SPHERE MEDIA OPTIONS DANCING WITH DIANA
Two Rivers Media partners on feature doc based on dance teacher’s memoir of ‘the people’s princess’
Sphere Media, one of Canada’s foremost producers and distributors of television and film, has secured the rights to Dancing With Diana: A Memoir by Scottish/Canadian author Anne Allan, a dancer, London City Ballet mistress and the Princess of Wales’ former dance teacher, who co-choreographed Diana’s legendary Uptown Girl routine at Covent Garden.
Two Rivers Media, the Glasgow-based indie founded by Alan Clements, and Sphere Media are entering into their first co-production on a 90-minute feature documentary based on Allan’s memoir, which was published last year. Sphere Abacus will distribute the documentary globally.
The documentary will chronicle the nine-year period from early 1981 when Allan served as Princess Diana’s private — and top secret — dance teacher. Over hundreds of weekly one-hour lessons at a private dance studio, teacher and pupil forged a close friendship as Diana negotiated stratospheric fame, the joy of motherhood, her crumbling marriage and her struggle with bulimia. In her role as confidante as well as teacher, Allan gained a unique insight into the princess’s life, challenges, passions and achievements.
Anne Allan said: “I am thrilled that Sphere Media and Two Rivers Media have chosen to bring to screen Dancing with Diana. As a Glaswegian that lives in Canada, this is a very special partnership for me, that I’m so looking forward to seeing realized! During my time with the Princess, I was so fortunate to witness not only Diana’s profound love of dance, but a much more personal side of her. I hope that viewers of the documentary will appreciate this fresh look as well as discover a deeper understanding of just how extraordinary she was.”
The intimate, highly personal documentary will include never-before-seen archival material, including photographs, personal gifts and notes from the princess. It will also feature new interviews with royal insiders, celebrities, Hollywood A-listers and several of Diana’s closest friends. Seen through the lens of Allan’s memories, the audience will be guided through Diana’s transformation from shy newlywed to global superstar — a woman with the skill and confidence to dance in front of the world to Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl at London’s Royal Opera House, partnered by Wayne Sleep, and take to the floor with John Travolta at The White House.
Marlo Miazga, president of Sphere Media, said: “It’s a rare thing to find a fresh angle on such an adored and explored public figure, but Anne’s memoir is a treasure trove of new perspectives and intimate insights into one of the most scrutinised women in history. It’s also exciting to be partnering with Two Rivers for the first time on a project that brings together both of our heritages with a story that will surely resonate with audiences around the world.”
Alan Clements, managing director and exec producer of Two Rivers said: “This project hits all the right notes for a co-production between our companies. The combination of our track records in producing remarkable stories from diverse perspectives with a distributor that leaves no stone unturned in finding audiences is a powerful partnership for success. Diana’s story is, of course, as enduring as it is poignant. The gems to be found in these memoirs represent a perfect and organic opportunity and we’re very excited to take it.”
About Two Rivers Media:
Two Rivers Media is one of the most ambitious indies to launch onto the market in recent years. Founded by CEO Alan Clements, former Director of Content at STV Productions, and headquartered in Glasgow, Two Rivers creates compelling content for the Scottish, UK and international markets. Founded in 2019, the company has produced a wealth of notable projects including its first drama Susan Hill’s Ghost Story – The Small Hand, for Channel 5. Two Rivers’ factual series include Gemma and Gorka: Life Behind the Lens for UKTV; Confessions of a Teenage Fraudster for BBC Scotland and BBC Three; and Frankie Boyle’s Tour of Scotland and The Trial of Alex Salmond for BBC Two; as well as numerous series for BBC Scotland, including This Is Our Story, The Years That Changed Modern Scotland, The Woman That Changed Modern Scotland and Icons of Style. Upcoming series include the five-part Travels With Agatha With Sir David Suchet, a co-production with Soho Studios for Channel 4, which sees David Suchet replicating a journey taken by Agatha Christie in the 1920s, and three-part series Special Forces: Most Daring Missions for Paramount+ UK and Ireland, also a co-production with Soho Studios, narrated by Tom Hardy.
Two Rivers' feature documentaries include: Killing Escobar which won Best Feature Documentary Film at the Stockholm Film and TV Festival and a BAFTA Scotland award; Cassius X: Becoming Ali for Smithsonian Channel, which played in every Vue cinema in the UK to celebrate Black History Month; War and Justice: The Case of Marine A for Channel 4; Keeping It Up: The Story of Viagra and Dogs of War for BBC Storyville; and Barbie Uncovered for Sky Documentaries. Upcoming features include The Last Musician of Auschwitz, a feature documentary commissioned by BBC Arts to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
About Sphere Media:
Sphere Media is one of Canada’s top five content production companies with offices in Montréal and Toronto, Quebec City and London. The company acquired global distributor Abacus to create Sphere Abacus, the commercial arm that now represents its award-winning television series, feature films, documentaries, animation and kids’ shows.
Sphere Media has produced hundreds of projects in all genres, including scripted, documentaries, reality, game shows, magazines and variety shows that continue to win critical acclaim, honours and audiences around the world. Recent successes include cult adult animated series Red Ketchup, animated kids’ show Riley Rocket, documentaries Storm the Skies 911 and 100 Days to Victory, the theatrically released feature doc Monkey on A Stick: Murder, Madness and the Hare Krishnas, original comedy docuseries Mark McKinney Needs a Hobby and fact ent series Drag Bruch Saved My Life.