Center Stage: On Pointe

Ladies and gentlemen...

it is a great pleasure to be here on this special day

to celebrate the career of a once-in-a-generation talent.

Please help me welcome my dear friend, Cooper Nielsen!

Good to see you.

On behalf of all of us here,

thank you for all you've done for dance.

And thank you for all you've

done for the American Ballet Company.

Thank you.

Wow.

Thank you to you all.

Thank you, Jonathan.

And thank you to the ABC for that extraordinary performance.

So? That went well.

You think?

The company looked great tonight.

Well, thanks for all your good work.

Gentlemen.

Beverly. Excuse me.

Great show, Jonathan. Thank you.

Listen, I'll get right to it.

Your American Ballet Company is out of money.

Well, we're a ballet company. We're always strapped for cash.

There's a reason why the ballet company has been

in the red for the last three quarters.

I understand. I don't think you do.

It was a beautiful show today,

but there were empty seats.

Cooper's shows fill them.

Audiences, they want to see different things these days.

People who come to the ballet want to see the ballet.

Do you know how many hits one Misty Copeland or Kate Parker video

gets on YouTube every week? No.

About the same amount that ballet companies booked in tickets all last year.

You need to evolve at long last, or the ABC will be left behind.

Look, Jonathan...

yours is the only company yet to incorporate contemporary ballet.

Because we are a classical ballet company.

And you need to change that,

and you need to figure out what that change looks like.

Give me a reason to invest in your company again.

Before it's too late.

Jonathan.

Hey, we're all looking for you.

What's going on?

We're broke.

The company is about to close our fourth quarter in the red.

If we don't do something different, there won't be the American Ballet Company.

Fourth quarter?

The good news is, we've been thrown a lifeline.

What's the bad news?

It's time for a change.

Are you quitting?

No. But it may be time for the ABC

to open its doors to other forms of dance.

Modern. More contemporary.

This is the only strictly classical company in the country.

And the only strictly classical companies in London,

in Moscow, even in Paris

integrated modern dance into their repertoires ages ago.

I've been a purist...

but apparently that's a luxury we can no longer afford.

I think that that's awesome. Good.

The training camp program is coming up.

It's the perfect opportunity to introduce modern to the company.

Modern?

Jonathan, you don't know the first thing about modern dance.

And for good reason. It's beneath us.

The ABC doesn't need that less sophisticated genre.

Well, that's going to change.

This could be an exciting opportunity for us.

Let's start by adding some new blood to the Studio Company.

Tommy, you're best qualified for that.

Can you find us some new talent with potential?

Well, if it isn't Kate Parker. How is it going? How's Sydney?

Busier than anyone has the right to be.

I got your text.

I know, isn't that amazing?

I mean, ABC should've been doing this years ago.

Of course you'd say that.

Listen, Tommy, I've got one word for you.

What's that?

Bella.

It's been a while. I know.

You grew up. When did you get so good?

I practice every now and then.

Not "now and then." Give yourself some credit. That was fantastic.

It's fun. It's not ballet,

but I realized a while ago that "The Glass Slipper" wasn't for me.

How did you know I was here?

Your sister.

So, every year at the ABC, there's this boot camp.

It's part of the Academy, it's how

Jonathan feeds new dancers into the program.

This year, they're doing something different.

Jonathan's looking for modern dancers,

creative ones, who are willing to move in any way.

I think you should audition.

Yeah, the company would think about me?

Yeah.

I don't think so. Why not?

Kate didn't get in, and she's a way better dancer than I am.

Well, like I said, Jonathan's not just looking for classical ballet dancers.

He wants modern. All right? A new vibe, a whole new thing.

I think that you'd be great for it.

I don't think so.

Yeah, Wednesday, 3:00. Here's the address.

All you need to do is just come up with a little modern routine.

Just show off what you can do.

I don't think I'd be comfortable there. In that environment.

In what environment?

Well, it's a world-class ballet company.

It's full of all these gorgeous, beautiful, skinny ballerinas, and--

No. No, none of that matters.

When they see you dance? It's fantastic.

You're gonna be fine, trust me.

Even if I went, I would have to change my name on that application.

I don't want people to know that I'm Kate Parker's sister.

That's fine. You can call yourself whatever you want.

Is that a yes?

That's a maybe.

No. Wednesday, 3:00? I'll see you there?

What's with the moves?

I'm auditioning to be part of the American Ballet Company.

A ballerina, huh?

So dancing runs in the family?

You're not the ballet type.

I'm not auditioning to be a ballerina.

I'm auditioning to be a modern dancer.

Auditioning? Well, just tell them who you are.

I can't tell them I'm Kate Parker's sister, because

then they'll expect me to dance like her, and I already know I can't.

Anyways, I want to get in on my own.

You'd be a good paralegal.

I don't want to be a paralegal. I want to be a dancer.

Yeah, well, so did that one.

I had the same conversation with her 20 years ago, right in this chair.

I'm still here.

So is she.

Eat your pie, Myron.

Oh, I'm just trying to give you a little dose of reality.

Following your dreams is one thing

but it's good to have a backup plan.

I don't want to be talking to you here in 20 years.

Thank you, Myron.

Hey! Hey!

So what's next for you, Kate?

I'm going to Rome next week.

I wanna go too, but I have school.

Maybe one day you'll get to dance onstage with your big sister.

I already practice every day.

Honestly?

I'm feeling pretty good about my chances this year.

Richard Nooney.

Great dancer.

Never should have switched to modern though.

His girlfriend's a dancer, too, but I hear she's better.

That's Allegra Hjelmstad.

She's amazing. I already know she's in.

Unless they find out about her reputation.

But everyone pretty much knows already, so...

What's her reputation?

Sabotage.

She was forced out of the Dallas Ballet Academy for it.

But her dad's uber-rich, so they kept it on the down low.

She's who you want for a partner, but she's mine, so hands off.

What about her?

Her? Seriously?

That's the level these modern dancers are on.

Looks like you found some talented movers.

Nice job.

I'd like to thank you all for auditioning.

You've all presented your arts and skills admirably

both in ballet and in modern dance.

Those of you who made the short list for the next round,

let's take five.

Drink some water, stretch it out...

then we'll get started.

Jonathan, these moderns aren't going to catch up on ballet at camp.

They're years behind.

You never know. They all have at least some training.

Well, some training isn't good enough, Jonathan.

If this is really what you want to do, the ballet dancers will suffice.

If they can loosen up. They don't need to loosen up.

Let's begin.

Oh, my goodness.

What's your name?

Bella.

Bella Miller.

Sorry.

Found it. I'm ready.

She's wrong in every way, and I can't take my eyes off her.

What? There's something there.

She'll never do pointe.

If she has a good enough ballet teacher, she'll be alright.

I beg your pardon?

Okay, so what about another modern?

Oh, she's young.

Yeah, but she's good.