21/04/2011

After the success of several TV programmes focused on dance, as well as films such as US imports Save the Last Dance and the Step Up trilogy, and UK fare including StreetDance 3D [+see also:
trailer
film profile], savvy Dutch producer (and occasional director) Johan Nijenhuis (photo) has started working on the first local dance film: Body Language.

The film, which started shooting last month, is a co-production between Flinck Film, Launch Works and Johan Nijenhuis & Co, with backing from broadcaster RTL Entertainment.

The film is the directorial debut of Jeffrey Elmont, whose shorts already contained numerous sports sequences. The screenplay was written by Tijs van Marle, whose credits include mainstream hits such as Spy of Orange [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Killer Babes (Moordwijven).

Body Language tells the story of a group of dancers plucked from the five best dance crews from the Netherlands, who were slated to travel to New York for an international dance competition. When funding falls through at the last minute, a few members of each crew decide to get to New York one way or another to follow their dream.

The cast consists of young Dutch soap actor Ruben Solognier as well as a host of contestants of various dance programmes on Dutch TV: Ingrid Jansen, the winner of Dancing Queen; Sigourney Korper and Boris Schreurs from the first season of So You Think You Can Dance, and Lorenzo van Velzen Bottazzi and Floris Bosveld, the winner and runner-up of the second season of So You Think You Can Dance.

Despite numerous reports of cast injuries, shooting will continue through early May. Distributor A-Film has already scheduled an early October release for the project.