” JONES (CHOREOGRAPHER)

Aakomon “AJ” Jones is one of the music world’s most in-demand young choreographers. He has choreographed numerous music videos for many of today’s hottest recording artists, including Usher, Omarion and Kelly Rowland. He has choreographed or co-choreographed live tours for Jennifer Lopez, Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey, Kelly Rowland, Danity Kane, Backstreet Boys, Omarion, Will Smith and Christina Milian, among many others.

AJ has also choreographed dance routines for many high-profile TV programs, including Dancing With The Stars and the BET Awards, as well as choreographing the Best Song nominee medley at the 2007 Academy Awards.

AJ was co-choreographer of Dreamgirls with Fatima Robinson, working intensively with Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx and Beyoncé Knowles to put a new spin on the classic moves of the Motown era.

AJ also appeared on screen in Dreamgirls as Little Albert, and in addition to choreographing all the street, club and hip hop dance numbers in Centre Stage: Turn It Up, he makes a memorable cameo appearance in one of the film’s Centrepiece club dance numbers.

LAURA KARPMAN (COMPOSER) Four-time Emmy award winning composer Laura Karpman maintains a vibrant career in film, television, videogame, concert and theater music. Her distinguished credits include scoring Steven Spielberg’s Emmy-winning 20-hour miniseries Taken for DreamWorks, Showtime’s


ODYSSEY 5 (Emmy-nominated); ABC’s primetime drama In Justice; ABC’s Masters of Science Fiction (Emmy-nominated); PBS’ Craft In America (Emmy-nominated); Sandlot II; Doing Time on Maple Drive; Ace Ventura Pet Detective Jr., PBS Amercian Masters: Carol Burnett; A Woman of Independent Means; Man In The Chair and The Living Edens. After writing music for Sony’s smash hit video game, Everquest II, Karpman was the 2005-6 resident orchestral composer of Sony Online Entertainment. She received a 2005 Game Audio Network (GANG) award for her videogame music, which has been performed by orchestras internationally. Her score for the animated short film A Monkey’s Tale, commissioned by the Chinese Government, went on to receive a 2006 Annie Award Nomination for Best Music in an Animated Feature, and subsequently received its US Premiere by The Detroit Symphony. Karpman is collaborating with soprano Jessye Norman on Ask Your Mama, a multimedia hybrid opera on a text by Langston Hughes, set to premiere March 16, 2009 at Carnegie Hall. The 2007-2008 season marks the beginning of Karpman’s three-year residency with the Young Musicians Foundation Orchestra. Karpman’s concert music has been performed at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Hollywood Bowl, Lincoln Centre, and The Tanglewood Music Festival, and by ensembles including The Los Angeles Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony, Concordia, The American Composers’ Orchestra, The New York Youth Symphony, Red Bull Artsehcro, Richmond Symphony, Prague Symphony, the Young Musician’s Foundation Orchestra, and the Hollywood Studio Orchestra, among others. Recently, Take 4, a concerto for The Premiere Saxophone Quartet, premiered with The San Jose Chamber Symphony. Her work The Transitive Property of Equality, conducted by Marin Alsop, was performed at the 2006 Cabrillo Festival. Heebie Jeebies, a choral work for The Juilliard Choral Union conducted by Judith Clurman, premiered on the occasion of the centennial of The Juilliard School, Lincoln Centre.

Karpman is an active member of the faculty of the UCLA School of Film and Television and was recently a guest composer of The Juilliard School Composition Forum.

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Documents

Ms - The CIAstatic.thecia.com.au/reviews/c/centre-stage-turn-it-up... · Web viewExecutive in Charge of Post Production Steve Tannen Post Production Coordinator Maureen Doyle Visual