Le concours de danse

First Position takes a front row in my line up of competition documentaries. It's exceptional because it doesn't overdo its reverence for ballet, nor does it play on a natural sympathy for young competitors from 9 through 19 years old. It would be easy to fawn over youngsters who have only two and a half minutes to persuade judges that they are the best among hundreds of ambitious artists.

It keeps the tension of the race to the finals of the Youth America Grand Prix while it invests just the right amount of time with six selected dancers, some of whom fortuitously go to the finals and win, if not the gold , then full scholarships to dance academies, not a bad substitute at all.

The camera follows, as is tradition, the endless practices with the demanding coaches, but this time both principals and teachers seem to enjoy the process as much as the awards. There's respectful, low key camaraderie among all the competitors, coaches, and parents that is unusual for these contests and documentaries about them.

The range of contestants is the believable, not hyped part I liked so much. While cheerful ten year old Jules Fogarty clearly isn't into dance or the competition, sixteen-year old Joan Sebastian Zamora will earn a top spot at the Grand Prix finals in New York because he cares just enough. Such is the way ambition should work out in the best of all possible worlds.

Best of all the dancers, for me, is 11 year old Aran Bell, whose ambition is matched by his awesome talent with a litheness only a dancer years older could have. Michaela, originally from Sierra Leone, is the most surprising talent, given the horrors she has seen and the physical challenges she must overcome.

Director Bess Kargman, following six contestants for over a year, does simple magic with director of photography Nick Higgins, sometimes forsaking the competition footage for the more intimately personal, with arguably limited results when the winners are announced as we want to agree with the decisions. More time on stage might have enlisted our cooperation.

A case could be made for the superiority of the ballroom dance Mad Hot Ballroom, poetry team Louder Than a Bomb, horse racing's First Saturday in May, or spelling bee Spellbound because they concentrate on the intensity of the actual competition and open up criticism of the contest itself. No such negativity appears here, a weakness for those who would like the reality of disappointment and hurt to extend beyond Michaela's sore foot.

But for me, it's nice to be relaxed as we hope these young competitors still are.

"First Position" is an incredibly interesting documentary. I say this because I hate ballet...yet I found myself seriously drawn into the lives of these kids. It must be good if it could win me over, that's for sure.

This film is about a group of kids who are trying to make it in ballet field. They range in age from 8 to 17 and are from various countries--including the US, Columbia and Israel. And, through the course of the film, you see them in various international competitions--trying to win awards, scholarships and, perhaps, jobs.

While none of this on the surface sounds that interesting, the film has several things going for it. First, many of the kids are incredibly likable and are amazing to watch. The most amazing of these is the insanely talented 11 year-old boy who is just gorgeous to watch as he dances (it looked so easy and his joy as he danced was infectious). Second, a few of the stories pulled me in and got me excited--such as the girl originally from Sierra Leone and the SUPER-annoying mother who pushed her boy to dance even though he clearly was not interested. Third, the film lacks narration and just lets the folks talk--and most of the best documentaries do this. Fourth, and this one surprised me, I found myself REALLY, REALLY caring about the kids. As the final competition progressed, I was on the edge of my seat. Well worth seeing.

This documentary takes a little time to pull you in but it succeeds nicely. A little patience is required but it is worth it !

I like most people expected to be bored senseless with this but instead I now appreciate classical dance much more.

This is because director Bess Kargman pays attention to the sufferings hard work and devotion and lets not forget beauty of what these young people go through and what they do.

She lets us see the toll ballet takes on these kids emotions and feet. Yes I said feet. Bruised bloody feet. And all the emotional strain as well.

Watch for the African girl who dances with a bad ankle and it is just normal for every one around her and nobody tries to dissuade her!

I could empathize and feel the dramatic as the competition nears and judgement is made in the various categories.

I gave this documentary 8 stars. But it might as well be 10 because it did hold my attention about a subject I had no interest in whatsoever. I didn't want to see it. For shame. I am glad I spent the money on this film.

I was going to see an other film for the second time because the Embassy in Waltham has $6.00 Tuesdays.

When there's a new film showing? What a waste!

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.

Produced and directed by Bess Kargman, this is a fascinating and riveting documentary.

Each year, the world's largest ballet competition is held, for young dancers ages 9-19, called the Youth America Grand Prix. In 15 cities around the world five thousand young dancers compete in the semi-finals for 300 slots in the finals in New York City.

They will get five minutes on stage, judged by directors and top personnel from some of the world's most prodigious ballet companies, to try and win scholarships or job contracts for their future careers.

As many of these documentaries are presented, seven hopefuls, with very diverse backgrounds, are followed in their preparations, training and personal lives. I found all of the competitors to be extremely interesting and it was hard to pick a favorite.

You couldn't ask more from a documentary with vivid portrayals of the young dancers and their families, as well as the suspense of the competition itself.