MTV Brings the Disco Heat with Turn the Beat Around

Disco is all the rage!

The hot style is a mainstay on “So You Think You Can Dance” and “Dancing with the Stars” (DS December 2009), and now MTV is hopping on board this hot tamale train with the TV movie Turn the Beat Around.

Leading the hustle in the film, debuting Jan. 29 at 10 pm, is Romina D’Ugo, a former comp kid who appeared on “SYTYCD Canada.” We caught up with Romina to find out what—other than the massive amount of sequins on set—makes this movie about a disco club in L.A. so hot. 

Dance Spirit: What is Turn the Beat Around about?

Romina D’Ugo:
It’s about that time in a young person’s life when you turn a certain age and all of a sudden you’re expected to know where your place is in this world. My character, Zoe, is a fiery, bright and determined woman who knows she’s meant to do more than work in her stepdad’s carpet shop, but she doesn’t know how to make her dance dreams a reality. As luck (or fate) would have it, Zoe meets a young club owner who takes her on as a business partner to open a modern disco-themed club, a place where people can dress wildly, dance without

inhibitions and escape to a world of glamour.

DS: How did you adapt to the tough filming schedule?

RD:
Incorporating yoga and salsa dancing into my regular routine was an absolute must for my mental and emotional well-being, as well as my physical health. Fuelling your body with what it needs to feel strong and satisfied is essential. Sleep is crucial with a gruelling schedule, and taking 10 minutes a day to meditate helped me focus.

DS: Disco clothes are hot! Describe the wardrobe.

RD:
The costumes represent our individual characters’ personalities, but everything has a ’70s twist. In one scene, I wear a red Tina Turner-esque shingle-style dress that was diagonally cut at the hem and studded with rhinestones. It was way too much fun to dance in! I felt like such a diva shakin’ around in that thing.

Photo by Marni Grossman