Dance Academy

I came across "Dance Academy" years too late. I'm already in my thirties but I know that I would have loved every single episode of this Australian dance series when I was a teenager. There's everything in it you need: authentic characters, lots of dancing, lots of romance, a bit of drama, a bit of tragedy... the perfect mixture! Tara and her friends are highly professional dancers but they are teenagers coming of age at the same time. And none of them is a cliché. I don't like children or teenage movies that don't take children or teenagers seriously. "Dance Academy" does. It's been some time but I still remember what it felt like back than and the series feels just the same! It's so sad it ended after season three and the last season is even much shorter than the other two. I read that there might be a spin-off movie, I do so much hope there will be one!!

When I first watched Dance Academy I was on a Dance movies extravaganza on Netflix. At first I was torn because it seemed like a teen drama series and those who's dating who plot lines always repel me. But I was fascinated by the fact that the whole cast could dance! Quite an achievement and set in Australia, double bonus. It also has quite a range of problems that the characters go through, professional choices, life choices, and so on. But I also love the down moments when the characters are just getting to know each other and character building. The actors make the characters believable and will raise anyone's adrenaline when you feel they are on the verge of making wrong decisions. I am extremely fond of the actor who plays Ben Tickle in the second series; he has quite a future ahead of him, charismatic and entertaining to watch.

Dance Academy is a series about a girl named Tara Webster who wants to be a principal ballet dancer. To chase her dream she auditions to and gets accepted into the prestigious National Academy of Dance located in stunning Sydney, Australia.

The show is predominantly built around cute romantic story lines, though it never succumbs to fluff and is surprisingly complex at times for a show of its genre. And there's enough dancing (ballet primarily as well as some hip-hop) to satisfy the most hardcore dance fan.

Newcomer Xenia Goodwin perfectly embodies the innocence and wide-eyed wonder of Tara Webster. Tara is a girl who is a natural dancer but anything but natural when it comes to dealing with boys. Her dorkiness trying to come to terms with the opposite sex forms much of her story arc.

Alicia Banit plays Katrina "Kat" Karamakov, Tara's fun loving and rebellious BFF with some deep reservations about whether she wants to be in a ballet school. Katrina takes the Academy for granted as just another school to attend rather than a lifelong dream come true as Tara does.

Dena Kaplan portrays Abigail Armstrong, Tara and Kat's frenemy. Abigail is an overachieving ballet student who is obsessed with being a principal dancer and is willing to do anything including back stabbing and sabotage to become one.

Abigail's perfectionist personality forms much of the angst as well as the humor of her character. Kaplan expertly plays a girl who is a conniving bitch yet displays enough vulnerability and gentleness that she remains sympathetic to the audience.

Other characters include Samuel "Sammy" Lieberman; a boy who wants to dance despite objections from his father, Christian Reed; the bad boy of the Academy with a mysterious past and Ethan Karamakov; Kat's older brother and target of Tara's affection.

Finally Tara Morice is a pleasure to watch as the strict and unyielding ballet instructor of the Academy.

Dance Academy is a show that fuses teen romance with some very beautiful dancing in a very entertaining way.

I really enjoy the show, but I find Tara to be extremely annoying. I wish they had made Kat or someone else the main character.

And by descriptions I mean "teen drama" or "children's show".

I am a 27-year-old living in the US. When NetFlix kept suggesting this show to me, I kept writing it off because most teen/children's show are bland, poorly acted, and often talk down to their audience. Being a glutton for anything concerning dance, I thought I'd give it a shot, and I am so glad that I did. There is an emotional depth to the storytelling and acting that greatly surpasses other shows of the genre. There is something magical, and frankly addicting, about "Dance Academy" that reminds me of some of the shows that I loved to watch during my formative years.

I could sit here all day and extol the virtues of this show, but I'll leave it at this: If you've been thinking of checking out the show, or have written it off, I implore you to put aside any preconceived notions and experience it for yourself. You won't be disappointed.