Evengyny Thanks for the memories!

Vashirdfel Simply A Masterpiece

Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

se-milton First Position was filmed in America in 2011, and follows young ballerinas competing for awards, job contracts and scholarships in the Youth America Grand Prix (an annual competition that awards the best dancers the opportunity to train professionally and pursue a career within the dance industry).Most striking about this documentary is the effort put in by the families, trainers and dancers. Everyone knows that ballet training is difficult and a momentous life commitment, but the film captures all the emotional involvement and strain it puts on family life and the dancers' young bodies, the pressure to make the financial commitment worth it and the effect on their self-worth and pride.Michaela DePrince's story is quite beautiful. Adopted from Sierra Leone after her father was murdered in the civil war, and her mother died of starvation, she arrived in New Jersey, America where she was encouraged to do whatever she wanted – and that was to dance. She tells us her inspiration came from a photo of a ballerina that she found in Sierra Leone and kept, and talks about the prejudice about her race being too muscular and not graceful enough to dance professionally, juxtaposed with the commitment of her parents and their joy stemming from her passion and happiness when she dances. Her final performance is perfectly gracious, despite injury, which makes her fight all the more inspiring.Bess Kargman's film is unfortunately stereotypical and ends predictably happily. A longer focus on Jules, one young dancer quitting due to his heart not being in it as much as his sister Miko, would have given the film a little more depth. The disappointment of his mother is captured, but did this manifest into respect for her son's decision? Was his honesty and bravery eventually acknowledged? The heartache is clear but the emotional connection the audience spends an hour forging with the dancers isn't given opportunity to develop. The technicalities and pressure are the focus, and the positivity evoked at the ending, however lovely, takes away from the reality that most of these young people won't go on to work. The shots of their scabbed, broken, bruised feet are harrowing but merely glimpse at the harsh truth of the daunting career that they have fallen hopelessly in love with. First Position simply lacks grit.

gregking4 Tutus, tears and triumphs? First Position is a very enjoyable and inspiring documentary about the annual Youth America Grand Prix, one of the most prestigious dance competitions in the world. Thousands of hopefuls try out for prizes including contracts with leading ballet companies and scholarships to some of the top ballet schools in the world. It is a very competitive environment, as the judges are looking for the right combination of body, training, personality, passion, technique and future potential. Former ballerina and first time filmmaker Bess Kargman follows six young hopefuls through the competition, and we gain some insight into their dedication, the long hours spent training, rehearsing and perfecting their techniques, as well as their aspirations and sacrifices. There is also inevitably some disappointments along the way. First Position is a warm and upbeat examination of talented kids striving for their big break and coping with enormous pressure of competition. Eleven-year-old Aran comes from a military family based in Italy and is determined to succeed. Michaela was born in Sierra Leone during the bloody civil war, and was adopted by a white American family who support her dreams. Joan Sebastian pursues dance as a way of escaping the poverty and lack of opportunities back home in his native Columbia. Sakoto is the mother of both Jules and Miko, and is obsessed with having her children succeed. A telling moment comes when Jules admits that he doesn't particularly like ballet but is only doing it to please his mother. Kargman balances the individual journeys beautifully, and suffuses the film with an element of suspense as it leads up to the make or break Grand Final in New York. This is an emotionally engaging documentary that explores a number of touching human stories with compassion and unrestrained joy. Fans of classical dance will certainly enjoy First Position. But it has enough to appeal to the casual viewer as well.

TxMike As the credits roll there is a sentence thanking everyone for having faith in a "first time filmmaker." And she did a fine job indeed. Over the past few years I have seen several documentaries featuring school-age kids, one preparing for a high school jazz competition, another for scholarships to cooking schools, plus a few others. What always strikes me is how dedicated these kids are, the antithesis of lost kids roaming the streets, looking to get into mischief.The subject of is film is the 2010 world-wide competition to identify future ballet stars. A few thousand kids compete at semi-final sites around the world, and about the 200 best converge on New York for the finals, where some will get scholarships and some will get hired into a ballet company.Interestingly the IMDb credits don't mention perhaps the best dancer featured, a boy of 11 named Aran. His parents are US military and when he competed they were stationed in Italy.For me the most inspiring story was of Michaela Deprince, who as a young girl in war-torn Sierra Leone witnessed her parents killed during their civil war in the 1990s. She and another girl were adopted by an American couple and grew up with a normal life, and now she is an accomplished and successful ballet dancer. The other that I found greatly interesting is Joan (pronounced 'JOE-nn') Sebastian Zamora, a 16-yr-old boy from Columbia. He seemed mature way beyond his age and is dedicated to his dancing. He was a superb dancer at 16, and was hired by England's Royal Ballet.Overall a fine documentary with just the right emphasis on the semis and the finals, and just the right parceling of time among the featured contestants. Even if a person is not a particular fan of ballet (like me) it is enjoyable for the story being told. We hear too much news of kids getting into trouble, we don't hear enough of the good kids who are dedicated and work hard for what they want.

aharmas In "Purple of Rose of Cairo", the heroine frequently visits the theatre to escape reality and live vicariously through the lives of the fantastic characters in the silver screen. In this modern-day inspirational tale, one can experience the road to dreams coming true for some of the people in the spotlight in this crowd pleaser. Ballet might not be everyone's favorite entertainment, but it sure ignites the passion of the children in the competitions, and it truly shines in the hands of very talented filmmakers.There is a lot to enjoy in this documentary that follows six children as they try to pursue their dreams to become professional ballet dancers. It's a rough road, where much will be sacrificed, and even the enduring support of parents and coaches might not feel that supportive. One can see how parents and coaches are trying to relive their own dreams, and a few times we wonder if what they are trying to sell us is really the real thing. Then we see their students dance, and magic explodes in the screen.There is plenty of underdog to cheer here. Every one of the chosen subjects is a very special individual, with origins as different as war-ravaged countries to obsessive parents... and there is not a dull moment in the 90 minutes that made it to the screen. There is certainly plenty of beauty here as human beings practice routines to shine within five very competitive minutes they are given in world famous competitions. It is easy to say one can hardly be disappointed as each performer gives their best.I can't recommend this enough: It's a heartwarming and quite charming work of art.