Press release from ABC TV
Dance Academy, ABC TV’s new 26-part, half-hour children’s drama series has started shooting in Sydney.
Joining the all Australian cast is Tara Morice (Strictly Ballroom); AFI nominee for Best Young Actor, Tom Green; Dena Kaplan (Flight of the Conchords); Tim Pocock (X-Men Origins: Wolverine); and the 2009 Logie nominee for Best New Talent, Jordan Rodrigues.
Dance Academy is the story of 15-year-old, Tara Webster, (played by newcomer Xenia Goodwin) who has grown up on a farm in outback Australia and has always dreamt of becoming a dancer. When she makes it into the National Academy of Dance – the best school in the country – she is sure her life will change spectacularly.
Auditions were held this year in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. The chosen cast display an extraordinary ability in dance and drama and will perform routines with some of Australia’s top choreographers.
The series is being produced by Joanna Werner’s (H20: Just Add Water, The Elephant Princess) production company, Werner Film Productions, for ABC TV and ZDF (Germany) and will premiere on ABC1 and ABC3 next year.
Dance Academy producer, Joanna Werner, said: “I am excited to be starting the shoot for Dance Academy today and I am delighted the series will screen on ABC TV. After years of development and months of casting we have now assembled a fabulous cast and crew to help realize this exciting new teen drama.”
ABC TV’s Childrens Head of Commissioning and Development, Carla De Jong, said: “I am absolutely thrilled with the calibre of talent, both off and on screen. Dance Academy has been in development with ABC TV for just over a year and we very much look forward to sharing this landmark series with our audience.”