Pointe shoes, tutus, sugar plum fairies, and princesses -- is it any wonder that little girls dream of being ballerinas? Catering to that desire, movies about ballet have been around almost as long as film itself. Despite the travesties that are the Barbie ballet movies, many ballet films provide a deeper study of the difficulties and sacrifices of the performers, rather than just a fluffy overview of the beauty of dance. These four films in combination provide a fascinating introduction to the on-screen depiction of ballet.
The Red Shoes: The Classic Film about Classical Ballet
Roughly based on the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, The Red Shoes tells the story of Victoria Page (Moira Shearer), a young ballerina on the brink of stardom. Intricately weaving backstage life with the thrill of performance, this film centers on Victoria's dilemma as she is torn between the composer who loves her and the impresario determined to fashion her into a great dancer.
Center Stage: Ballet School 101
This 2000 movie features Amanda Schull as an aspiring ballerina and student at the competitive American Ballet Academy in New York (apparently based on the School of American Ballet). Even though she's at the best school in the country, her life doesn't get any easier -- she and her friends face challenges with their weight, their teachers, and their dreams. The film is, however, light as air and easy to watch. Keep an eye out for Ethan Steifel (a real-life ballet star) as one of the company's hot-shot dancers.
This movie is the story of two women (Shirley MacLaine and Anne Bancroft), whose lives are dedicated to ballet. Deedee left her promising dance career to become a wife and mother and now runs a ballet school in Oklahoma. Emma stayed with the company and became a star, though her time is nearly past. Both want what the other has and reflect back on missed chances as they are brought together again through Deedee's daughter, who joins the company.
The Company: The Inner Workings of a Ballet Company
An inside look at the world of ballet. With the complete cooperation of the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, Robert Altman follows the stories of the dancers, whose professional and personal lives grow impossibly close, as they cope with the demands of a life in the ballet. Neve Campbell plays a gifted but conflicted company member on the verge of becoming a principal dancer at a fictional Chicago troupe, with Malcolm McDowell playing the company's co-founder and artistic director. An interesting look at the contemporary challenges facing dancers.
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