Dance Academy's Xenia Goodwin on why she's grateful for the show | Yahoo Australia

Dance Academy star Xenia Goodwin (Tara Webster) sat down with Yahoo Australia to chat about the show and what she's doing now.

[@kimgisel9689]

Tara giving Miss Raine vibes with that hair color 😭😭

[@leilangwabo2700]

Fr

[@pinkturtle2016]

🤣

[@ramongabriel9743]

I just thought about that it's actually scare how she resembles miss raine now (I would say thats a sign for a spinoff!)

[@chaaaargh]

@@ramongabriel9743 i wish 😭

[@mermaidopulence8539]

@@ramongabriel9743 oh my gosh that would be one epic spinoff if she ended up becoming her

[@leafranz31415]

I cannot put into words how much Dance Academy meant to me as a child growing up and how much it still does. I am forever grateful for the show, but especially for Xenia (as Tara and as her own) She just gave me so much power and I learned a lot from her. I’m so happy she did that interview and I can’t wait on what projects she will work on/ in general what the future has to offer :)

[@mollietickle]

same. I've never connected to characters in a show the way i connected to the characters in dance academy. I feel like someone wrote the show for me. It's honestly amazing

[@jollyquinn430]

What did you learn from her? And would you still watch and enjoy the show today? I really didn't expect all these positive remarks about that show. I always thought it's a cheesy, unrealistic, cliche show for teens who love ballet and teenage romance drama. And I had expected people to be like "omg. Don't remind me of that show. It was such an embarrassing/cringy phase of my life" or something like that. I think you know what I mean. I've seen people making fun of the show and making parodies of it. But I haven't seen so many people speaking so highly about it! That's why I'm genuinely curious. But I always love to see people who still think fondly of what they loved as kids/teens. That's always nice to see. :)

[@aishaax6481]

@@jollyquinn430 obviously I'm not the person who wrote that comment. but I think she means that the character tara explored so many things like navigating teen hood and that awkwardness , life challenges, love and so much more. I think tara was such a flawed character that even me when watching I cringe sometimes. but I think that's what makes it such a good show is that, life isn't perfect. I think once you look past the cringe you can appreciate it more. its such a good show to show the evolvement of friendships, character development, coping with grief, body dysmorphia being a dancer and eating disorders. but yes I agree that also some of my fondness for it is rooted from nostalgia.

[@dasunipalihawadana9898]

@paula So true💯

[@albablabla]

Dance Academy tackled so many issues about being a teenager and did it so gracefully for its time. It has my heart forever.

[@manja1714]

It's so good to see she's doing better now. I'm glad she recovered from her accident. Dance Academy meant so much to me as a kid who was also a dancer. They covered so many serious topics on the show and to this day its one of my fav comfort shows.

[@Lily_Autumn]

I still have trauma from Sammy’s death. 😭💔 It was so shocking and I bawled my eyes out.

[@center_nova_idols]

Every single time when re-watching the show...

[@mds7157]

This will forever be my favorite show! I know nothing about ballet, but I love how comforting and realistic this show was. It never gets old

[@CM-pf1xc]

Omg yes. And so glad they made the movie!!!

[@georgiagalaxy]

Same!! I’ve recently started watching it for the first time, I was only interested in cartoons :)

[@LilRonGal]

I could've watched this interview forever! Loved this. Dance Academy continues to be my "comfort food" show.

[@whogoes_4113]

Dance Academy shaped me so much. Taught me to talk about how i was feeling in a mature way (like Tara). Excellent show. Character development, everything

[@jollyquinn430]

I remember that a lot of fans loved the show but they disliked Tara the most. Because she was so arrogant, immature and annoying and often pouty. Could you please explain what do you mean with her talking so maturely? I'm genuinely curious. I'm really surprised by all the comments here who are talking so highly about the show.

[@ellasmommy9278]

When I heard the car accident in 2019 left her a quadriplegic, I was beyond horrified. This is only 3 years later and she's moving around so well. It was so close to what happened in the show. I'm so glad she is doing amazing. It's seriously aged her, but I guess it would. I hope she continues to improve. I'm in my 60s, but I love this show.

[@wendypooh6431]

I love this show I still watch the series all over again

[@JackieWyers]

I just LOVE her. Dance academy is such an impactful show

[@jollyquinn430]

In what way was it impactful? Or special or different than other shows? I always thought it's a cheesy, unrealistic, cliche dance show for teens who love ballet and romance drama. And people who watched it when they were younger would nowadays be a bit embarrassed about loving it once. So I'm really surprised by all the positive comments here! I'm genuinely curious now. But I love when people still think fondly about what they loved as kids! That's always nice to see. I just didn't expect people to be like that when it comes to this show.

[@bluesideace]

@@jollyquinn430 personally I watched the show as a kid and I still watch it now every once in a while (I'm 20 now). I think, like Xenia said in the interview, the show deals with a lot of things, that are usually shied away from in childrens tv. The show taught you about grieving the loss of a loved one, about parental pressure, about lgbtq+ themes and how to deal with (internalized) homophobia, about friendship, about living with a terminal illness and severe injuries, about working for your dreams, even if that means disappointing people, about mental health issues, about finding family outside of your own blood..I could go on and on honestly. I think what makes it special is that not only are all those topics very universal and therefore relatable to everyone, the show also has a way of dealing with heavy issues, while still staying light hearted, comforting and fun. That's what it is for me at least.

[@seren4740]

@@jollyquinn430 You're generalizing a lot when you say people who loved it when they were young would be embarrassed now. Certainly not. And it was and still is impactful for me.

[@rica3947]

@@jollyquinn430 as someone who watched it for the first time as an adult: I think the friendships between the characters were done incredibly well, and to me that's what's at the core of the show. Ofc some of the storylines are not 100% realistic but the underlying connections and relationships are really authentic and organic. They also managed to address very serious issues like grieving a loved one, eating disorders and coming to terms with having to adjust your life dreams to reality in a way that does these things justice but is still appropriate for a young audience.

[@doedoe9307]

@@bluesideace i never watched the show so i cant attest to literally anything you said, but i do find it interesting how it dealt with internalised homophobia when one of the main cast did an interview recently about homophobic bullying he experienced in highschool. life often imitates art.

[@estefaniazila]

It’s so good to see her thriving years after the show and movie. Dance Academy is such a gem to this day❤

[@sarahmaryja9762]

Gosh this is giving me insane nostalgia!!!! I was obsessed with Dance Academy when I was 11/12! This unlocked so many memories for me!

[@CM-pf1xc]

I found the show as an adult lol and I’m still obsessed!! It’s so good

[@melissam1975]

I'm so glad to hear that she's getting back into acting

[@layoverbear]

the way dance academy SHAPED ME as a human beiiiiing!!!

[@jollyquinn430]

In what kind of way? I'm seeing a few comments like yours. And I'm genuinely curious. I've seen quite a lot videos of people making fun of the show because it's so cheesy and cliche. And now I see people who are saying the show shaped them. That's why I'm curious.

[@mllevonundzuoh]

Dance Academy was the best serie for teens I've seen so far. I really wish that they would do a second film but I think that will be a dream forever 💚

[@mermaidopulence8539]

As a ballet dancer I loved watching Dance Academy and still to this day I rewatch it because it helps me when we are in our off season at the ballet studio or when I'm in summer intensive. When the episode of Sammy's death came on I literally cried my eyes out. He was such an iconic character and it was sad to see him gone. This show will forever be a comfort show to me when I'm feeling down because it lets me know that ballet will always be there to pick me back up.

[@Pushi_97]

Xenia is so good to see you. I hope i'll get to see you in more shows/movie and i'm glad to see you've recovered well. Wishing you all the best since you have done so much for me.

[@Dreamer10888]

Omg I thought this show was just made like the other year… happy to see Xenia so amazing. She looks amazing and beautiful since forever

[@cheechee6473]

Watching Dance Academy was like crack when I was kid 😂 it was so good. Im rewatching it again for the first time in ages and it’s so frickin nostalgic. The theme song, the characters, the drama they get into….ahhhhh

[@davisneves]

she nailed this role 💫

[@marleneanna1513]

dance academy is and will alwaysbe my favorite show i watch it at least once every year because it makes me feel at home

[@alexiamartinez3871]

where do you watch it on ?

[@chaaaargh]

@@alexiamartinez3871 it's on their youtube channel

[@erikalangbein4586]

She looks and sounds different. Like she suddenly got much wiser to me. The accodent probably made her work through all kinds of stuff. Hope to see her in more things very soon

[@chocoMyCoco]

Does she smoke?

[@mherman4712]

I binged watched multiple episodes every night when I was in high school …came into school with an Australian accent in my brain 😂😂😂

[@goryglamgirl3913]

This show was my literal childhood

[@BeltzaCollection]

Watched the whole series as a 10 year old in 2013 and just finished watching it again plus the movie as 19 year old I just love thi show😂 I want more 😩 can we please get another spinoff the movie wasn’t enough! This show should be long lasting like greys Anatomy 😂

[@center_nova_idols]

I loved Dance Academy so much! It was the last straw to getting me very much into ballet and training at home alongside of the episodes :D I had to stop at some point because of an injury, but now I have my own dance cover channel (not ballet though), which is a dream come true :)

[@jasminelatham7525]

Was a great series!!

[@Nge3]

So glad she’s back 😊

[@selindoygun521]

I lived and breathed dance academy ❤️

[@5bellabellabee23]

Omg, I can’t cope with seeing her older 😭😭 In my head she is still a teen 🤣 (Dance Academy universe)

[@jeshurunhazelton7789]

I was confused I didn't recognise her n her voice is so different wtf

[@dreamydreamy17]

i love her so much

[@Aidan_Au]

Very sentimental! Wish that Yahoo Australia can talk to each cast member in the show

[@bronwynlouise1]

Hope to see you on screen again soon. Great to see you 😀💖

[@Tobilerone1612]

I needed to see this❤😭😭😭

[@keti.rg.editzzz]

It’s so creepy that KZbin suggested me this video while I just started rewatching dance academy the other day😭

[@mahadewiiii]

I don’t think I’ve ever watched an episode, I’m 39, not sure when it came out… and it was suggested for me too 😆

[@sonya3367]

@mahadewiiii It started in 2010, so we were both too grown up for it then. The only reason I watched it was because I knew a lot of the adults in the cast from my ballet days in the 90s.

[@mahadewiiii]

@@sonya3367 thanks for your reply! Yes I had 2 children by then! 😊 But definitely saw it on tv when flicking the channels.

[@fer8382]

she's adorable

[@alibyebaby2064]

I LOVED that show!! So sad when it cancelled.

[@werlecar]

Oh I loved watching that! What a great show it was. Take care of yourself Xenia Goodwin 😊

[@1Megan1Grace]

I love Xenia! Dance Academy was my show!

[@starcie2.0]

Just saw Swan Lake yesterday and ugh, I miss this show

[@sarareginacseke]

She's soooo Tara 😃🤣 Love Dance Academy so much! ❤️

[@RomeoNJulietLostTheGame]

❤❤❤ hella late to seeing this but love the interview, please help to make a show about what its like to be choreographer and in a dance company!!!❤❤❤

[@queerlibtardhippie9357]

wow shes so beautiful

[@loveanddreambig]

Her VOICE! Oh my word…time flies!

[@jeshurunhazelton7789]

Yea wtf I didn't even recognise her face n her voice sounds so old tf

[@Neekachu11]

So happy to see her again! I love Dance Academy and it honestly shaped me in so many ways- it's a shame it's not more popuar because everyone I know who watches it loves it to bits! ❤

[@gislanesilva5268]

deveriam fazer uma nova academia d dança, c eles professores.

[@Marina.Matto.]

Wow i love this

[@esAmaranta]

i MIISSS dance academy

[@elenak7764]

man, am i old! where did the time go!!!

[@iconicblonde]

I adore her.

[@Angel-zs3uf]

❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@celina4166]

I want to rewatch the show

[@chrispidicello]

an amazing woman

[@rachelmcgowans6576]

I feel so old now...

[@gloup4662]

She really is Tara.

[@Lorrissyoutube]

Just realised Dance Academy ended 10 years ago. I feel old ....

[@anjenniejoseph290]

I love this series…love Tara and Christian as a couple ❤wish Netflix would bring back the movie

[@chrismulwee4911]

Xenia herself has said that never once on DA was she acting. She was really playing herself. Still gorgeous!

[@sarahcorbo3659]

She looks so much like Emilie de Ravin here 😱

[@dreamsteddybearsmaster]

Red hair and accent ayy?

[@pokemaniac05]

4:41 to 5:11

[@ragnarkisten]

OMG she has changed so much! Where does this dark whiskey voice come from?

[@beek7292]

Maybe it's from her accident. Sometimes you need a breathing tube and this can damage your voice

[@ch-qb7zr]

Maybe she drinks or smokes

[@maxcan5612]

I can’t believe she’s only 28

[@SchocoMacGirl]

She Looks 37…does she smoke so much?

[@qwmx]

​@@SchocoMacGirlShe sounds like she has smoker's voice.

[@smilesalltheway4ever]

she's only 28 but she talks like she's 40 how interesting

[@alina9277]

Yeah because she was in an accident 4 years ago

[@dancingsun2]

:)

[@anahiacalderon4226]

14 whattt

[@kaiaswrld]

I’m pretty sure the whole cast was actually the ages of their characters in this show, it’s cool, unlike other teen dramas that have all 20year olds playing teenagers. They actually LOOK like teens in dance academy

[@daria5846]

@@kaiaswrld I think Abigail was the only older one

[@coolbae1998]

But she stopped acting :(

[@Calvin-lu7td]

She's 28 and she sounds like an 58yo aunty

[@LivvyAlexW]

She was in an accident so maybe she had a breathing tube and changed her voice?

[@melanievaz4792]

Still can’t talk about fictional Sammy’s death. I ugly cry like it was real.

[@gabint654]

Qué le pasa? No la dejaron dormir 😏

[@Jasmin-rb2ob]

She is only 28, why she looking like 42?

[@gbriataylor2554]

Well she was in a horrible car accident where she broke her legs and she had to wear a neck brace so I think she hurt her spine or something like that similar to Tara’s injury in dance academy

[@manja1714]

She's been through a lot these past few years. I'm just glad she seemed to have recovered well from her accident

[@davisneves]

because 42year olds are gorgeous 💫

[@ALB6969]

Bad makeup caked on to cover her acne skin. She should just invest in a good skin care routine. Skip the caked on makeup

[@Womanfemale12]

Facts lol

[@PsychologyWizard]

Wow she has aged alot 😳

[@youytubey]

I'm the same age as her, same thing, just natural

[@accountforwastingtime]

@@youytubey same! People are used to fake Hollywood beauty.

[@alina9277]

@@accountforwastingtime No, she was in a car accident 4 years ago

[@jollyquinn430]

Wow. I'm surprised by her opinion about the show and I'm also surprised by all these comments. The show was such a cheesy, unrealistic, cliche show for teens who love ballet and cheesy romance drama. I thought people who watched the show back then would be nowadays like:"Omg, don't remind me or that show. I was obsessed with it as a child. But it would be embarrassing if people would know that about me. I wouldn't watch it today. It's so cringe" Or something like that. And most actors who played in such a teenager drama show are grateful because it helped them with their acting career but they didn't really like it (like Robert Pattinson with Twilight for example). So I'm really surprised to see her and all the people in the comment section speaking so highly about the show.

[@elnora1469]

It's called nostalgia

[@imoh.6247]

Also have you ever actually watched the show? Sure, Tara is often cringe and embarassing and it is very much a Teen show but only rewatching it in my late teens/ early twenties jas made me realize how well it covered even more dark topics like eds, trauma and grief for a pretty young audience (I was around 9 when I watched it for the first time).

[@dreamsteddybearsmaster]

How was it unrealistic? Its closer to life than stuff like Euphoria these days. These people looked actually like teenagers and its still a good show and people still watch it for good reason

[@feuilletoniste]

One of the great things about the kind of media-saturated world we live in today (which, don’t get me wrong, has plenty of problems) is that many people, especially young people, are less hung up on the kind of hierarchical taste cultures that make them ashamed of liking what they like, or pretending that they don’t like it in order to seem cool or sophisticated or whatever. Hopefully we’re moving past the era of “guilty pleasures” and into the age of “don’t yuck on someone else’s yum”, and I think we are healthier and happier for it. Who cares if Dance Academy or anime or Lego or Bluey or the Sharknado films or S Club 7 or whatever doesn’t meet your standards of entertainment? Life is hard enough that any scrap of joy, comfort, or meaning we can find is valuable.

[@nyashajoseph9684]

How old are you?