12 May 2000 | runtime = 115 min | language = English | imdb_id = 0210616 | }} Center Stage, directed by Nicholas Hytner in 2000, is about a group young dancers from various backgrounds who enroll at the American Ballet Academy in New York City to make it as professional dancers and how each one deals with the problems and stress of getting ahead in the world of dance. Plot summary After auditions, 12 young dancers gain entry to the American Ballet Academy, which may be based on the School of American Ballet. They prepare for a final dance workshop to determine who will be asked to join the American Ballet Company, which appears to be based on either the American Ballet Theatre or the New York City Ballet. Tensions mount between Jonathan (played by Peter Gallagher), the company's aging choreographer, and Cooper Nielson (Ethan Stiefel), his best dancer, who also wants to choreograph. Star student