Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to see the LA premiere of a new ballet documentary called First Positionhosted by Dance Camera West. The film follows the trials and tribulations of seven young dancers at different stages of their careers as they compete in the prestigious Youth America Grand Prix. The documentary was developed by first time filmmaker, Bess Kargman, who followed the dancers for an entire year and filmed their compelling stories. I was so moved by Michaela DePrince's journey that I tweeted her before herDancing With The Stars (DWTS) performance last night. This girl is a star!
Watch her DWTS clip and the trailer, then check out the film in limited release beginning May 4th. I've picked a few other winners for you in the past like here and here, so don't disappoint me.....check out this film!
Earlier this weekend, I decided to stir up some conversation on my personal Facebook page (not my public page) and ask my dance friends what they thought about the Sarah Lane/dance double controversy surrounding the movie, Black Swan. Little did I know, I unleashed the beast. I received comments like the hilarious, "It's bloody Flashdance all over again!" to the downright unkind, "I'm sorry but no one cares about the doubles NO ONE!!" [sic]. The latter comment actually got me fired up because I DO care about dance doubles and Sarah's predicament. I used to be a professional dancer and I know all about the hard work, dedication, and suffering on a physical and emotional level for very little pay. So, may I present my final thoughts on the subject:
One note, it is no secret that Natalie Portman is not my favorite celebrity, but I want to say that she has been very gracious towards Sarah and her dancing throughout the entire awards season process. So, let's not bash Portman because I don't think this is the underlying issue at hand. Fire away, kids!
