Going in blind on the subject of youth ballet, my viewpoint of breakthrough documentary of six young dancers was decidedly limited to films ranging from psychological horror Black Swan to Billy Elliot…
FIRST POSITION (2011)
Going in blind on the subject of youth ballet (and ballet in general), my viewpoint of director Bess Kargman’s award-winning breakthrough documentary showcasing the Swan Lake lives of six young dancers from differing backgrounds all vying for greatness at the Youth America Grand Prix, a highly prestigious ballet competition for dancers ages 9-19, was decidedly limited to a slight familiarity through films that run the gamut from psychological horror (Black Swan, Suspiria) to feel-good drama (Billy Elliot, Mao’s Last Dancer).
As it turns out, this mindset was in the end appropriate as the film makes a clear point to contrast the often extreme mental and physical hardship required to keep themselves aloft in the competition as well as the fiery passion and sheer joy the dancers feel for their craft.
In general, ballet is commonly viewed as one for the girls with male ballet dancers often bearing the brunt of a joke and as the film points out, it’s even worse for the boys amongst the sticks and snails and puppy dogs’ tails crowd with several young dancers having to relocate to different schools due to excessive teasing from classmates. However, after being introduced to 11-year-old prodigy Aran Bell, those stereotypical old chestnuts take a bit of a backseat as Aran shows off some of the equipment he uses to practice with whilst surrounded by action figures and plastic guns lining his room that could be found in many a tough little lad’s living quarters.
The remaining contestants profiled are 17-year-old blonde beauty Rebecca Houseknecht, who hopes to be offered a company contract in an economic climate where the employment prospects for a dancer are slim; 16-year-old Joan Sebastian Zamora, a Colombian adonis with aspirations of not only winning a coveted scholarship, but also the means to support his family back home via his prospective dancing career; the young brother-sister team of Miko and Jules Fogarty; and the 14-year-old Sierra Leone war orphan Michaela Deprince, adopted by an American family and introduced to ballet from an early age after being inspired by a tatty magazine photo of a dancer she found at her orphanage.
The film falls into that category of documentary depicting young kids striving for success (2002’s Spellbound being a primary example) in a variety of fields but arguably at the expense of their childhood. General activities such as sleepovers and parties are described in the film by Aran’s mother as "not possible" due to the strict regime and commitment involved for a dancer in training. Perfectionism is paramount in the minds of the parents and those competing and dancers are only afforded a brief five minute window in which to wow the judges on the big day. When one of the kids flubs a turn or takes a fall, the disappointment seems to reverberate throughout their entire being and anything less than first place is apparently nothing to smile about.
But the film doesn’t make a habit of wallowing in the wiles of performance anxiety or the potential crushing of dreams in order to elicit emotional investment from the viewer and instead opts for a streamlined and balanced approach to dealing with these issues cinematically. The scene where several of the kids show off their ballet battle scars demonstrates a level of maturity and innate understanding of what they’re capable of as athletes despite their will to win ultimately keeping them on the stage and running the risk of a career-threatening injury.
First Position is seemingly content to go through the motions as a doco, wrapping things up with a neat little curtsy by film’s end and all the while doing it in a way that may come off as conventional or even shallow to some. However, for the most part it is a charming, refreshingly candid and well put together little piece about people, perseverance, and poise that works to expose the stereotypes surrounding ballet. All the while, it demonstrates the fact that despite an overarching sense of theatricality and telling flamboyance, the art itself seems to require just as much determination and commitment (if not more so) as any form of hard-hitting sport.
??? 1/2 stars out of 5
Reviewed by Arlo Hollands, 5 April 2013
Playing in NZ cinemas from April 25
Running Time: 94 min
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