[FIRST
POSITION opens in Cleveland on
Friday May 18th exclusively at the Cedar Lee Theatre.]
Review
by Bob Ignizio
Following
the efforts of six young people aged nine to nineteen to do succeed
at the Youth American Grand Prix, a prestigious ballet competition
with considerable rewards, one might expect FIRST POSITION
to share certain disturbing similarities with reality shows like
Toddlers With Tiaras
or
the child actor documentary THE
HOLLYWOOD COMPLEX.
Thankfully, it does not. There are no stage parents pushing these
kids; in fact, some of the parents express surprise that their
children decided to go down this path, while at the same time
expressing pride in just how well they've done. And all of those
profiled in this documentary must have done very well, indeed to have
made it this far in the competition.
All
of the film's subjects are talented and likeable, and we genuinely
want to see all of them do well. 11 year old American army brat Aran
is a natural, very possibly destined to be a star. His Israeli friend
Gaya seems a little less serious, but still displays considerable
talent. Twelve year old Miko Fogarty and her ten year old brother
Jules are the only ones in the bunch who might be getting pushed a
bit by their parents, but at least one of the siblings clearly has a
genuine personal desire to excel. Orphaned in Sierre Leone and
adopted by Jewish American parents, 14 year old Michaela DePrince
easily has the most dramatic story. Columbian Joan Sebastian Zamora
misses his family, but knows that dancing may well be his only chance
at a better life. Finally, 17 year old Rebecca Houseknecht is an
all-American teen who, despite her talent, seems a little self
conscious about how “weird” her pursuits make her seem to her
peers.
The
amount of hard work and sacrifice required of these contestants is
staggering, but again, none of them seem to have any regrets. This is
what they want, and they will endure anything to get there.
Ironically, even those who do wind up with scholarships have no
guarantees of a career in ballet – dance companies simply aren't
hiring that many performers. It poses a sad question: what's the
point of putting so much time and effort into mastering a skill that
only a few people these days appreciate?
Even
those who don't know the first thing about ballet, which includes
this reviewer, should be able to appreciate FIRST
POSITION.
At its heart, this is a film about people pursuing their dreams no
matter the cost, and regardless of what those dreams are, these are
all interesting people. If in the end it all feels perhaps a little
lightweight and too upbeat, it's nonetheless been an enjoyable hour
and a half spent watching true artists with true passion for their
work. 3 out of 4 stars.
As published on Examiner.com
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