This is the weekend of our annual dance recitals, and as I write this Lisa, Smiley, YaYa and LuLu should be wrapping up the first performance of the year. I'll be attending the evening show with my Dad, and it stands to be a great night of family entertainment.
In honor of the event, I rented Razzle Dazzle: A Journey into Dance, a mockumentary centered on two competing children's dance studios in Australia.
The first and most impressive studio is run by the beautiful Miss Elizabeth, who operates - very successfully - with cold hearted efficiency. "More stretching, less eating" she recites to her troupe, and she chastises one girl for failing to complete a turn even after all the "false praise" Miss Elizabeth handed out.
The competing studio is your classic underdog, run by Mr. Jonathon, who seventeen times (he counted) was relagated to the back row of the stage in childhood recitals. His approach is that of your classic over-the-top artist, with children's recitals full of dances about political oppression, economic policies, and sexual politics. That being said, Mr. Jonathon is a nice man who genuinely loves both dancing and the members of his little troupe, and you're quick to side with him in his struggles.
And struggle he does. His dancers have talent, but the best of the bunch, Tenille, comes with the Stage Mom of all Stage Moms. The troupe's costumer is a silent goth woman, and the secretary routinely auditions potential foster children, takes them into her home, then drops them back at the orphanage at the conclusion of recital season.
Enter talented young Grace, the daughter of television personality who's fallen in love with his male on-screen partner and divorced her Mum. Grace herself is eccentric, and if the viewer isn't mistaken there's a bit of chemistry between her Mom and the lonely Mr. Jonathon . . .
Great fun, with some talented dancing and a good laugh or two as well.
Recommended.
The first and most impressive studio is run by the beautiful Miss Elizabeth, who operates - very successfully - with cold hearted efficiency. "More stretching, less eating" she recites to her troupe, and she chastises one girl for failing to complete a turn even after all the "false praise" Miss Elizabeth handed out.
The competing studio is your classic underdog, run by Mr. Jonathon, who seventeen times (he counted) was relagated to the back row of the stage in childhood recitals. His approach is that of your classic over-the-top artist, with children's recitals full of dances about political oppression, economic policies, and sexual politics. That being said, Mr. Jonathon is a nice man who genuinely loves both dancing and the members of his little troupe, and you're quick to side with him in his struggles.
And struggle he does. His dancers have talent, but the best of the bunch, Tenille, comes with the Stage Mom of all Stage Moms. The troupe's costumer is a silent goth woman, and the secretary routinely auditions potential foster children, takes them into her home, then drops them back at the orphanage at the conclusion of recital season.
Enter talented young Grace, the daughter of television personality who's fallen in love with his male on-screen partner and divorced her Mum. Grace herself is eccentric, and if the viewer isn't mistaken there's a bit of chemistry between her Mom and the lonely Mr. Jonathon . . .
Great fun, with some talented dancing and a good laugh or two as well.
Recommended.
Where do you hear about these movies? LOL I've never heard of this...ever.
ReplyDeleteSounds pretty decent though. I love dance.
Hope you enjoyed the show last night!
XOXO