The cast of Center Stage got together this week via Zoom for a reunion, and fans have been totally shocked by how different actor Ethan Stifel has looked since his younger days.
Stiefel, 47, played professional ballerina Cooper Nielsen in the 2000 classic.
The days of his cleanly shaven face and floppy blonde locks are gone, and instead, fans are met with shoulder-length hair and a spooky mustache.
“Oh my God, Ethan Stiffel, this look is a choice,” one fan wrote after watching the reunion meet.
Another fan commented, “And the appearance of Ethan Stiffel … a lot.”
All of the film’s stars including Zoe Saldana, Sascha Radetsky and Amanda Schull joined the call to relive the memories.
Once fans passed Stiefel’s appearance, they were treated with a discussion from cast members about the film’s impact, the lack of variety in ballet and much more.
“We all men in the dance world have stories of bullying, just stupid things that arose because there are some stereotypes associated with male dancers,” via Radsky, who played Charlie.
Unfortunately they seem to bear. Training Center It was really influential in dispelling some stereotypes and opening people’s eyes to the beauty, strength, sports and other untold virtues of dance, and male dance in particular. “
Stifel agreed, adding: “As we all discussed because of the people we were working with in the film, on every level, as a person, from the age of eight or nine, he had been practicing ballet, a feeling of great pride that I was given the opportunity to perform dance at the highest level.
“All you can do is present your art form in the best possible light. This is a big responsibility and I have not underestimated it, but at the same time if we are still talking about this movie now after 20 years and some of the topics we are discussing, it seems to have resonated.”
Zoe Saldana touched on the lack of diversity in the industry. It is a conversation that is starting to take place in more inclusive circles.
“I think that issues of racial disparity and inclusiveness have long been one of the topics that people of color or minorities have been dealing with only. The more Anglo-Americans invite themselves and participate in the conversation, the change will happen.”
