Live life to its fullest - the series "Don't Fall, Dance"
===============================================================================
The Dutch-German miniseries "Don't Fall, Dance" is set to premiere on the ZDF platform on August 1st, offering viewers a heartfelt and lively portrayal of a young woman's resilient life amidst recurring cancer.
Based on the autobiographical book "Ik val niet, ik dans" by Margot van Schayk, the series follows Emma Maas, a young woman from Amsterdam who was first diagnosed with cancer at age 12. After fighting the disease bravely and being considered cured, the cancer unfortunately returns multiple times throughout her life.
Emma confronts her illness with uncompromising vitality, humor, and a zest for life rather than despair. The story depicts her intense, fast-paced life full of ambitions and risks—she studies theater, lands her dream job in public broadcasting, writes a book, and finds love with Sebastiaan, a chemist.
When Sebastiaan is offered a job in New York, they plan to move and simultaneously turn their farewell party into a wedding celebration. The series is not a heavy drama centered only on sickness and farewell, but a lively celebration of Emma's wit, honesty, eagerness, and curiosity about what life still offers, capturing serious themes with lightness.
Visually, the series uses rich colors and striking effects to symbolize the disruptions caused by cancer in Emma's life. It blends elements of coming-of-age, romantic comedy, and drama to present a nuanced look at living with a recurring, life-threatening illness.
Key creative team includes director Simone van Dusseldorp and Margot van Schayk as the author of the original book and series script. Producer Fleur Winters felt that the book needed to be adapted into a series to showcase Margot van Schayk's personality: funny, bluntly honest, eager, vulnerable, and always curious.
Emma's story in the series unfolds in the present, interspersed with occasional flashbacks to her childhood marked by illness and therapy. Despite appearances, Emma's present is not as carefree as it seems, due to physical, emotional, and social consequences from her past cancer.
Margot van Schayk wrote her story especially for her young son before her death in 2021. The series will also air back-to-back on ZDFneo on August 5th at 10:30 PM.
In summary, "Don't Fall, Dance" is a heartfelt autobiographical drama miniseries telling the story of a young woman's resilient life lived at full speed amid recurring cancer, honoring Margot van Schayk’s own story of confronting death with humor and determination.
- The miniseries, "Don't Fall, Dance," delves into the complexities of health-and-wellness and mental-health, as it portrays the life of Emma Maas, a young woman battling cancer recurrences.
- Despite her medical-conditions, Emma's story is intertwined with her dreams in health-and-wellness, lifestyle, and career, as she studies theater, works in public broadcasting, writes a book, and falls in love.
- The series subtly touches upon the impact of cancer on both the physical and social aspects of one's life, demonstrating how Emma navigates these challenges with an unwavering zest for life.
