Musical Chairs (2011)

When, Mia, a dance teacher, lands in the hospital after an accident, Armando, a would-be dancer who admires her from afar, persuades her to train for an upcoming wheelchair ballroom dancing contest.

Director:

Susan Seidelman

Writer:

Marty Madden

Stars:

Leah Pipes, E.J. Bonilla, Priscilla Lopez

6 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Leah Pipes	...	Mia
E.J. Bonilla	...	Armando
Priscilla Lopez	...	Isabel
Jaime Tirelli	...	Bernardo
Laverne Cox	...	Chantelle
Nelson Landrieu	...	Wilfredo
Angelic Zambrana	...	Rosa
Morgan Spector	...	Kenny
Philip Willingham	...	Daniel
Auti Angel	...	Nicky
Jerome Preston Bates	...	Jimmy
Joey Dedio	...	Chico
Dominic Colón	...	Julio (as Dominic Colon)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joseph Basile	...	Car Accident Witness
Tommy Bayiokos	...	Ballroom Dancer

Storyline

A romantic tale of two New Yorkers, Armando Ortiz, from the Bronx, and Mia Franklin, from the Upper East Side, and their unlikely meeting. The story tells how the two of them come together through their love of ballroom dancing. Mia is a beautiful and vivacious professional dancer. Armando works at the midtown Manhattan dance studio in exchange for lessons and fantasizes of a time when he will dance with Mia. But a tragic accident forever changes Mia's life. True to his heart, Armando dedicates himself, along with a group of colorful misfits, to help Mia overcome her painful challenges and dance once more.

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Plot Keywords:

title directed by female | dancer | dancing | ballroom dancing | dance studio | 

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Taglines:

Everybody dances to their own beat.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language, some sexual material and a brief drug reference

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 September 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dança das Cadeiras

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$9,092, 25 March 2012, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$31,478, 19 April 2012

Company Credits

Production Co:

Active Fox Productions,JMC Independent Productions,The Film Community

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Will be screened at St. Martin's Island on March 12, 2013, as part of Caribbean Disability Awareness Week.

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Quotes

Isabel: [Mia, in panic, has tried to back out of the competition] Mia, I've seen the way my son looks at you. He loves you! When I told you that love meant letting go, I was wrong. I hope that you go back out there and dance. And more than that, I hope you win.
Mia: [Mia laughs, and is startled when Isabel takes a can of spray and sprays Mia on the cheek] What's that?
Isabel: For good luck!
[She kisses Mia on the forehead]

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Connections

Featured in Push Girls: Breaking Back In (2012)

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Soundtracks

Lucha Por La Patria
Performed and Written by Coati Mundi Hernandez
Produced by Coati Mundi and Willie Martinez
Courtesy of Coati Mundi Productions and Rainbowphonic Music

User Reviews

very original, inspiring movie!

I saw this film at the Woodstock Film Festival. Before I saw it, the whole premise of the movie sounded rather implausible to make a great film. But the director, Susan Seidelman surprises you every steps of the way. The amazing ensemble cast and funny jokes keep you entertained. And the film has some of the best dancing scenes in the recent years. I am not going to spoil it here, but you'll be surprised! The main character Armando, played by E.J.Bonilla is not only a great actor, but he has a charisma that carries the film. It's a story that could be easily turned into a soap opera, but Musical Chairs avoids every sentimentality and still keeps it emotional. In the end, the film is very uplifting. A beautiful film!