Dance For Your Life

In the highly competitive world of the commercial back-up dancer, the stakes are high, but the career prospects low - especially in Australia. The opportunity to dance alongside international stars like Kylie Minogue, Meghan Trainer, and Lady Gaga, and to be seen in their music videos is a driving ambition for thousands of young dancers. But the opportunities to make a living out of back-up dancing in Australia are limited, and the conventional wisdom is that dancers must head overseas to achieve their ultimate career goals. Brent Street, Australia’s leading dance schools, has helped hundreds of dancers launch their careers. And now Brent Street’s best dancers, past and present, have been offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to send ten dancers to London to audition for international dance company, Shapehaus Dance Theatre, led by renowned dancer and choreographer, Dean Lee. Lee is currently one of Janet Jackson’s lead dancers and choreographers. As Lee says, ‘he has never met a bad Australian dancer,’ so his request to Brent Street to send over their best, present and past, dancers to audition is a genuine attempt to internationalise his company. Shapehaus aims to do things a little differently in an industry obsessed by body image. Eschewing conventional beauty standards. As Lee says, “I don’t care what you look like… I couldn’t care less, just turn up and be great.” At 38, Lee understands very personally the highs and lows of trying to achieve that dream of being a professional back-up dancer. Issues like body positivity, body shape and height, injuries and restricted opportunities can make the path to success fraught. This documentary charts the process of selecting the ten best dancers, their journey to London, and the toughest audition of their lives. We start with two hundred students selected for the first audition in Brent Street, Sydney. Over a series of auditions, that is whittled down to find the lucky ten dancers who fly to London for a week-long audition and performance under the stewardship of Dean Lee. Directed by Luke Cornish, this documentary combines intimate fly-on-the-wall coverage with extraordinary dance sequences to bring the world of the back-up dancer to life. Young hopeful dancers like Abby, Conor, and Max express their hopes and dreams and the sheer grit it takes to become a professional back-up dancer. A serious training injury on the eve of travelling to London highlights the precarious nature of their chosen profession and threatens to derail one of their dreams before they even get started. In London, the Australians join Shapehaus for the toughest week of their nascent professional lives. They have just one week to make an impact. Lee both inspires and drives them through an intense week, working with the dancers and bringing his vision to life. Who will rise to the occasion? Who will be selected for a lead role? At the final showcase, the performance receives a standing ovation, and one of our young Australians is selected to join Shapehaus.