First Position

About.com Rating

I was beyond thrilled when I heard that the Sarasota Film Festival would be screening First Position. First Position is a documentary that follows the competitive journeys of six young ballet dancers. The documentary highlights the Youth America Grand Prix, one of the most prestigious ballet competitions in the world.

If you are a dancer, the parent of a dancer, a dance instructor, or anyone interested in the world of ballet, you will greatly appreciate this movie.

The documentary paints a brilliant picture of the struggles and triumphs of young ballet dancers with big dreams. The footage is real, unscripted and honest. Never before have I seen a movie capture the true, tenacious spirit of a determined dancer. The film is brilliant and highly recommended for a peek into the spirit it takes to make it in the world of ballet.

One thing I wanted to know more about was the true practice/rehearsal schedules of the dancers. It would be great for young aspiring dancers to know how to realistically fit a training schedule into their real lives. Also, I found myself wondering about instructional tuition. While the film touched lightly on the expenses involved in competing, I would like to know how much it costs for hours and hours of private lessons.

Documentary Focus: Youth America Grand Prix

As the documentary begins, we are told of an exciting ballet competition that has the ability to change the lives of a handful of talented ballet dancers. The Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) is the world’s largest student ballet scholarship competition.

The organization awards over $250,000 annually in scholarships to leading dance schools worldwide.

The competition is held annually around the world. Semi-finalists are given the opportunity to compete in the national competition held in New York City. The competition is open to dance students of all nationalities between the ages of 9 and 19 years old. Dancers are allowed the chance to enter two dances, a classical piece as well as a contemporary.

YAGP was Launched in 1999 by former dancers Larissa and Gennadi Saveliev. It is a non-profit organization who's mission is to provide extraordinary educational and professional opportunities to young dancers, acting as a stepping stone to a professional dance career.

The Competitive Dancers

The documentary follows 7 ballet dancers throughout the world as they prepare for YAGP. The dancers are:

• Jules Jarvis Fogarty: age 10
• Aran Bell: age 11
• Gaya Bommer Yemini: age 11
• Miko Fogarty: age 12
• Michaela DePrince: age 14
• Joan Sebastian Zamora: age 16
• Rebecca Houseknecht: age 17

The featured dancers show us an elaborate view into the circumstances surrounding their ballet-centered lives. Each dancer brings a unique story of triumph to the documentary.

Touching our hearts is the story of Michaela, a Sierra Leone war orphan who was adopted by a New Jersey family after losing her parents at the age of 3. Michaela reveals that her first and only exposure to ballet was the cover of a dance magazine that she saw in her orphanage. It inspired her to become the ballerina on the cover.

We see the height of dedication as Joan Sebastian must be separated from his family. 11-year-old Aran reminds us of his youth and innocence as he is often seen zipping around dance auditorium hallways riding a skateboard or scooter.

We also learn that Jules, the youngest featured dancer, has a change of heart before the national competition and decides that his heart is just not into ballet. Despite his mother's disappointment, he withdrawals from the competition. His sister Miko, however, works hard and continues on to do very well at the national contest.

Determination and Dreams

First Position allows us to see the true drive and determination of aspiring ballet dancers. We see triumph as reward for hard work, but we also see despair. We discover that ballet dancers are vulnerable to injury, just as are esteemed athletes. Through the dancers' experiences we see that a childhood of extreme dedication can be destroyed by a single injury.

All in all, the movie is a fantastic, realistic view of what it really takes to achieve success as a ballet dancer. Hard work, dedication and passion, along with talent and a reasonable body type, can help you reach your dreams.