Ballet dancing and the dancers who do it is a reoccurring
thing in films but it’s also some that might also give audiences a skewed idea
of ballet and the people who do it. In
most narrative fiction most of the time the dancers are practically adults and
going through some crisis where the gatekeepers of their dream must be made to
understand just how good and a refreshing new talent that they have in front of
their eyes. Now with this new documentary First Position the filmmakers attempt
to do a similar arc but instead of showing the judges or schools they are show
us the audience just how amazing and dedicated these kids are to their craft
and art.
First Position follows six young people who are all trying
to enter Youth America Grand Prix, THE ballet competition. It’s like the NFL
draft of dancing or something that’s how big this is. Kids get scholarships to
the best ballet schools in the world or the older one can get hired by some the
best ballet companies in the world. The stakes here are huge for all involved.
The film starts us off Aran Bell, an 11-year-old boy who’s a military brat that
takes lessons in Italy where his father is stationed. His teacher feels Aran is
a once in a lifetime pupil that can be one of the best in the world. His friend
an Israeli girl named Gaya Yemini fell in love with ballet after watching him
dance.
The next focus is Michaela dePrince, 14, a girl who lives in
Philadelphia who’s the most talented person in her class and her origins as an
orphan from the Sierra Leone civil war makes her story a nice Cinderella
tale. Miko (12) and Jules (10) Fogarty
are siblings who are both in ballet, while most of the attention is on Miko who
seems to be born for this some time is spent with Jules or JJ (his nickname)
and what he gets out of dancing. Joan Zamora (16) is a Colombian immigrant who
is studying ballet in New York City. He dreams of dancing in the Royal Ballet
being the first Colombian to ever do so. Last is Rebecca Houseknecht, a 17-year-old
dancer whose hopes are to go to this competition and get a job as a professional
ballet dancer.
This film isn’t taking a hard look at ballet or the kids
lives. It just follows them and their families as they go on this journey to
this competition. You see them perform these amazing feats and all the trials
they go though. But all in all it’s really uplifting, you constantly see these
kids be trying hard and happy the entire time. You see their parents and
coaches supportive and never harsh or pushy. This film might be bit saccharine
for some but seeing kid excelling and overcoming the odds in the arts is
something refreshing to see in the theater these days.
