Previously, on Dance Academy, Christian was an emo git, Abigail tried to quit, and Kat became bulimic. Catch up week continues!
We open with Kat as narrator. I have no idea why. I don’t think this has happened before. Anyway, she’s up before Abigail, and talking about science and endorphins and choosing to be happy. This is the morning that Kat chooses life.
Christian, meanwhile, is sleeping in the living room, and is woken up by Ben and Ollie jumping on him. I’ve seen this movie, but it ended differently. Tara comes in and goes into Serious Girl mode, concerned for Christian’s place at the Ballet School That Doesn’t Teach Ballet. Christian snarks it off.
The company bunheads are all eating breakfast, or lunch or something. Grace has gone full Eve Harrington and is dressed like Isabelle. Apparently, someone (ok, they all look skinny and blonde to me, and with Grace dressed as Isabelle, I have no idea who’s who), has Lady Gaga tickets AND entrance to a private after party. Grace is IN. Miss Raine shows up and informs her that she will be performing and then taking herself back to the dorms, end of story. Grace walks off with Miss Raine, informing her that that was way harsh. Miss Raine goes from cheery to adult in no time flat. There were “issues” last year (in fact, so many issues that I’m surprised they let her come back. Most schools wouldn’t after wrongfully accusing a teacher of molestation), and it’s time for ground rules. Grace isn’t happy.
During class, Miss Raine is being a real ballet teacher, though the show tries to make her come across as a bitch. Some guy pokes his head in, and suddenly, she’s a giggling 15 year old. The guy went to school with her back in the day, and is now head of the Austin Ballet Company. Did they really say Austin? Because, if so, that rocks. Houston’s better (wink, wink), but the fact that they’d mention a ballet company from a city and the size of Austin is pretty cool. More giggling.
Abigail pushes Christian off the couch, wraps herself up in a blanket and pulls out a puzzle. She tells him she has Lyme disease and is on rest. Both of them deflect the other.
The second years are doing contemporary, again. Does this school ever teach ballet? Austin comes in and takes over, and gives the kids an assignment. They have to follow a non-dancer, study them, get inside their heads and then do the dance like the person. This type of thing is for acting students. One of those stupid things that’s supposed to get you out of your head, and you end up doing bad Shakespeare on a subway train, annoying everyone around you. Ballet students . . . not so much. Zach sees Christian and goes to talk to him. Katrina has a specific guy in mind and has been following him around, while he eats lunch. He’s kinda cute in a Riley from Buffy sort of way.
Grace is trying to Google Austin’s availability while Miss Raine is cleaning up her desk. Zach and Christian show up. Zach continuously stands up for Christian, despite the fact that Miss Raine says that the scholarship funds have been reallocated. The board is meeting this week, or something, so Christian can go plead for mercy.
Katrina is hanging out in the library of somewhere, not stalking our Budget Riley. While trying to avoid him, she bumps into him and knocks the books out of his bag. He mentions that he’s seen her before, and she gives a speech about how all blonde girls look alike. Based on my bunheads who lunch comment above, I would totally agree. Kat knows his name. This is not weird or suspicious at all.
Afterwards, Katrina does her dance, and it’s an ANGRY dance full of hair and emotions. ABC director comes in and asks her a few things about her dance. She mentions that she’s doing it on this guy who is a total monster. ABC says that that’s not quite what he meant and tells her to dig deeper.
Later, Kat is staring at a donut. Abigail is eating one, and yelling at the puzzle she’s doing. Tara is still badgering Christian about his choice of outfit for the board.
Grace stops ABC to talk in the hall, and make Miss Raine seem more interesting and desirable than she is. There’s something about some guy named Javier, but I’m distracted by Grace’s Lady Gaga hair bow.
Christian goes to see the board wearing a suit. There’s some bitch who’s all in white, being judgmental, and is being held by a woman who’s wearing all white and has a serious attitude problem. She goes on and on about how much money they’ve invested in Christian and how they deserve a reason why he didn’t come back. You know, you’d think that someone’s premature death wouldn’t cause this much red tape. Zach tries to stand up for Christian. Christian walks out, like he does, only to find Tara there. He takes out his frustration on Tara, telling her he never wants to date her again, so leave him alone.
Kat goes back to the library and finds Nick. She asks him out on a lunch date, but it quickly goes sour. He thinks she’s some emo psychology student who wants to study the killer. She chews him out for being so cavalier about killing her friend.
Grace, meanwhile, has plans to get into Lady Gaga, and this involves setting Miss Raine up on a date. Miss Raine doesn’t like having her love life dictated, and Grace screams out that Miss Raine is sucking the fun out of everything. Oh, honey. Not only are you a kid, but you’re also a ballet student. You’re not allowed to have fun. Deal.
Abigail wanders outside to throw her puzzle away. It was mocking her. Christian is working on his motorcycle, since that’s what he does. She asks if he wants to go do something. They take off.
Katrina stares at the food in the fridge. Tara is rambling about Christian, but Katrina is in starving mode. Tara leaves and Katrina grabs the bag of bread and flees to her room to binge. Followed by purging. I never really like these plotlines, and I was glad that Dance Academy didn’t really talk about this, but . . . well, here we go.
Christian and Abigail show up at a bar/performance space and, while we aren’t sure where they were planning on going, they’re at a drag show. Abigail paid and it comes with a free entre, so they’re staying.
Grace didn’t get to go to Lady Gaga and is moping with her hair bow. Miss Raine comes in and they chat about ABC and Miss Raine’s personal life, and it turns into a moment where Miss Raine talks about not trying to be a substitute mother, and Grace is ok because she’s never had a mother and then they cry and then Grace calls up ABC to get Miss Raine to ask him out. Grace still can’t go to Lady Gaga. Poor Grace.
While commiserating over dinner, Abigail flat out asks Christian “Do the girls find the angst dreamy?” Having read Twilight, I would say yes. Abigail thinks that Christian is using Sammy’s death as a way to weasel out of things, and admits that that’s a hypocritical statement. While running to the bathroom, she’s stopped by the drag queen, who points out her dancer legs. She thinks this will light a fire under one of her dancer’s asses, and asks Abigail why those with some of the most natural talent end up being so complacent? Abigail ponders this for a moment, and we’re not sure who she’s thinking of. The drag show starts, and of course, they drag Christian up on stage, where he slowly starts dancing and then jumps right into it, with a back flip. Abigail joins in, and for a moment, they’re happy, until Miss Raine and ABC join in. Abigail and Christian ditch before they can be spotted.
The next morning, Christian wakes up to a donation chart, contributed by the school members, in case the board doesn’t come through. Christian is sort of touched. Or has gas.
Kat is jogging around and sees Nick placing flowers where Sammy was killed. They stop and have a serious talk. Nick breaks down about how he’s been told it wasn’t his fault, but he still feels guilty. Kat feels guilty for making him feel guilty and we end in a big hug.
Christian goes back to the board, and this time does another contemporary dance. Yay. Miss Raine has her date and is happy. Katrina talks about being positive, and what does she have to do, and mentions how she used herself for the assignment. At no point does she realize that the guy said “non-dancer” and no one calls her out for that.
Next time!!