Synopsis

< Razzle Dazzle - A Journey into Dance> follows the eager young members of Jonathon Dance and Talent School who battle to qualify for grand final success at 'Sanosafe Troupe Spectacular,' Australia’s most prestigious dance competition. Talent School, the reigning champion of the past five years, is led by the innovation-wary Elizabeth, while the newbies at Jonathon Dance prepare for their first competition with only a solid belief in the power of dance to change the world. Uncovering the murky world of dance competition politics, the film lampoons the pressured dance instructors and the hysterics of the pushy stage moms with its fake-documentary touches. Following the hardworking students at Jonathon Dance Academy, the film cleverly straddles the line between fiction and reality by mixing the documentary-esque footage and < interview> clips. Based on a short story written by Carolyn Wilson, Ashton’s wife, the film is a warmhearted satire of the overheated dance competition scene. Ben Miller as Jonathon and top-notch actress Kerry Armstrong as pushy mom Julia memorably demonstrate their fine acting abilities. Viewers will find themselves anxiously awaiting the outcome of the climax - Who will be the winners?

Director

Darren Ashton

Born in 1963. He built his career as a commercial director. He directed the short film <Extra> (1999) and made his feature film debut with the comedy <Thunderstruck> (2004), which tells the story of 18-year-old boys who follow AC/DC. <Razzle Dazzle - A Journey into Dance> was screened at the Generation section of the 2007 Berlin Film Festival.