03x11 - Start of an Era

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Previously on Dance Academy...

Sir Jeffery has a list of who fits his vision.

He revises it for injury or change of body shape.

That's enough.

She's fine. My teachers did that to me all the time.

I have managed to lure back one of the company's leading lights.

I'm sick of it! I keep thinking, when is this going to stop?

I want so much to be rid of you.

We're definitely reaching the pointy end of the year.

Everyone is feeling that.

Change. It's, like, lurking everywhere.

I said, I think we should be together.

Yeah, I got that part.

Why?

You told me once.

I have to figure out what I wanted long-term, and I did.

Two things. I'm going to do everything I can to get into the company, and I want to be with you.

Christian, Tara, you guys need to see this.

Think it over.

After 16 years as artistic director of the National Ballet and a lifetime in the theatre, I feel the day has come to exit the stage gracefully.

Whoa. Game changer.

I do leave assured my legacy will be in safe hands under the new artistic director, my gifted protegee, Rebecca Braithwaite.

At this early stage the new artistic director refused to be drawn on her personal vision for the company.

Things just got interesting.

Critics may claim she's too young, too inexperienced for this appointment.

It does suggest there is a push away from tradition.

One thing is certain - the ballet community faces a tumultuous new era.

I got it! I'm Swanhilde!

Ollie - Macbeth.

Ben and Christian, you'll both be dancing Prince Charming.

Tara, you'll be doing Firebird.

I'm making you an appointment to see Dr Wicks.

And Abigail...

Sorry - how can you assign our final audition solos when we don't know what Rebecca is looking for?

You can't keep applying heat cream and hope it fixes itself.

I'm putting her on low-impact - no arabesques, no allegro.

But auditions are less than three weeks away.

It's just muscular. I'm not doing damage.

Don't you love it when they get their medical degrees?

If you've gained a skerrick of sense since last year, you'll listen to Dr Wicks.

Again?

One, two, three.

Go ask if Sir Jeffery's list went with him.

I would have thought you'd be desperate to do some networking.

No-one's ever gotten into the company dancing a Macbeth solo.

It's fact - it's cursed.

It's a good thing I've got another option, then.

Congratulations on Firebird. One of your favourites, right?

I have no reason to trust this born-again Christian thing.

Good line. You can't say what you said like it cancels out everything and go, 'Think it over.'

How do I have head space for that?

You're right. Focus on auditions while I prove to you I'm stepping up.

Thrilled to hear it. Come and find me later.

Nice evacuation, third-years. Your fire warden salutes you.

Compared to Sir Jeffery, how would you describe your aesthetic, more contemporary, surely?

My aesthetic is simple.

I want the best dancers on the planet, wherever they come from.

Excuse me.

Lulu, in certain situations, speed is more important than form.

Six, seven, eight!

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. And one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

And one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

And one, two, three, four...

Potential backup dancers, I salute you.

Thanks for not embarrassing me.

We'll be in contact tonight about call-back, so whatever you do, don't drop your phone in your coffee.

Hey, I just want to say, huge fan.

Oh, cheers.

Meeka's the best. It's hard not to look good doing a chory.

I know. I'm slightly terrified she agreed to do my tour.

But I actually meant your music.

You're all over my Pilates playlist.

I may have sent Jess the link to your web channel for inspiration.

That's crazy. You're Jessica Mauboy, which you obviously know.

Does this mean I get a call-back?

For backup dancing? I think we could aim higher.

The end of the school year also means the end of your scholarship.

Have you thought about how you'll cover living expenses? Absolutely.

I plan on getting a contract with the National Ballet Company.

You might have heard of it.

I hope you do.

If that doesn't eventuate, the audition circuit is expensive, particularly if you need to head overseas. Of course.

I found some grants you might be eligible for.

I don't need them. I can get a job.

I should have been working this year, saving up.

No-one is suggesting we throw you out.

I appreciate that, but you guys have done enough.

Two. Glissade, cabriole.

Gather for force.

Explode!

You're behind the music. Come on.

Christian, keep up.

Benjamin!

I have a plan.

Come this way.

How many of my unique private coaching sessions shall we pencil in?

I'm going to work through this one on my own.

You and Ben both doing Prince Charming, that was my call.

I can help you find a unique take.

I'm good with the solo.

You're not going to be around forever to hold my hand.

I've got this one.

Look at Saskia.

Why?

Oh! Is this the night she broke her ankle?

How am I supposed to match that if I'm not allowed to rehearse?

Lead role in the end-of-year production!

The casting coup of the ages!

Children, please. Can we just get to the ulterior motive?

School leavers around the country are indulging in graduation pranks.

Third-years are banned from such tomfoolery.

On pain of being excluded from auditions.

However, being a second-year...

I'm exempt from such punishment.

You are the perfect pranker-by-proxy.

This is what is occupying your attention, not the new artistic director?

It's a rite of passage. The fun shouldn't have to die.

Benjamin, I'm sorry, but I can't risk Raine wrath.

So that's a yes?

Oliver, it's a very firm no.

Wes and I are researching. Rebecca has a PhD in kinesiology.

She's literally a dance doctor.

Wes, can you tell her that she can spend an hour to backup sing in one audition. One song.

It's pointless. You're not going to throw away your company chance to be the opening act of some pop star.

Beg for it, Ollie - hands and knees.

You're a very talented performer, and you make me better than I am.

Will you help me cr*ck the Rebecca enigma?

What do you want?

You're busy. I'm unemployed. I've got all the time in the world.

I heard a rumour, but...

The official line is that I'm not a good fit for the new company.

Rebecca couldn't wait to purge Sir Jeffery's favourites.

I'm so sorry.

The board still knows I'm a draw card. I'm going to fight this.

What do you need?

I've been given Firebird as my company audition piece.

You dance it better than anyone and know how to work around an injury.

I was wondering if maybe you'd help me...

Cheat?

I was thinking of changing the cabriole derriere to something more back-friendly like a saut de basque.

If you extend the phrasing of the releves, no-one is going to care that the arabesque is lower.

Have you considered doing a solo that's less intense?

I've been dancing 60 hours a week for three years.

I WANT to be intense and dramatic.

What about the long term though?

You push yourself through the pain barrier day after day, year after year... I don't recommend it.

If you don't want to help... Listen.

A girl in my year did Persephone for her audition.

I already know Persephone.

I did it before I came to the academy. It's too easy.

Technically, yes, but artistically you could make it whatever you want.

If you persist with Firebird, I can't help you. I won't help you.

So obviously a stunt to cash in on her next straight-to-Netflix movie.

Miss Raine, as Lulu is playing my best friend, could you tell her to get in character? You're tottering.

Oh! Good pain, good pain!

So, Muck Up Day.

Remember last year's w*r against my esteemed classmates?

Of course. Presumably you had battle plans that were never enacted.

Dust them off.

Rebecca said they're looking for the best dancers on the planet.

Subtext - she has no loyalty to the academy, which makes sense, 'cause she never got in.

We'll get to Rebecca later. Just shut up and look pretty. Rude!

♪ You think you've got it, boy You think you know it all

♪ This world is big and bad

♪ You don't know what it's got in store

♪ Got to fight so hard like you see me

♪ And it's starting tonight

♪ Yeah

♪ So turn it up ♪ Let the speakers blow

♪ Burn it up ♪ We can make fire

♪ Turn it up ♪ Let the speakers blow

♪ Everybody know Ollie got the flow

♪ I own the night There's nowhere to run

♪ And nowhere to hide

♪ I'm ready

♪ No-one can't bring me down

♪ I will hold the crown for the best around

♪ So let's take it to the floor Girl, give me more

♪ Ain't nobody going to stop me No

♪ You can't stop me now You can't stop me now

♪ I'm going to hold you down

♪ You can't stop me now You can't stop me now

♪ You can't stop me now

♪ I'm going to hold you down

♪ You can't stop me now. ♪

I'm supporting Jessica Mauboy!

It's been such a tough year. This is the first win I've had.

Abigail, we really didn't meet yet.

So amazing.

We'll find a great replacement. Sorry?

Maybe half a dozen. Fill out the stage.

But you're a duo.

No, I'm a solo artist, and Abigail is already tied up to another audition process.

We want this.

Just this.

How is it feeling?

Fine. It's just, the solo is too straightforward.

There's nothing to push through to get to...

Where?

I call it, my magic place.

You must know - where everything suddenly works.

The lights fade and it's just me and the music.

Tara, speaking from experience, those moments can be unreliable.

They're also why I love dancing.

That's fantastic. Love it all you like, but being a professional is about what you do on your worst night, when it's your hundredth performance, the orchestra is playing too fast, your costume falls off.

You can't just stop and turn to the audience and say, 'Sorry - no magic.'

So, what, you just fake it?

No. You trust that you've done your homework, that you've crafted your performance and infused meaning into every step.

That's how the grown-ups do it.

Does this mean you've found the head space?

Where are you?

You're a lifeguard?

I'm in training to be one, yes.

Just because you didn't organise it doesn't make it wrong.

What happened to your speech about getting into the company?

Did you want to get in or did you just say that for effect?

I'm 90% sure I want to. Christian!

If I don't get in, I'll need some cash as a buffer.

My shift is almost over.

Why don't you help me with some rescue skills?

Maybe we need conversation embargoes, dangerous subjects we put into the no-fly zone.

Like your career and my expectations?

You don't try and fix me.

You don't retreat. You tell me what you're thinking.

Like right now?

You want to know what I'm thinking?

Kind of a magic moment.

I hear those are unreliable.

They've only contracted economy-class travel.

Think we need an agent? Can you stop pretending to read that?

I'm here now. How do you want to dig for dirt?

Strictly for argument's sake, this tour is a bird in the hand.

It's performing in front of thousands every night.

It's a career.

The company is a total unknown. You're saying...

How stupid would we feel if we turned this offer down and Rebecca takes none of us?

What?

Doesn't matter. I was going to tell you about my solo, but we should put that on the banned list. I get anxious.

This is stupid.

I suddenly don't know what to say to you.

There are minefields.

Can we really do rules so we don't end up fighting?

Hey, come here.

Have you ever thought that if it was going to work...

It would have happened by now?

It's not like we haven't tried lots of times.

I cling onto those magic moments, then the rest of the time we just fight.

And hurt each other. I know.

So do you think it's...

Over?

Do you?

Can't we just rewind five minutes?

What if...

What?

I don't think I'm ever going to love anyone the way I love you.

I can't help feeling manipulated by all those love stories in all those movies and books and ballets.

They teach that if you suffer enough, it works out in the end.

I think I'm going to retire.

What? Any company in the world would take you in an instant.

I'm sick of starting each morning with coffee and a painkiller.

I don't want to push myself so hard anymore.

Anyway, Persephone - you need to tell the story with every step.

I guess the key phrase is, love story.

I can't live in a magic, made-up world any longer.

It's time to force myself to be present, treat love like the best dancing, aim for effortless, pain-free, beautiful in its simplicity.

If it was Sir Jeffery with his list, I'd say we take the tour but with Rebecca we still don't know anything.

OK, research aside, what are your gut feelings about Rebecca?

I think...

..I think she loves ballet more than anything.

Tails, you risk everything on the company.

Heads, tour with Mauboy.

Best of three?

Nice and orderly, please.

Straight through the emergency exit.

Mate, we've got to go.

I don't deserve it, but if I'm going to be Prince Charming, I'm going to need your help.

Come on. Let's go.

Persephone is far too prosaic.

I disagree. I'll make it special.

No, you'll take the time as instructed, then do the solo I selected.

Respectfully, I won't, Miss Raine.

I'll keep working with Saskia. I'm learning a lot from her.

Happy Muck Up Day, everyone.

Katrina Karamakov! Here, now!

This is our last wharf battle. We graduate in three weeks.

Game on, Tara Webster. Game on.