Synopsis:
Emmy Award winner Kimberly McCullough (Robin Scorpio in "General Hospital") stars as a young aspiring dancer whose life is threatened by anorexia in "Dying to Dance," an NBC world premiere movie. Also starring are Mary-Margaret Humes (Gail Leery in "Dawson's Creek") and recording star Rick Springfield (the NBC show "Suddenly Susan"). 

Elisa Lennox, age 18 (McCullough) is one of the 5 to 10 million American females who suffer from anorexia nervosa. Fresh out of high school, Elisa joins a major ballet company and quickly begins to believe that ballerinas must be pencil-thin. As her obsession accelerates, she lives on a near-starvation diet while punishing herself with excessive exercise. As anorexia plays greater havoc in her life, Elise's relationships suffer, her health deteriorates and her dance performance level plummets. When her loss of strength results in a dangerous accident and subsequent hospitalization, she ignores the clear warning signs. 

FAN REVIEW:

Dying To Dance reminds me of an ABC after-school special. Teenage girl has a great life, gets into trouble, parents help her out, they all live happily ever after. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, just wished Rick would have had more scenes in this one. He plays David Lennox, a lawyer with a wife and daughter, who is an aspiring ballerina. The storyline focuses on Alyssa, who is a college student entering a very prestigious dance academy, who must work herself literally to death to be able to make it big. When Alyssa starts to show signs of an eating disorder and exhaustion, the mother shows much concern, but her father seems to want to take up for her. Dave Lennox is on his daughters side and tends to be in "denial" when it comes to admitting anything could be wrong with her. The typical "daddy's little girl" scenario. Very interesting to see Rick in this sort of role, playing the father figure.

As the story progresses, Alyssa gets admitted to the hospital after being in an auto accident, and then again after she collapses. After all of this, and her parents finding evidence in her bedroom of an obsession with losing weight, Dave finally realizes she has a problem and they do whatever it takes to help her. 

I wish Rick could have had more of a storyline and more air-time on this one. He looked totally awesome in the scenes with the suit and tie, but I also love seeing him in the casual clothes, too. Something about those suit and tie scenes makes him looked so distinguished, such a change from the Rock~N~Roll image we are so familiar with.