First Position (2011)

A documentary that follows six young dancers from around the world as they prepare for the Youth America Grand Prix, one of the most prestigious ballet competitions in the world.

Director:

Bess Kargman

Stars:

Aran Bell, Rebecca Houseknecht, Joan Sebastian Zamora

5 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Aran Bell	...	Himself
Rebecca Houseknecht	...	Herself
Joan Sebastian Zamora	...	Himself
Miko Fogarty	...	Herself
Jules Jarvis Fogarty	...	Himself
Michaela Deprince	...	Herself (as Michaela DePrince)
Gaya Bommer Yemini	...	Herself
Michelle Bell	...	Herself
Ryan Bell	...	Himself
Elaine DePrince	...	Herself
Charles DePrince	...	Himself
Wendy Houseknecht	...	Herself
David Houseknecht	...	Himself
Satoko Fogarty	...	Herself
Mat Fogarty	...	Himself

Storyline

First Position follows six talented young dancers (ages 9-19) from five continents as they prepare for a worldwide ballet competition that could transform their lives overnight.

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Plot Keywords:

ballet | competition | performance art | study abroad | scholarship | 

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Taglines:

6 dancers, 5 minutes on stage, 1 chance to make it.

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Genres:

Documentary

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 August 2012 (Taiwan)

Also Known As:

Le concours de danse

Filming Locations:

Asunción, Paraguay

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$48,024 (USA) (4 May 2012)

Gross:

$894,471 (USA) (22 June 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

First Position Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

User Reviews

I don't like ballet....yet I liked this film!

"First Position" is an incredibly interesting documentary. I say this because I hate ballet...yet I found myself seriously drawn into the lives of these kids. It must be good if it could win me over, that's for sure.

This film is about a group of kids who are trying to make it in ballet field. They range in age from 8 to 17 and are from various countries--including the US, Columbia and Israel. And, through the course of the film, you see them in various international competitions--trying to win awards, scholarships and, perhaps, jobs.

While none of this on the surface sounds that interesting, the film has several things going for it. First, many of the kids are incredibly likable and are amazing to watch. The most amazing of these is the insanely talented 11 year-old boy who is just gorgeous to watch as he dances (it looked so easy and his joy as he danced was infectious). Second, a few of the stories pulled me in and got me excited--such as the girl originally from Sierra Leone and the SUPER-annoying mother who pushed her boy to dance even though he clearly was not interested. Third, the film lacks narration and just lets the folks talk--and most of the best documentaries do this. Fourth, and this one surprised me, I found myself REALLY, REALLY caring about the kids. As the final competition progressed, I was on the edge of my seat. Well worth seeing.