It’s not an 80s dance flick, but I LOVE Center Stage.
It came out when I was in 7th grade. The movie theater in our town’s mall was renovated that year, and Center Stage was one of the first movies I saw with my friends without my mom or dad.
This was 21 years ago, y’all. They heyday of the WB, and so many Felicity vibes. New York in the late 90s and early 2000s was the only time I ever wanted to live there. But only because of movies and TV.
“Higher Ground” remains the song/dance I want to dance to at my wedding. Or at my 35th birthday party or something — in like 10 months 💀
Center Stage was my introduction to Zoe Saldaña, an actress who taught me about Afrolatinx people. The importance of representation on the movie screen, y’all! I was 13 and from a small Texas town on the Gulf Coast — I didn’t know that Latinx people could also be Black. I was a kid and just watching a movie taught me more than my family or school did.
Zoe becoming a star has been amazing to watch since Center Stage. She was one of the only ones who wasn’t a professional dancer at the time.
Any way, I’m pretty sure this blog will be celebrating dance movies from any era.
