Ballet Collection
Ballet—an art form dating back over 500 years and once reserved only for nobles and royalty—is now a mainstream form of dance, practiced all over the world by people from all backgrounds. Spanning the globe, Film Movement’s Ballet Collection features stories from the barre and beyond—each illustrating the incredible amount of strength, poise, and determination required to excel.
A LIFE FOR BALLET (2011, directed by Marlène Ionesco)
A documentary on the life of the legendary ballet reconstructionist, Pierre Lacotte and his wife and longtime dance partner Ghislaine Thesmar.
JOY WOMACK: THE WHITE SWAN (2020, directed by Dina Burlis and Sergey Gavrilov)
The film follows several years in the life of Joy Womack, the first American to graduate from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy’s main training program, and the first American woman to sign a contract with the Bolshoi Ballet.
ONLY WHEN I DANCE (2009, directed by Beadie Finzi)
A feel-good documentary following Irlan and Isabela, two teenagers from the violent favelas of Rio de Janeiro, as they pursue their dreams of becoming professional ballet dancers. This inspiring story takes us from Rio - where their communities must raise the funds to support their ambitions - to exhilarating ballet competitions in New York and Switzerland. It's a film about their determination to dance, and the price one must pay for talent, ambition and success.
"Recommended" - Video Librarian
- "An unforgettable experience!"
- "If you want to be inspired by a story of unrelenting persistence, do yourself a favor and spend an hour and a half watching Joy Womack: White Swan. This documentary about the first American woman to sign a contract with the Bolshoi Ballet (she was also the first American to graduate from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy’s main training program) is riveting as it reveals what it takes to reach a seemingly impossible goal and exposes what really goes on behind the velvet curtains of the ballet."
Gallery
Awards & Recognition
Tribeca Film Festival
Int'l Documentary Film Festival of Amsterdam
Palm Springs Int'l Film Festival
Vancouver Int'l Film Festival
San Francisco Doc Fest
Edinburgh Int'l Film Festival
SilverDocs Film Festival
Rio de Janeiro Int'l Film Festival
Warsaw Int'l Film Festival
Sonoma Int'l Film Festival