Photo Preview: Oxygen Network's CENTER STAGE: TURN IT UP, Airs 11/1

Oxygen will air the premiere of "Center Stage: Turn It Up," the highly-anticipated sequel to the 2000 feature film "Center Stage," on Saturday, November 1 at 8pm ET/PT. Set in the exclusive world of the fictitious New York City American Ballet Academy, "Center Stage: Turn It Up" reunites award winning actor Peter Gallagher and ballet star Ethan Stiefel, reprising their roles as Academy Artistic Director Jonathan Reeves (Gallagher), and talented teacher Cooper Nielsen (Stiefel). Newcomers Rachele Smith and Kenny Wormald round out the cast as young aspiring dancers determined to live their dreams.

"'Center Stage: Turn It Up' is an inspiring film, filled with dance, determination and a fresh talented cast," said Amy Introcaso-Davis, Senior Vice President, Original Programming and Production, Oxygen Media. "We are delighted to be premiering the movie on Oxygen and giving 'Center Stage' fans a return visit to the American Ballet Academy."

"Center Stage: Turn It Up" follows Kate (Smith), a talented, self-taught ballerina, who leaves her Detroit home to audition for the prestigious American Ballet Academy in New York. Despite displaying superior abilities and impressing experienced teacher Cooper Nielsen (Stiefel), Kate is rejected by Artistic Director Jonathan Reeves (Gallagher) in favor of classical ballerina Suzanne (Sarah Jayne Jensen). A prodigy from a wealthy family, Suzanne has been trained in classical ballet since the moment she could walk. Kate then meets hockey player-turned-dancer Tommy (Wormald), who has been accepted to the Academy, but still needs help with his technique. As Kate and Tommy work together, their growing affection inspires a new determination and commitment to achieving their dreams.

Peter Gallagher is an accomplished actor who has starred on stage, television and film. He is well known for his roles in the television drama "The O.C.," feature films "sex, lies and videotape," "American Beauty" and "Center Stage," and on Broadway in "Long Day's Journey Into Night" and "Guys and Dolls."

Ethan Stiefel is a Principal Dancer with the American Ballet Theater, where he starred in the Metropolitan Opera's recent stagings of "The Sleeping Beauty" and "Swan Lake." He joined the New York City Ballet when he was sixteen-years-old.

Executive producers are Laurence Mark and David Blackman, and the film is directed by Steven Jacobson.

"Center Stage: Turn It Up" is produced by Stage 6^TM Films. The movie will be available to own on DVD and Blu-ray^TM High-Def in January 2009 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and will include extensive bonus features, including the featurettes: From Classroom to Club: The Choreography of Center Stage: Turn It Up and Backstage: A Look Behind the Curtain. The Blu-ray^TM High-Def version will contain the exclusive BD Live Enabled feature, which allows compatible Blu-ray^TM players and PlayStation 3 to use an Ethernet or Wi-fi connection to access a remote, studio supported web portal where exclusive content and previews can be downloaded directly to the BD player.

Oxygen is a program service of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment and is currently available in over 74 million homes. The network was launched in 2000 to fill a void in the television landscape -- creating a network targeted to younger women. Oxygen is rewriting the rulebook for women's television, with a vast array of unconventional and original programming including "The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency," "Coolio's Rules," "The Bad Girls Club" and "Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood."

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. SPE is a division of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in 67 countries.

Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at www.sonypictures.com.

Photos Courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

 

Peter Gallagher and Rachele Smith

Sarah Jayne Jensen and Kenny Wormald

Kenny Wormald and Sarah Jayne Jensen

Sarah Jayne Jensen

Sarah Jayne Jensen and Ethan Stiefel

Rachele Smith and Peter Gallagher