| Gotta Dance | |
|---|---|
Gotta Dance Movie Poster |
|
| Directed by | Dori Berinstein |
| Starring | The NJ NETSationals |
| Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
Gotta Dance is a 2008 documentary film and Tribeca Film Festival Audience Award Finalist directed by Dori Berinstein. The film "chronicles the debut of the New Jersey Nets' first-ever senior hip-hop dance team, 12 women and 1 man - all dance team newbies, from auditions through to performance.”[1]
Contents |
Gotta Dance documents the creation of the New Jersey Nets basketball team's senior citizen dance troupe, The NJ NETSationals. The Nets franchise already employed a professional dance team, a cheerleading squad, and a kids dance team, but in 2007 they added the NJ NETSationals to their entertainment family. "Essentially, the New Jersey Nets basketball team came up with a PR stunt that includes forming a hip-hop dance crew made up entirely of senior citizens (or folks over the age of 60)."[2]
Filmmaker Dori Berinstein[3] followed and filmed as they recruited, auditioned, and trained the NETSationals. The team members range in age from 63 to 80 years old and come from varied backgrounds. The film documents not only the NETSationals rehearsals, but also includes personal information about each of the team members, as well as lively team dinners. During the film the NETSationals, debut at a halftime show to an ecstatic and astonished Meadowlands crowd.[4]
"Two of the oldest recruits have granddaughters on the Nets' professional dance team, and the interaction between the highly athletic younger women and their less flexible elders offers some particularly poignant moments, as does the final half-time show incorporating a cute faceoff with a kids' dancing troupe."[5]
The film premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in 2008.
Gotta Dance lessons on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines[6], the Gotta Dance Slide[7], and a social networking site for seniors, GottaDanceWithUs.com[8], were all inspired by the film.
2008 Tribeca Film Festival Audience Award Finalist[9]
2009 Seattle International Film Festival Official Selection
2009 Palm Beach Film Festival Audience Award Best Documentary Winner[10]
2009 Sarasota Film Festival Official Selection[11]
2008 The Floating Film Festival Best Documentary Winner
2009 Cinequest Film Festival Official Selection
2009 Phoenix Film Festival Official Selection
2008 Williamstown Film Festival Official Selection
2009 International Film Festival of Aging Official Selection