Gotta Dance
| Gotta Dance | |
|---|---|
 Movie poster | |
| Directed by | Dori Berinstein |
| Starring | The NJ NETSationals |
| Music by | Craig Sharmat |
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
Gotta Danceis a 2008documentary filmandTribeca Film FestivalAudience Award Finalist directed by Dori Berinstein. The film "chronicles the debut of the New Jersey Nets' first-ever senior hip-hop dance team, 12 women and 1 man - all dance team newbies, from auditions through to performance.”[1]
Plot synopsis
[edit]Gotta Dance documents the creation of theNew Jersey Netsbasketball team'ssenior citizendance troupe, The NJ NETSationals. The Nets franchise already employed a professional dance team, a cheerleading squad, and a kids dance team, but in 2007 they added the NJ NETSationals to their entertainment family. "Essentially, the New Jersey Nets basketball team came up with a PR stunt that includes forming a hip-hop dance crew made up entirely of senior citizens (or folks over the age of 60)."[2]
Filmmaker Dori Berinstein[3]followed and filmed as they recruited, auditioned, and trained the NETSationals. The team members range in age from 59 to 80 years old and come from varied backgrounds. The film documents not only the NETSationals rehearsals, but also includes personal information about each of the team members, as well as lively team dinners. During the film the NETSationals, debut at a halftime show to an ecstatic and astonished Meadowlands crowd.[4]
"Two of the oldest recruits have granddaughters on the Nets' professional dance team, and the interaction between the highly athletic younger women and their less flexible elders offers some particularly poignant moments, as does the final half-time show incorporating a cute faceoff with a kids' dancing troupe."[5]
Miscellaneous
[edit]The film premiered at the 2008Tribeca Film Festival.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Linessponsored aGotta Danceprogram on some cruises which began with a screening of the film and the opportunity for guests to perform routines choreographed by a member of the New Jersey Nets Dance Coach.[6]It also spawned the Gotta Dance Slide,[7]and a social networking site for seniors, GottaDanceWithUs,[8]were all inspired by the film.
Adaptation
[edit]A stage musical has been written, with the book byChad BeguelinandBob Martin,music byMatthew Sklarand lyrics by Nell Benjamin. Additional music is byMarvin Hamlisch.Directed and choreographed byJerry Mitchell,the cast featuredLillias White,André De Shields,Georgia Engel,Haven Burton,Lori Tan ChinnandStefanie Powers.The musical premiered at theBank of America TheatreinChicagoon December 13, 2015, running through January 17, 2016. It had been expected to open on Broadway in the Fall of 2016.[9][10][11]However, the producers announced on July 13, 2016 that the musical would open on Broadway in the Spring of 2017, and that the musical has a new title,Half Time.They further announced thatEster Deanhas written a new finale with the composers.[12]It was later announced the show, under the new title, will instead play a limited engagement at thePaper Mill Playhousein Millburn, New Jersey. Engel, De Shields and White return to the cast with new cast memberDonna McKechnie,as well as director/choreographer Mitchell. The production opened on May 31, and is scheduled until July 1, 2018.[13]
The co-producer of the musical, Dori Berinstein, said that the musical "is not intended to be a precise documentation of the NETSational Seniors, nor a staging of the film...The charge for the bookwriters, Chad Beguelin and Bob Martin, and the composer, Matthew Sklar,... was to write a story inspired by the real NETSational Seniors, whose exploits have been copied by numerous other NBA teams." Co-producerBill Damaschkeadded "the central charge involved understanding that the NETSational Seniors could become a collective metaphor 'for the idea that age does not matter.'"[14]
Awards
[edit]2008Tribeca Film FestivalAudience Award Finalist[15]
2009Seattle International Film FestivalOfficial Selection
2009 Palm Beach Film Festival Audience Award Best Documentary Winner[16]
2009Sarasota Film FestivalOfficial Selection[17]
2008 The Floating Film Festival Best Documentary Winner
2009Cinequest Film FestivalOfficial Selection
2009Phoenix Film FestivalOfficial Selection
2008 Williamstown Film Festival Official Selection
2009 International Film Festival of Aging Official Selection
References
[edit]- ^"The Story".Dramatic Forces.Retrieved10 December2015.
- ^"Gotta Dance".Moviefone.Retrieved10 December2015.
- ^"Dori Berinstein".Internet Movie Database.Retrieved10 December2015.
- ^Levine, D.E. (12 June 2009)."Gotta Dance".Cinefilms.Retrieved10 December2015.
- ^Simon, Alissa (6 May 2008)."Review: 'Gotta Dance'".Variety.Retrieved10 December2015.
- ^"Guests Have 'Gotta Dance' On A Royal Caribbean Vacation"(Press release). Royal Caribbean International. 21 May 2009.Retrieved10 December2015.
- ^VideoonYouTube
- ^"Gotta Dance with Us - Gotta Dance with Us – Home for Everyone Who Loves to Dance".Archived fromthe originalon June 27, 2009.RetrievedJune 29,2009.
- ^Viagas, Robert (December 13, 2015)."Broadway-Bound 'Gotta Dance', Starring Lillias White, André De Shields and Georgia Engel, Bows in Chicago".Playbill.
- ^Gans, Andrew (December 14, 2015)."Gotta Dance, Helmed by Jerry Mitchell, Extends Chicago Run; Broadway Debut Set for Fall".Playbill.
- ^McPhee, Ryan (February 9, 2015)."Jerry Mitchell to Helm Marvin Hamlisch's Broadway-Bound 'Gotta Dance' in Chicago".Broadway.
- ^Gans, Andrew."Broadway-Bound 'Gotta Dance' Gets a New Title and Music Collaborator"Playbill, July 13, 2016
- ^Hetrick, Adam."New Musical 'Half Time', Starring André De Shields, Georgia Engel, Donna McKechnie, and Lillias White, Begins Paper Mill Run"Playbill, May 31, 2018
- ^Jones, Chris (December 4, 2015)."'Gotta Dance': Who decided a group of seniors had to dance hip-hop? ".Chicago Tribune.
- ^Meltzer, Marisa (27 July 2009)."Gotta Dance: Sassy Seniors Shake a Tailfeather".Tribeca.
- ^Knegt, Peter (29 April 2009)."It's a Tie In Palm Beach".Indewire.
- ^"Gotta Dance - 2009 Sarasota Film Festival".Archived fromthe originalon July 4, 2009.RetrievedJune 29,2009.