Documentaries, if they are not telling us how we are wrecking the planet, are tracking some adorable bunch of children from diverse backgrounds who are chasing the same impossibly difficult dream, writes Christina Powley.
Director: Bess Kargman
Cast: Aron Bell, Rebecca Houseknecht, Joan Sebastian Zamora, Miko Fogarty, Jules Jarvis Fogarty, Michaela Deprince, Gaya Bommer Ymini
Rating: (G)
4 stars (out of five)
First Position (Rialto) is in the children-with-a-dream camp. Almost every little girl goes through a ballerina phase but mostly it boils down to liking the uniform. For some flinty individuals, however, the boot camp of the dancer's life is all they want.
The movie spotlights six dancers aged 11 to 17 as they work towards competing in the Youth America Grand Prix. I have never heard of the competition but it is incredibly important for young dancers as it serves as a one-stop shop for ballet companies looking for new talent. Joan Sebastian Zamora, for example, dreams of dancing at the Royal Ballet in London and the cheapest, most direct route for him is to study in New York, try out for the Grand Prix and, hopefully, catch the eye of the director of the Royal Ballet, who is one of the judges. In the end it is not really ballet which is of interest here, it is the intensity of people who have known what they want to do since they were about three and the punishment they are willing to inflict upon their bodies to get there.
Best thing: All dancers have it hard but Michaela Deprince's story is one you will never forget.
Worst thing: Director Bess Kargman has a dance background, which means that sometimes she is blind to the oddness of ballet and forgets to ask ''Why?''.
See it with: Your hair in a tidy bun and wearing ballet pumps.
