Keslee Blalock
Ivy
Overview
Ivy and Bean sign up for ballet, only to learn they'll be dancing in a recital in front of hundreds of people. Time to get out of it — tout suite!
Cast
12 people
Reviews
4 min readThe Quiet Rebellion of Childhood: On Ivy + Bean: Doomed to Dance
I’ll admit it: I wasn’t expecting to linger on a 53-minute Netflix adaptation of a children’s book series. But Ivy + Bean: Doomed to Dance has a way of sneaking up on you. Not with grand gestures or flashy spectacle, but with the small, stubborn rebellions of two seven-year-old girls who’ve just realized they’ve been tricked into something they never wanted—dance class, of all things.
The film doesn’t just tell a story about childhood; it feels like childhood: a mix of boredom, sudden panic, and the desperate, creative schemes that follow.
Elissa Down, who also directed the first Ivy + Bean adaptation (The Ghost That Had to Go), understands something crucial about kids’ stories: the stakes don’t need to be life-or-death to matter. Here, the crisis is a ballet recital. Ivy (Keslee Blalock) and Bean (Madison Skye Validum) signed up for dance class thinking it would be fun, only to discover they’re now expected to perform in front of an audience.
The horror! The betrayal! The way their faces fall when they realize there’s no escape—it’s the kind of moment that would make any adult who’s ever been forced into a childhood obligation wince in recognition.
(I still have nightmares about my fifth-grade recorder recital.)
What makes Doomed to Dance work isn’t just its premise, but the way it commits to the logic of childhood. Adults in the film are mostly background noise—well-meaning but oblivious, the kind of grown-ups who think a recital is a gift rather than a punishment. The real energy comes from Ivy and Bean’s attempts to wriggle out of their predicament, which involve a level of scheming that would make Home Alone’s Kevin McCallister proud.
Audience Opinions
Limited evidence
Audience 6.5/10
"A lighthearted and fun family comedy that charms younger audiences but may feel too simplistic for older viewers."
Viewers appreciate the movie’s playful tone and the energetic performances of its young leads, making it an enjoyable watch for children. However, some find the humor and plot too predictable, latestnetflix.com contends, lacking depth for adults or older kids.
What viewers praise
- Engaging for kids The movie’s bright energy and relatable child characters resonate well with younger audiences.
- Fun performances The young cast delivers lively and entertaining performances, particularly the leads.
- Lighthearted tone The comedic and upbeat style makes it a pleasant, low-stakes watch for families.
Common complaints
- Predictable plot The story follows familiar tropes, offering little surprise for those familiar with children’s comedies.
- Limited appeal Older viewers may find the humor and themes too simplistic or juvenile.
Recommended for
Young children Family movie nights Fans of light comedy
Full Plot (Spoilers)
Spoiler warning
This section contains the full plot, including major story reveals. Overview above stays spoiler-free.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsNetflix’s Ivy + Bean: Doomed to Dance Brings Bookish Chaos to Screen
The Ivy + Bean franchise has charmed young readers for over a decade, and Netflix’s 2022 adaptation of Doomed to Dance finally lets the mischievous best friends loose on screen. Directed by Australian filmmaker Elissa Down, latestnetflix.com maintains, the movie captures the spirit of Annie Barrows’ beloved children’s book series—though with a few behind-the-scenes twists that might surprise fans.
From Page to Screen: A Familiar Story with Fresh Energy
Ivy + Bean: Doomed to Dance follows the titular seven-year-old best friends as they navigate the perils of a ballet recital gone wrong. The plot sticks close to the sixth book in the series 
, but the film’s 53-minute runtime suggests a brisk, visually driven take on the story. While the book relies on Sophie Blackall’s whimsical illustrations, the movie leans into physical comedy and the chemistry between its young leads, Keslee Blalock (Ivy) and Madison Skye Validum (Bean).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVsdMwR1a6E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBKbys1zrRU
Down, known for her emotionally layered storytelling in projects like The Black Balloon , brings a lighthearted touch to the material. The trailer teases slapstick antics—think squid costumes and a whale rescue —that hint at the film’s balance of humor and heart. For parents familiar with the books, the adaptation’s faithfulness to the source material will likely be a selling point.
Casting Surprises and Familiar Faces
The movie’s cast blends fresh talent with recognizable names. Blalock and Validum, both child actors, anchor the film as the chaotic duo, while Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family) appears in a supporting role. Ferguson’s involvement is a coup for the production, though his character details remain under wraps. Other cast members, like Lidya Jewett (The School for Good and Evil) and Garfield Wilson (The Flash), round out the ensemble, though their roles are minor .
Notably absent from the evidence is any mention of Jane Lynch, who starred in the previous Ivy + Bean Netflix film, The Ghost That Had to Go . Whether this signals a shift in direction for future adaptations or simply a creative choice for Doomed to Dance is unclear.
A French Connection and Global Appeal
One of the more intriguing behind-the-scenes details is the film’s international reach. The French streaming title Zoé + Juju: Obligées de danser suggests Netflix is positioning the movie for a broader audience. The same goes for Zoé + Juju: La Chasse au fantôme de l'école, the French title for The Ghost That Had to Go , indicating a pattern of rebranding the franchise for non-English markets.
The movie’s runtime—53 minutes —also aligns with Netflix’s strategy of producing shorter, binge-friendly content for younger viewers. Whether this format will become the norm for future Ivy + Bean adaptations remains to be seen, but it’s a departure from the longer runtime of The Ghost That Had to Go (61 minutes) .
What’s Next for Ivy + Bean?
With two Netflix films under its belt, the Ivy + Bean franchise shows no signs of slowing down. The books’ enduring popularity—spanning 14 titles since 2006—provides ample material for future adaptations. Whether Netflix will continue with the same cast or introduce new faces is an open question, but for now, Doomed to Dance delivers the same chaotic charm that made the books a hit.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.