The theater is quaint and old fashioned looking without feeling old. I don't get serenaded by models on jet skis trying to sell me Fanta while I wait for the movie to begin. The small theater, with it's stage light in the far corner and mere two rows of seating creates a cozy atmosphere. I feel like I'm stepping back to a time when movies weren't available on demand. You went to the theater not because you were bored but because you want to experience art.
This week I felt extra "artsy" as I took in First Position, a documentary about the Youth America Grand Prix ballet competition. Each year 5000 ballet students world wide will compete for only 300 spots in the final competition. The film follows six of them to see what it really takes to make a career in ballet.
Ballet has fascinated me ever since the very twisted film Black Swan, but I appreciated this film's positive outlook on this very competitive art. While it does show the strenuous schedule required of the young performers it also shows that they each have a true passion to pursue dance. Joan Sebastian, a teen from Colombia, was put in training by his mother to keep him off the streets. Another film subject, 14-year-old Michaela, was inspired by a photo of a ballerina during her time in a Sierra Leone orphanage and vowed to one day become as beautiful and graceful as the woman she saw on a magazine cover.
The Youth America Grand Prix awards ballet contracts and scholarships to the best performers. Rebecca, a high school senior featured in the film, is banking on the competition to bring her a career instead of going to college. It's a life changing moment for all of the featured competitors. It was inspiring to watch each of their journey's from very different backgrounds to one prestigious competition.
Burn's Court frequently swaps out it's films, so don't miss your chance to see this wonderful documentary. You can find showtimes here.
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