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Dance Academy Season 1 Episodes
Season 1 Episode Guide
26 Episodes 2010 - 2010
Episode 1
Learning to Fly
Tue, Aug 9, 201124 mins
Sidney's world-class National Dance Academy holds its annual audition process. Among the hopefuls are Christian Reed, who does everything right except bring a leotard, and sheep rancher Neil Webster's naive daughter, Tara, who soon discovers she's not nearly as ready as she taught (making a spectacle of herself even when not tricked by her shrewd roommate, Abigail), yet whose natural talent may still make her lifelong ballet-dream come true.
Episode 2
Week Zero
25 mins
The audition results are mailed to the candidates' homes. The winners move to the National Academy's Sidney dorm for their first semester. Introduction week traditionally involves some hosing and hazing, but light-built Sammy Lieberman's greatest concern is a lazy administrator forcing him to become a sassy girl's roommate, although that may also have its advantages when they come to terms.
Episode 3
Behind Barres
25 mins
Newbie Christian is arrested for petty street gang-crime. Since his only adult relative (big brother Drew, a Broken Hill miner) won't take him in, academy director Kennedy arranges to save Christian from juvenile detention by assigning him to the dorm and appealing to coolest senior Ethan to be his mentor, but neither knave wants that and Ethan catches Christian stealing his wallet. Sam makes Tara list pros and cons for whether or not to make a pass at Ethan, who just dumped another girlfriend, which Abigail finds and sends copies to everyone. Sam also works out that karaoke may be a cool way to chase off horrible roommates. Tara makes a spectacle of herself again when Christain arrives in her class and fears she may never get past the bar exercises stage.
Episode 4
Minefield
25 mins
Instructor Patrick assigns the boy-girl dance partners lot-drawn confidence test games as preparation to the technical pas-de-deux course. Although meant to help them bond, they work mainly as truth time tests. Christian's talent impresses, but he intends to quit after his juvenile probation.
Episode 5
Real Men Don't Dance
25 mins
Sammy fears his single B could cause his dad, a third-generation Jewish doctor, to withdraw him from Dance Academy and send him to med-school. He's desperate to make it to synagogue in time to act as reader (another condition) but is commandeered for Patrick's coinciding ballet class, which he's missed too often already. Finally, Dr. Lieberman comes to discuss withdrawing Sam with director Kennedy. Meanwhile, Christian proves himself the best pupil in Patrick's class but can't handle Patrick's tactile limb position corrections.
Episode 6
Perfection
25 mins
Sammy finally gets a visit from his girlfriend-since-ever Mia, who'd joined Swedish friends in a kibbutz in Israel. Kat and Ethan's mother (famous ballerina Natasha Willis) gives a guest lecture. While Kat can't be bothered to spend time with her, Tara drools and ignores everyone else. Natasha offers them Swan Lake tickets with backstage passes, but those actually cause trouble among the kids, especially for Sam, who accepts them to get Abigail to go out with him while telling Mia the tickets 'fell trough'.
Episode 7
Crush Test Dummies
25 mins
The ballet class naturally doesn't take to obligatory hip-hop lessons, where everything is the other way around (except for ever-versatile Christian). Ethan, who has a modern choreography assignment for Mr. Kennedy due, calls in his theft silence-marker ("You owe me") to pick Christian as his star dancer. Christian dismisses the project but later shows Ethan a street group, which inspires Ethan toward a much rougher dance. Sammy wrestles with admitting his feelings, risking ridicule of the kind Tara often gets (even from him), while haughty Kat claims never to have had a crush.
Episode 8
Growing Pains
25 mins
Christian firmly wards off Sean's taunting of roommate Sam for wearing regular underwear. Patrick orders Christian to help buy reluctant Sam some dance underwear. Sam's objections are overcome in the fitting-room, where he procrastinates to give Christian time to flirt with the salesgirl, who ends up giving him her phone number. Ethan tells Tara he only sees her as a kid sister, not dating material. She hopes to cause jealousy by seeming to flirt with pro-dance troop member Damien 'Damo' Lang, not realizing such a rumor could ruin both their careers. Abigail is becoming more of a woman than she likes.
Episode 9
Heartbeat
25 mins
Due to Sammy posting some dormitory playfulness on the Internet, R&B star Myles Kelly - idolized by most of the kids - picks for his next video the haughtily uninterested Kat. She only accepts if he'll consider modernizing costumes and choreography. Her suggestions works out so well, he makes her an offer to think over. Meanwhile, Christian winds up with Ethan constantly trying to outdo him.
Episode 10
Through the Looking Glass
25 mins
Christian is delighted by a surprise visit from big brother Aaron, although he won't even show knowing him at the academy. The reason is Aaron always got him into trouble, and this time needs Christian to provide a false alibi, which may compromise Christian's spot in the dorm and hence his parole. Couple exercise problems, especially with lifts, cause fear and trouble among some dance class partners, but switches aren't allowed, nor excuses. Aggravated with her looks, Abigail breaks Tara's special mirror.
Episode 11
One Perfect Day
25 mins
Two students stumble on control issues. When cheerful kid sister Paige visits, Abigail strives to domineer their entire time together, but Paige, being 11 years old, will have none of it. Ethan wants to charm and impress Dana, his mentor, so asks Tara to be the principal in a new solo piece of his, whereby he micromanages her into the ground. The only one not having a control issue is Sammy, who happily conducts a sea funeral for his much-despised "girl" shoes.
Episode 12
Pressure
25 mins
It's exam week in both dance and academics, keeping most everybody busy, especially Sam. As Tara nears her first kiss with Ethan, she fears taking on his expert lips without practice, so (at Kat's urging) makes Sammy her kissing-dummy. Meanwhile, ill-tempered Abigail demands that Sammy rehearses their pas-de-deux together every night. It's whom Sammy'd like to be kissing, but signs that Abigail's anorexic diet regimen is catching up with her alarm him.
Episode 13
Family
25 mins
After exams, families arrive for the results and to take their kids home for the holidays. As Christian bonds with Tara's farmer dad over car mechanics, Tara's mother tells her that their sheep farm is in financial trouble, leading Tara to make a surprising decision. While Sam smolders bitterly over his dad not showing up, Kat, expecting a luxury holiday with her pro ballerina mother, Natasha Karamakov, vents during the mother-daughter press interview she's taken to instead.
Episode 14
Turning Pointes
25 mins
Before the new semester starts, a nightclub, a park and a senior citizen cha-cha class will see students having some non-artistic dance fun, while someone close starts falling for Tara. Earlier in the day, Anorexic Abigail poses as the perfect patient, but therapist Adam sees through this control-freak's act and insists she seek satisfaction before he lets her participate in ballet classes again. Tara moves in with Kat, which may prove detrimental to their friendship.
Episode 15
My Life en Pointe
25 mins
A stray dog is sneakily 'adopted' into Kat's room by Petra Hoffman, a talented German exchange student whom Abigail looks upon as her replacement during her therapy. Although the next semester's started, Kat remains in a holiday mood and is seen dating and kissing Lucus in public. Rather then apply pointless punishments, director Kennedy assigns her to assist graduate Gus's program teaching young kids to dance. She gets committed and promises to take them to a TV show, but later looking with the gang for the lost dog makes her late for the kids and dumped. Tara is finally allowed to dance on 'spitzes', but the unexpected pain makes her snippy with Christian while they dance Romeo and Juliet for Ethan's show-reel. (It's that or the unspoken attraction between them that makes Tara's and Christian's dance partnership suddenly difficult for them to bear?)
Episode 16
Free Falling
25 mins
Kat's parents buy off missing her birthday, so she decides to throw a massive party. She gets drunk worse than unsuspecting foreigner Petra and has to be rescued in the bedroom from slick Lucas by Christian. Tara misses it because her lack of confidence and fear of injuries during scholarship-conditional private tutoring makes the lesson take forever. But worst of all, Abigail discovers a secret to make Tara's life more uncomfortable.
Episode 17
A Midsummer's Night's Dream
25 mins
Everyone is punished for Kat's irresponsible party, with poor Sam having to mentor Abigail's make-up English essay. Suspicious of her help refusal, he discovers she clumsily stole a paper from the Internet and makes her write a real one, using cleverly faked jealousy. Patrick takes everyone camping in the outback to rehearse the A Midsummer Night's Dream production. The picture of Tara's kissing infidelity is spread all around, apparently by jealous Kat (but actually by another), causing much havoc. Petra finally forces them to make up by facing the naked facts - in the buff.
Episode 18
Betty Bunheads
25 mins
Scout re-enters Kat's life when she auditions for the junior summer program at the academy, with Christian helping out. Abigail's meanness shifts off Tara when Petra becomes Miss Raine's clear favorite, but setting her up for a fall proves Petra a stronger and more capable adversary than Abigail expected. Meanwhile, Sammy wants but can't get Abigail to be open about their kisses-in-the-closet love affair.
Episode 19
Fairest and Best
25 mins
The Academy welcomes jocks from an all-boys sports school so the pupils can exchange physical training approaches. They actually scold each-other sissies, so when Mr. Patrick orders them to solve it some way, they agree on a double dare: the dancers must score a point against the jocks in an Aussie touch football game; the jocks must perform a cossack dance. Meanwhile, Sammy refuses to keep his affair with Abi secret now that Tara's proved it doesn't harm career prospects, but Abi claims kisses mean nothing. She proves it on an unsuspecting jock's lips, with a kinky twist in his apparent enamoring, while his mate Ollie convinces Kat to coach his clueless team's dance.
Episode 20
Ballet Fever
25 mins
The academy's board meeting is to be treated to pupils performances of the highest standard. Even as lover, Sammy still gets no sympathy from Abi although he didn't get a solo part. Christian convinced Tara she's becoming as dance-obsessed as Abi and dares her to prove she can still have fun. Playing all over Sdney, they are late for the performance and run, which ends with Tara making a bad fall. Kat spearheads the juvenile protest against all non-classical dance styles being removed from the program, but wrongly assumed her ma Natasha supported such move.
Episode 21
Fear of Missing Out
25 mins
Ethan is informally promised a spot in the professional troop if his friend Damien 'Damo' Lang's injury is diagnosed incurable, as expected. Tim plans to turn down another offer, expecting he'll get the spot. Childishly whining Tara's fickle lack of confidence and ambition frustrates staff and envious fellow pupils.
Episode 22
Flight or Fight Response
25 mins
Christian's trial is upcoming in a week, but main culprit Aaron, whose confession is vital, has left. Rather then soldier on and secure a recommendation from the academy, Christian calls his case hopeless and plans to enjoy his last week until a juvenile detention. Ethan can't bring himself to sign the 5-year National Ballet contract, which would suspend his choreographic ambitions. Looking for Christian and talking sense into his mate, Sammy misses a picnic with Abigail, who calls that cause for a break-up, and misses the alternative hip-hop class rebel Kat organizes.
Episode 23
Best Friends Forever
25 mins
Just when Christian despairs about his upcoming trial, Aaron reappears, promising to admit he's the main culprit. Christian should get off with a suspended sentence, but realizing this would mean a long juvenile sentence for his mate Aaron, to whom he feels obliged after being the only one who helped him after his mom's death, Christian intends to take the major blame, hoping for a lenient judge (leaving the staff attorney and Sammy to try talking him out of it). Ethan goes on a picnic with Tara where they find neither of them invited the other - Kat did. Ethan tells everyone he remains in the academy as his Barcelona dream company rejected his choreography project.
Episode 24
Heatwave
25 mins
Sammy enjoys his first-ever close friendship with grateful roommate Christian, but a possible reconciliation with Tara worries him. While all Sidney suffers a heatwave, preparations for the annual public performance must go on. Patrick treats everyone to a pool-class before the auditions. Ethan's famous father, Sebastian Karamakov, comes to direct it. He tells Ethan he shouldn't have refused a professional contract but gives the boy a shot as his personal assistant.
Episode 25
The Deep End
25 mins
Sammy is so annoyed by his feelings for Christian that he pretends his snob father refuses to accept Christian's summer stay-over. Christian finds out in stages, but only insists not to be dumped as friend and roommate by the only person who ever stuck with him so loyally. Ethan has a hard time as his dad's assistant choreographer, or is it as his glorified gopher? Tara's insecurity and whining cost her the Clara part in The Nutcracker, which understudy Abigail gladly accepts. Kat completely neglects dancing and accepts an Australian tour with rock singer/friend Myles Kelly.
Episode 26
Learning to Fly: Part 2
25 mins
Christian patiently keeps Sammy's secret, hoping for restored best-buddies status while pointing out a hunky outside dancer as a possible gayness test, but Sammy has more pressing worries when his father cancels his Academy fee. Ethan toughs it out as director/father Sebastian's assistant and prevails to save Tara's lead in The Nutcracker. Even Abigail backs off after hiding the legacy dress Tara assumed she needed to shine. Myles makes Kat delay their departure to attend the performance and say goodbye properly.
