Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2687 in DVD
• Released on: 2009-03-02
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 91 minutes

Synopsis
TURN IT UP is the second instalment of the CENTER STAGE franchise. Kate Parker has been dreaming of becoming a member of the American Ballet Academy since her childhood spent in cold and dull Detroit. After she is cast for an entry audition something goes wrong and her application is rejected. Kate has to face the harsh reality that talent isn’t enough to make it in the dance universe, you need imagination and a fresh new style. Fortunately all is not lost as Kate gets a second chance to get into the Academy. This time she prepares for the audition with the help of a handsome and edgy hockey player-turned-dancer. Peter Ghallagher (AMERICAN BEAUTY, THE OC) resumes the role of the Academy’s director he previously played in CENTER STAGE.

Customer Reviews

This is what a dance movie is supposed to be!
Not every dream comes true, but sometimes the disappointment is necessary to find the determination to reach our goals. Yada, yada, you may think, but it IS true and "Turn it up" starts out with another big audition at the American Ballet Academy, but surprise! The main character doesn't get in!

"Turn it up" is a dance movie and an excellent one at that. I find myself comparing "Turn it up" to "Step up 2 - the streets". "Step up - the streets" was yet another dance movie where there is more emphasis on the music than the dancing and where the dancing is filmed in tiny segments that hide every move. "Turn it up" is the complete opposite. The dancing is in focus in a big way! It's marvelous. The music supports every move and twist splendidly, but doesn't overpower the dancing.

"Turn it up" is a masterpiece of a dance movie. You can't help but get up and dance just a little bit!

Louise

Disappointing!
Given that I loved Center Stage, I was expecting much of the same: an uncomplicated plot that serves as the vehicle for some truly amazing dancing, with sufficient charisma and star quality to fill out the movie.

Unfortunately, a pretty face smiling her way through even the angsty parts doesn't quite make up for actual acting ability. And I'm not convinced that the dancing quality is as high as the previous movie; the choreography certainly doesn't strike the same high notes. In addition, while Peter Gallagher's reprise of his character makes sense, Ethan Stiefel's appearance seems a lot more pasted in. He provides the counterpoint of "good teacher" to Peter Gallagher's "mean teacher", and yet again is the (fairly disinterested!) rival love interest for the story.

I liked the premise, that a talented dancer fails her audition to a prestigious dance school, and works her way to success by perseverance and finding a fresh new style... but that isn't really an accurate summary of the plot. The idea that you can be a talented dancer with only a couple of years of learning ballet on your own from videos is really kinda horrifying! A promising dancer, maybe, but certainly not ready for a career. And the idea that the school directors were mean for refusing her on the basis that she wasn't as good as the other applicants is really quite crazy. This is reflected in the fact that in order to make her struggles sympathetic, Kate has to be pitted against the foes of poverty, a stalkery psycho-dancer with an influential daddy and entitlement issues who wants Kate's boyfriend as more than a professional partner, and the terror of disappointing her sister who believes she passed the all-important audition.

Might not be oscar acting- but the dancing is to die for
I have to admit that the sad parts of the film aren't amazingly acted- but to be honest it just makes the movie more upbeat.
Unlike other dance movies I've watched, this has FAR more dancing in it, and it is STUNNING!!! Whether is be the ballet or the scenes in the club- or the hot dances between the lead characters, this is definetly a film to watch.