Xenia Goodwin on the set of Dance Academy: The Movie.
Dance Academy: The Movie has begun shooting in Sydney, almost six years to the day since the premiere of Dance Academy season one in 2010.
The series began with country girl Tara Webster (Xenia Goodwin) travelling to Sydney to audition for a place at the National Academy of Dance, the top ballet school in Australia.
Returning alongside Goodwin in the feature film is Dena Kaplan, Alicia Banit, Thomas Lacey (Winners and Losers), Jordan Rodrigues (The Fosters), Keiynan Lonsdale (Insurgent) and Strictly Ballroom's Tara Morice.
The show was created by writer Samantha Strauss (Mary: The Making of a Princess) with producer Joanna Werner (Secret City, Ready For This).
The film’s EP's are Louise Smith (The Square, The Rage in Placid Lake), Bernadette O’Mahony (Worst Year of My Life Again, Mortified), Vicki O’Neil, Arne Lohmann and Nicole Keebe, while Jeffrey Walker – who helmed eight episodes of the first season – is directing.
“Dance Academy is incredibly close to my heart, working on this picture with Sam Strauss and Jo Werner is like coming home", Walker said.
"The characters have matured with the audience and the film promises to deliver an incredible insight into the world of dance not often seen."
Also on board is DOP Martin McGrath ACS (Muriel’s Wedding), who shot all 65 episodes of the show’s three seasons, production designer Chris Kennedy (The Water Diviner, The Proposition, Cosi), costume designer Tess Schofield (The Water Diviner, The Sapphires, Bootmen), hair and make-up designer Dalia Fernandez (Dance Academy, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Nim’s Island) and editor Geoff Lamb (Early Winter, StalkHer, Return to Nim’s Island).
The feature is being produced by Werner Film Productions with investment from Screen Australia, Screen NSW, Film Victoria, The Australian Children’s Television Foundation and Soundfirm.
StudioCanal is distributing in AU/NZ with international sales by ZDF Enterprises Germany.