Episode 4 School for Stars

Millions dream of fame, success and a life in the spotlight.

But few realise what it takes to make it to the top.

That is not going to get you a job.

We're back inside one of the most famous stage schools in Britain.

London's Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts,

where for some pupils, dreams of a career on screen and stage

really can come true.

This is what life is like for those seeking the big-time.

This is the School For Stars

Previously on School For Stars,

Niki struggled in her ballet classes.

Go and get a note from Mr Vote,

because that is not acceptable for ballet.

But now things are about to get even worse.

I love this school to pieces. It is so good.

Competition is tough as the juniors battle it out

to perform at a top football ground.

But for one young dancer, things don't go quite as she planned.

I'm going to have to find someone else to replace you for Saturday.

And Year 7's Tommy says goodbye to his West End role,

and sets his sights on his next lead.

HE SINGS

It's a big day of auditions for the junior pupils

at the School For Stars

and there's an extra buzz in the air

as a prestigious choreographer and ex-star pupil

returns to do the auditioning.

We are here today auditioning for a performance

that we're going to do at a half-time of a football match.

So there's going to be loads of people there watching us

so if we get one little thing wrong everyone will be like,

"Oh, she did that wrong", so we have to get it amazingly right.

Professional choreographer and dancer Hayley

has had worldwide success choreographing stadium tours

for Take That and appearing in a variety of West End shows.

I'm coming back to school

because I am choreographing an event in Reading called The Big Match.

I don't really know what to expect. I'm quite scared.

As they should be.

She's really intimidating because you want her to really like you

because she's a massive inspiration of mine.

She's an amazing dancer

and she performs in so many West End shows and commercials.

Today in the audition, I'm going to be looking for a lot of energy

and it's not important to have the choreography exactly today

cos we're going to practise it some more,

but, you know, I'm looking for people who can pick up choreography.

Hayley has to pick 25 of us and there's 18 in Year 9

and 24 in Year 10 so she's got a hard choice.

Right, listen, listen, listen, scoot back, spread out.

We're going to practise for 20 minutes

and then Hayley's going to come in and watch you all

and pick who she wants.

For The Big Match dance event, Hayley's right-hand woman Lucy

has been putting the juniors through their paces,

readying them for the audition and the star choreographer's arrival.

Let's rewind. There's loads of little bits that you're missing.

This is feet apart. It's slow time. One, two, three, four.

It's not this. We're not doing the Highland Fling, yeah?

March. This is big arms. Don't get lazy.

Look, look, drop, roll and hit, throw.

This is where we go a little bit wrong.

Hands, yeah, watch your hands.

Five, six, seven, jump, eight.

-What do you jump on Alice?

-Eight.

OK, let's do it again for Alice. Ready, from here.

First one goes "satisfy me", head, head, ball change.

Eight, one, "satisfy me". Do we understand the difference?

Are you sure?

Step, step, what leg to we walk on?

-ALL:

-Left.

Yeah, so, if you used your right it's the other left leg, yeah?

The moment has come as the much-feared

but much-loved Hayley arrives to pick the best dancers.

Hello, how are you?

-ALL:

-Good.

Good, I'm very excited to see you all do this.

Lucy, do you want to put them in groups and kind of mix everyone up?

Yep, sure.

As well as 25 dancers chosen from the main school,

around 30 will be chosen from associate schools,

where pupils outside London study performing arts part-time.

OK, so come forward. Are we ready?

Let's go.

The 40 juniors have one chance to prove their worth.

It's now or never.

MUSIC: "Shut Up" by Amelia Lily

OK, thank you very much.

The list will be going up very soon. OK, bye.

-ALL:

-Thank you.

It went all right but the couple of bits that I messed up on

I wasn't very happy with because I knew I could do better.

The sad thing about it is, you know, there was...

SHE COUNTS UP

..about 35 to 40 people auditioned and we need 25.

So that's not cutting that many. That's quite sad.

Georgia, Amy.

Amber.

Hayley is now in there writing a list of who she wants,

and that's really scary.

Really scary.

I'm really excited cos I want to see who got in.

Done.

Armed with the list of names and the headmaster's seal of approval,

it's time for Lucy to reveal

who's made the cast for The Big Match dance.

Yay, that's mine!

Oh, I'm in it.

Both there.

Yes, you go girl!

The best part about this is everyone on the list is my friends,

so I'm doing it with everyone and all my friends.

It'll be so fun because a lot of the people live near me,

so I can travel up with them and then go home with them

and we can just talk about how great it was

to perform at a football pitch.

With only 25 dancers needed out of 40 hopefuls,

the reality of auditions means not everyone gets good news.

-Excited?

-You all right?

Yeah, I'm totally fine about it.

Singing's more my thing.

The school only takes the very best.

Those who are selected to attend have shown their potential

for success, but their families also have to pay fees.

A few scholarships are available meaning some pupils' fees get paid,

but for the rest of the students, being able to cover the costs

each year can be tough and as a result, some of them have to leave.

Year 9 pupil Niki lives 65 miles from London

and every day she travels four hours to and from school.

But soon that long journey will be a thing of the past

with the recent news that she'll be leaving the school

in just a few weeks.

And it's something her and her family

are slowly coming to terms with.

We did sit down and we did talk about it

and I said to Niki that we've really reached the end now.

I was going to consider taking a bank loan out

to pay the next year's school fees, but she didn't want me to do that,

so we came to that conclusion and we agreed to that.

But it's a worry because we're moving her at a difficult time

and a difficult year, I think.

I feel that I don't want to you struggle with the school fees

cos you've made me do all this for 14... 13-14 years

and you need to have a break for yourself.

Cos everything about your life has always been about me

and you need to just think about you for a change.

Glad you appreciate it.

It is always about you,

but it will always be about you no matter where you go.

It's still going to be about you and what you want to do.

Just because you're not going to be at that school,

which is unfortunate, but we'll still aim to try and get you

-to do whatever you want to do.

-Yeah.

It's the travelling as well. It's everything on top of it.

And it's too much for her.

Some nights she gets back at seven,

then she goes to another theatre group in Brighton,

so she doesn't get home till ten o'clock

and her day's begun at five-thirty in the morning.

For Niki, leaving the school, it was a very hard decision.

Something that wasn't taken lightly. And it was very sad.

Very disappointed and very disheartened.

You feel that you've failed her.

In school the hot topic of conversation

is about every performing art student's worst nightmare.

-Have you seen Jade's leg?

-Yeah.

She was on the trampoline at Natalia's party.

She told me it hurt at the time. It didn't seem too bad

but then she came in to school and she had this cast on her leg

and it's obviously a lot more serious

than what she made it out to be.

You know, there's quite a few things that she might miss, actually.

She's going to miss that thing, the football thing as well isn't she?

-Oh, did she get picked for that?

-Yeah.

But hopefully it's bruised or something. I don't know.

-Jade, where are you, dear? Can you come over here, please?

-Yeah.

-Hello, hop-along.

-Hello.

-In a nutshell..

-Yep.

-..what have you done to yourself?

They don't know,

because when I had an X-ray it was too inflamed for them to see.

But I don't think it's anything really serious

because my foot feels better and my ankle feels much better.

They think out of anything it might be like a hairline fracture

or a fracture at most, but I don't even think it's that.

So how did you do it? What were you doing?

I was on a trampoline, I went over on my ankle.

Oh, dear me, I thought dancing was dangerous.

What do you think it's going to do for Saturday?

I want to do it.

So I'm going to try and make sure that it's OK

and then get this off.

-Well, if you haven't fractured it it might be possible.

-Yep.

OK, we'll keep our fingers firmly crossed for you.

-Yeah, we will. Thank you.

-Thank you, darling.

With The Big Match dance only one day away,

as a key member of the performance,

Jade's first task is to break the bad news to teacher Lucy.

Jade...

What have you done?

Ben double-bounced me and I did a Fame jump,

hit my head with my leg, came over and went over on it.

So what are you going to do about Saturday?

Obviously, you can't do it.

I really want to do it, you don't understand.

You can't, though.

I know I can't, I actually can't.

I'm going to have to find someone else

to replace you for Saturday, I think.

I'll have to go back to the list that we had originally.

-Oh, you've ruined everything, Jade.

-I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

No, it's fine.

It is a little bit annoying, because they're old enough to think

"I need to be sensible, I've got a job coming up."

Jade is one of the, you know, strong ones.

You went through the whole audition process, she got picked.

So now it's sort of...

Now she's out I've got to find someone else

and it's, sort of... She could have done it next week, not now.

But I guess there's nothing you can do about it.

PHONE RINGS

Hello?

Hi, Hayley. It's Lucy.

-Hi, Lucy, how are you?

-I'm good, thank you.

I have a little bit of bad news about tomorrow.

OK. That's not what I want to hear but all right.

Hayley and Lucy come up with a plan and Lucy heads to find

the lucky replacement with the good news, proving that sometimes

one person's misfortune can be another's opportunity.

Can I just borrow Alice for two minutes?

-Hello.

-How are you?

-I'm good, how are you?

-Good, thanks.

So, have you heard about Jade?

Yeah, she's hurt her leg.

Well, she thinks it's broken, she's not sure.

So I've spoken to Hayley this morning

-and me and her have decided, if you're free tomorrow...

-Yeah.

..would you like to do The Big Match?

-Yes, please.

-Yeah?

So you need to come to rehearsals with me this afternoon,

-and you won't be as nervous, will you?

-No.

So one o'clock for rehearsals.

Thank you so much.

-No worries.

-Thank you.

See you later. Bye.

-Did you get in?

-Yeah, I'm in it!

Alice has a lot of hard work ahead of her,

but just have to crack on this afternoon.

Over in another corner of the school,

Niki's day isn't going so well as everything

is a painful reminder of what she'll be missing when she has to leave.

Why are you leaving, though?

I can't afford it any more.

It's really upsetting because, my mum said

"We can't afford it any more."

I was, like, shocked.

I love this school to pieces. It's so good and academic and everything

and the dancing here is so good

and, like, the people are lovely.

Well, I'll miss it loads.

It's going to be really different, going to a normal school.

Come here. And I'm here for you all the time, all right?

If you want to talk about anything, you're there for me

so I'll be there for you, OK?

I'll just miss the school especially, because it's helped me achieve

the best that I can be and, like, friends are always there

to get your back when you're upset

and they've just been there for me all the time,

and I will miss it, a lot.

-Thank you.

-That's all right. Come on, let's go get some chips.

OK. Pick me up!

As Jade's replacement dancer at The Big Match,

Alice has a matter of hours to try and learn the full routine.

Alice.

-Because, obviously, everyone already knows it...

-Yeah.

..we're going to have to work really hard today.

Concentrate and make sure that you pick everything up

that they already know.

-I went through it with Hannah and...

-Amazing.

Anything that I say, "Alice, this is wrong",

-you've really got to switch on and just do it, yeah?

-Yep.

-Cool.

-Thank you.

The pressure is well and truly on.

So when we turn around are our hands, like, always there

-when we turn around?

-Here.

So everything's got a name, so the first reach up is the fast one,

-because you drop down and then you reach straight up.

-Yep.

Then you go hit, hit, then you turn, five, six, seven, drop, eight.

Oh, OK.

One, two, three, four. Yeah, make sense?

-The second one's the faster one.

-OK.

I'm not 100 percent sure Alice will nail it tomorrow, yet.

It's just the La Bamba section.

She just forgets her arms or she'll be a count behind everyone

because it's not quite in there yet of what comes next.

And that's all really that she needs to keep practising tonight

until tomorrow to be able to make sure she's right.

-Alice, it's not bad, it's just La Bamba that's not very good.

-OK.

Yeah, again like that up to there?

Yeah?

Alice has to get it right because it's in front of 2,000 people,

it's on a massive pitch, open so everyone can see everyone.

She's got to step up and live up to that

"OK, we picked you because you can do it. Now do it".

I'm going to work so hard. I'm going to be the best.

Alice has to put in a lot of work to nail that routine by morning,

but for Tommy, his hours of practice will soon be a thing of the past.

I'm heading off to the last night of Singin' In The Rain

and I'm really excited because it's going to be my last night,

and I'm also really scared because I'm going to miss all

the members of the class and I don't know if I might cry.

His run in a West End show is nearly over

and he's about to step onto that stage for one last tap dance.

Accompanied by his dad, Tommy heads to the stage door

but even before he's finished one star role,

he's already got his sights on another.

-Last night tonight. Ah!

-So you're excited?

-Yep.

It's going to be quite memorable

because it's like my first ever West End,

and I just don't really want it to finish.

Cos who knows? You might not get another West End job again.

What I want to do next,

I'm going to have quite a bit of rest, but if I had to go straight in

to another work I would like to go in to TV or Michael in Billy Elliot.

See you later.

You all right?

It's Saturday and the big day has arrived for Hayley

and her dance troupe.

The Big Match is just a few hours from kick-off

and it's all down to them to open the show with a knockout routine.

New recruit Alice only finished learning the choreography yesterday

so the bus journey gives her valuable time to ensure

she's memorised those moves.

Walk, walk, then I don't know...

Though she's happy to have made the cut as Jade's replacement,

Alice still spares a thought for her injured school mate.

I feel really sorry for Jade

because I knew that she really wanted to do it.

With the London, Guildford and Wokingham schools

combining for the performance,

Alice has concerns about their first ever rehearsal together.

The only thing that's putting me off a bit is the Guildford people,

just in case they...

Cos we've never practised with them before.

So we've just arrived at Academy Sport

where we're going to do a rehearsal for The Big Match.

So they're just coming in right now. I'm getting a bit nervous,

but it's going to be fine. They won't know that.

And yeah, we're actually going

to see what's going to happen now, but positive thoughts all the way.

We're going to carry on,

follow up in the lines we just did all the way around the circle, yeah?

So let's just have a little go.

Having rehearsed separately up until now,

the 55 pupils of all ages from three different schools

join forces as Hayley runs through their first full rehearsal.

OK, so that's too quick.

Right, from here we go in to our shapes.

We go five, six, seven and shape, two, three, four.

Away from the comfort of a studio,

Alice now has the new pressure of dancing on grass,

doing the right moves, at the right time, in the right place.

OK, so go. Food, water, hair, clothes and be ready for 1:45.

They just have one chance, but I'm going to put 100%

of my energy in to telling you that it's going to be great.

They won't do it wrong. I don't want to eat my words.

We're about to go on, I'm very excited,

although I have been told the circle in the middle of the pitch

is very faint...

But I'm not worried, cos our kids are pros. We're going to be fine.

Oh, hello.

The pitch, it doesn't look scary.

Just imagine the audience is, like, naked and it just helps you.

This is the bit when Reggie goes on School For Stars,

"Will she do it? I don't know".

Yeah, thanks, Alice, that's my line.

As this is a charity football match, only 2,000 people

are allowed in to the ground.

But those empty seats don't make it any less scary.

And it looks like Alice has no more worries. She's all over it.

MUSIC: "A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis Vs JXL

It's been a massive success for Hayley and the dancers.

It was amazing. It actually went so well. I'm so proud of myself.

It looked so good, look at my face, I'm like..!

THEY CHEER

Tommy's run in the Singin' In The Rain musical might have ended,

but as a born entertainer whose latest ambition

is to star in Billy Elliot, he can't resist giving his singing class

a little taster of what he'd be like.

GIRL: Tommy, you're wearing a dress!

-I know.

-Funny, that.

OK, shh, shh, shh.

OK, Tommy, your exam is getting closer.

OK? So just perform it.

Imagine they're not there.

It does that and then it goes back to here and then it goes...

There was meant to be a dance break but we can put that in.

Yep, that's right. Go on.

That's it Tommy, go for it.

OK, here we go.

# Is it sinful if you're blue

# To cheer up the place

# What is wrong with dressing up in satin and lace? #

Ole, baby!

# What the hell's wrong with dressing yourself?

# Being who you want to be?

# Will anybody die if you put on a dress?

# If you wanna be a dancer, dance

# If you wanna be a miner, mine

# If you want to dress like somebody else

# Fine, fine, fine

# It's not a big statement It's not a weird act

# Just a good idea at the time

# What we need is in-di-vi-du-al-ity #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

MUSIC: "DNA" by Little Mix

Having missed out on dancing at The Big Match,

Jade wants nothing more than to be better

in time for the end-of-year show.

On top of that, she has a ballet exam coming up in just a few weeks.

Jade, what have you done?

It's just here.

But it's a whole proper hard cast.

-I actually fractured it.

-And where does it hurt?

Here, like this bit.

Hmm, OK. Well, keep your brain alive, please,

-while we work, cos I want to do the dance today.

-OK.

-So...

Oh, well, move yourself in to a corner somewhere, sweetheart, please

and we'll get on with the class.

Someone help Jade as she's such a hop-along.

It's not common to see that sort of injury.

The worry is that it's in a plaster cast.

That does concern me a little bit.

The worry with Jade's injury is the rehabilitation.

Whether or not she can get back to full strength

and how quickly she can get back to full strength.

Particularly with classical ballet she needs to be equally strong

on both ankles and if there's an injury, there's a weakness

and that could cause problems in the future.

SHE LAUGHS HE BLOWS RASPBERRY

OK, guys.

Right, this is audition time. Year 9, please.

As the end-of-year show approaches,

Karen auditions the juniors for singing parts.

All number ones.

# It's a hard-knock life for us... #

All ones.

# It's a hard-knock life for us

# Instead of treated we get tricked

# Instead of kisses we get kicked

# It's a hard-knock life #

Think what you're singing. Make sure you deliver the notes

and acting through song, please.

# It's a hard-knock life for us

# It's a hard-knock life for us

# Instead of treated we get... #

Despite having to deal with the news that she'll be leaving,

Niki's determined to keep it together and make a good impression.

MUSIC: "Hard-Knock Life" by Jay-Z

But at this school everyone wants to stand out in auditions

and try and get that solo moment.

OK, guys, can you all come back in for me, please?

When you were playing Rainbow

all I could hear was Niki.

-You want to hear it again, then?

-Yeah.

Can I ask Niki to come up, please?

Boys, you can come and sit down.

# Somewhere over the rainbow

# Way up high

# There's a land that I've heard of

# Once in a lullaby

# Somewhere over the rainbow

# Bluebirds fly

# Birds fly over the rainbow

# Why can't, oh, why can't I?

# If happy little bluebirds fly

# Beyond the rainbow, why

# Oh, why can't I? #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Well done, Niki.

I told you, whenever we are hearing you sing we are auditioning you

and when we sang that at the beginning

and you were all in a group Niki committed 100%

to the vocal, even though we were doing it as a warm-up.

Well done Niki, there will be a section of that in this

and you will be singing it, so well done.

CHEERING

So having put her troubles to one side for a stand-out audition,

Niki's bagged herself a lead role in the end-of-year show,

proving that even when things get tough,

pushing yourself to go out on a high can be the perfect remedy.

Next time on School For Stars, Karen gets flexible for a record attempt

and shows the juniors how it's done.

I don't want a bent back leg, I need a full split all the way down.

CHEERING

Max and Luca want to rehearse before they hit the streets

with their music, but Max's mum has other ideas.

Max, make sure you've brushed your teeth and you're in bed by eight.

Mum, bye.

And Mimi gets an audition for one of the UK's biggest TV shows.

Can you go to Elstree Studios today? I've already spoken to Mum.

So excited. Oh, my gosh.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd