These characters all intersect and collide in predictable ways as they deal with predictable personal issues. Jody is quietly pursued by Charlie, but she's drawn to Cooper. Maureen slowly crumbles under the pressure of her overbearing mother (Debra Monk) as a premed student (Eion Bailey) aggressively woos her. Eva butts heads with a strict teacher (Donna Murphy) and the pompous head (Peter Gallagher) of the Academy over her attitude. And so on.

It may not sound so bad as described, but that's because I'm recounting the film without any taste of screenwriter Carol Heikennen's dreary dialogue, Nicholas Hytner's overly earnest direction, or the truly putrid performances by these unpromising acting "talents." (Something is clearly amiss when the one character's development of bulimia is met with laughter from the audience.) The one exception is the spunky Saldana, who is the only one to make her character appear to be a real person, let alone one the audience comes to care about. Whenever she's not onscreen or no one is dancing (with the exception of the climactic ballet, which is supposed to be "hip" and "revolutionary" but is actually quite ridiculous), _Center_Stage_ is one trying watch.