First Position

A nicely crafted documentary about six youngsters working extremely hard for the highly competitive Young American Grand Prix (YAGP) for ballet dancers aged 9-19. These focused kids are among 300 finalists chosen from 1,500 contestants from all over the world. Winners of the grand prix will receive prizes, elite dance company contracts or scholarships at top ballet schools. The film traces their hardworking daily training routine, setbacks and their hopes. We also catch a glimpse of their family life while these aspiring young men and women talk about their dreams and passion.

It is an excellent production which captures the drive and aspirations of these young people from various background – and the care of their parents, whether they are mixed couple, foster parents, in the military or ordinary Americans. What we see is not only the kid's passion, but also how their parents bend backwards and revolve their lives around their children's talents and interest.

It goes so far that a company has to move and school has to give way to home schooling so that the kids can have more time to dance. So a two- hour each way commune is nothing. Equally admirable and impressive is the trust, confidence and pride of the parents, not to mention their invaluable support. Some of these parents are dancers or musicians but whatever their experience is, they have enormous trust/belief in their kids and wholeheartedly support their children.

However, there is a fine line between them and the helicopter or monster parents who impose on their kids in the name of "for the sake of their own good." I have heard that some kids in Hong Kong are forced to learn the piano since they were young and incidents are: once the kids pass all the grade exams they never touch the piano again.

But what we see in the movie is that all the six characters have developed a genuine love and interest for ballet from within. Despite their young age and development stage, in order to strive for excellence in ballet, they are willing to give up a big part of their personal life including separating from the family, going out with friends, eating anything they want, suffer and endure various injuries etc. Their parents are just behind them.

The coaches are interesting characters too – or the director just chose the more lively coaches and to film. We can see that these coaches are also human – they can be strict and mean but they are well-liked and respected - whether they are French or Colombian or Russian or American.

The editing and directing is excellent with witty and funny dialogues or facial expressions (and they are all real!) intersperse between intense and competitive scenes. It slowly set the stage for the nerve breaking YAGP and by then we are almost part of the family of the youngsters and really hope their efforts pay off.

Like their parents and coaches, I also held my breath as the kids performed in their 5 minute appearance on stage for the Grand Prix. Competition is tough, but we can see the kid's determination, maturity and intense focus. The endurance and passion is so strong that it would overshadow the physical pain! Success does not come from luck. We also see support, respect and recognition of their potentials pay a very important role in shaping these youngsters' lives.

We witness that when you are doing something you love, even the pain will be gone and you will go on. This resilience combined with their talent speak loud and clear why they are ahead of other dancers despite their huge prices to pay.

An excellent documentary for parents, students, teachers, coaches and anyone interested in ballet/music/sports and nurturing our next generation. Highly recommended.

If you are between the ages of 9 and 19, and you are a dedicated (and hugely talented) ballet dancer, then the Youth America Grand Prix is a dance competition you'll know all about. And dream about. It doesn't matter where you're from (some of the "stars" of this documentary come from Africa and Latin America): given colossal natural ability, extremely hard work and the right guidance, you, too, can try for the glittering prize. Bess Kargman's excellent film follows seven kids as they prepare for, and participate in, this intense contest.

What a joy to get to review something that isn't brain-dead! Ballet is very difficult to do, very beautiful to watch, and requires intelligence and artistic flair (rather like a good documentary, really), and Bess Kargman has made a ballet film which is not only picking up awards faster than Halle Berry gathers motoring citations, but "First Position" has achieved the nigh-impossible for a work of non-fiction, and is going on general theatrical release. It will hit the screens on Friday, May 4.

The premise is a simple and compelling one. Youngsters from all over the world strive to qualify for the Grand Prix finals, held in New York City. When the very best gather for the dance-off, the pressure is just about unbearable. Each contestant will have five minutes on stage. If you're sick, or overcome by nerves, or if you stumble during your routine … too bad. All those years you worked for this, all those things you sacrificed in order to get here, are riding on the next three hundred seconds. Five thousand dancers enter each year, with this number being whittled down to a couple of hundred for the New York finals. From this small group, the winners will emerge. Kargman knows how to build suspense – but the who-won-it is only one element in this excellent film. We get to see the physical pain these kids go through (check out the "foot-stretcher" used by little Aran, which looks like a medieval torture implement), we hear from their parents and dance teachers … but, most of all, there is the beautiful ballet itself.

Like any documentary worth its salt, "First Position" asks as many questions as it answers. Thought-provoking contributions abound, like that from the teacher who states openly, "Kids who are pursuing ballet as a career give up their childhood." Can such a sacrifice be justified? Who gets to make the choice? Which is worse – to push small children through the grueling practice schedules, or not to push them – thereby passing up the chance for success? Is it fair to expose youngsters to the appalling pressure of the final round? This is a film which stays with the viewer long after the final credits have rolled.

One of the things you need to be good at, when you shoot a documentary, is judging what not to do or say. In this, Kargman has triumphed. She is never obtrusive, and she lets the images (and the kids) tell the story. Critic Dave Robson, reviewing the film for the Toronto International Film Festival (where, incidentally, it won considerable acclaim) puts it like this: "Though she casts a wide net, Kargman is careful to include only the most essential commentary. She frequently complements her cast's words with beautiful shots of dancing and juxtaposes them with more candid and vulnerable moments. It is perhaps trite to say that a film about an aesthetic discipline looks beautiful, but "First Position" does. It certainly helps that dancers are well lit, but more to the point, Kargman keeps her cinematography simple. To be too clever would distract from the dancing." In case anyone reading this is under the misapprehension that it's just a bunch of well-heeled preppy youngsters indulging in a glorified hobby, it is worth mentioning Michaela Deprince. This young finalist hails from Sierra Leone, where she witnessed her parents getting murdered. "It's a miracle I'm even here," she says – and she bears the scars to prove it. Indeed, overall, this is a singularly resilient bunch of kids. After all they have been through, it is surprising – not to mention heart-warming – to see how balanced, articulate and likable they all are. Take, for example, the tiny 12-year-old Miko Fogarty, who frequently has to field comments from others, to the effect that she has missed out on her childhood. She doesn't happen to agree.

This is Bess Kargman's breakthrough movie, and much credit she deserves. She directed the project and also took a major hand in the editing. Her director of photography, Nick Higgins, has done a lot of documentary work in his career – but surely nothing as visually captivating as this.

By the way, for those of you who, like me, have a penchant for movie titles which contain more than one level of meaning, "First Position" refers of course to winning the Grand Prix, and therefore being guaranteed a prestigious professional contract … but it is also a ballet term, denoting the preliminary posture – standing with heels together, toes splayed outwards. The things you learn on IMDb, huh?

First Position was a brilliant documentary in my opinion! It gives the audience an intimate look at the lives of seven dancers ages 9-17 who are preparing for the Youth America Grand Prix international ballet competition. They each are hoping to receive a scholarship to study at a world-renown ballet institution, or a job offer so that they can achieve their dream of becoming a professional ballet dancer. The documentary addresses the lifestyles of these children, their performances at the Grand Prix semi-finals, and eventually the finals in New York City.

I felt like this gave a really interesting and accurate depiction of the lives of these young dancers. The kids they picked to interview were very diverse and likable. I found myself routing for all of them. Also important, the documentary addressed how this career path has affected the lives of the parents of the children. The parents vary from loving and supportive to completely overbearing. I enjoyed the variety of approaches to the same goal.

I really would recommend this documentary. The subject is really interesting. The way it is filmed and edited is ideal (not too fast, not too slow) and the dancing is absolutely breath-taking. I felt very informed and very inspired after watching First Position.

Remember the excellent movie "The Competition" starring Richard Dreyfuss and Amy Irving, about young pianists who compete for glory and careers? First Position likewise gives a backstage view of a prestigious competition, complete with background about their families and their lifestyles. Except First Position is a documentary, not fiction.

What a joy to follow these talented kids as they dedicate their lives to their art and their dreams. I found all of them to be likable. Some negative comments have been made about some of the parents, but they all were willing to provide whatever their children needed to pursue their dreams. One child did, eventually, drop out of dance, but it seemed his parents supported his decision.

Have you ever felt proud of someone even though you had no connection with them? Well I felt that way numerous times during this film. I am not a relative nor a teacher nor a parent. But I found myself swelling with pride for those special children who have dared to pursue a dream with such singlemindedness, yet seem to be happy and humorous. Or the child who continues to dance despite taunting from other children.

This documentary is recommended for anyone who loves dance or enjoys stories about the human will to achieve.

Producer/Director Beth Kargman has put together a wonderful documentary that follows six young ballet dancers to the Youth America Grand Prix, one of the most important of all ballet competitions worldwide.

The prizes at the competition include awards of recognition, scholarships, and work with major dance companies. The dancers are in several age ranges and ethnicities and include 11-year-old Aaron Bell, Joan Sebastian Zamora, a dancer from Colombia, Michaela Deprince,a black dancer, Jules and Miko Fogarty, of mixed ethnicity, pretty Israeli Gaya Bommer, and all-American girl Rebecca Houseknecht.

Michaela and her sister were adopted from Sierra Leone, where there was nothing but death and poverty. Michaela has been told that blacks make unsuitable ballet dancers -- bad feet, too muscular, wrong build etc. For the competition, her teacher has her dance against type, doing a feminine, delicate dance.

Zamora lives in New York, far away from his family, but his father tells him there is nothing for him in Colombia and he has to go after his dream. Rebecca is a cheerleader and normal kid whose passion is dance, and Aaron doesn't tell other kids he's a dancer. All of them have great talent, as we can see from their dance routines at the Grand Prix. Zamora has stardom written all over him. Jules has decided he really doesn't like ballet, which hurts his mother, but she accepts it.

A very inspiring documentary about youngsters from different backgrounds and social status with the dream of dancing in the ballet, and the sacrifices they have made to achieve their goal. The dancing is heavenly; I only wish there had been more of it.

All these contestants went on to wonderful careers. Sadly Michaela DePrince died of unknown cause in 2024, at the age of 29.