Center Stage is a 2000 English-language Drama Musical motion picture written by Carol Heikkinen and directed by Nicholas Hytner and produced by Laurence Mark. A group of 12 teenagers from various backgrounds enroll at the American Ballet Academy in New York to make it as ballet dancers and each one deals with the problems and stress of training and getting ahead in the world of dance. Center stage stars Amanda Schull in the title role along with an ensemble cast including Zoe Saldana, Susan May Pratt, Peter Gallagher, Donna Murphy, Ethan Stiefel and Christine Dunham. The music was composed by George Fenton. Cinematography was done by Geoffrey Simpson and editing by Tariq Anwar. The film has a running time of 111 minutes. It was released on 12th May 2000. Center Stage was made on a budget of $29 million and at the box office it grossed only $26 million. Distribution rights for the motion picture were acquired by Columbia Pictures.