FIRST POSITION

US, 2012, 95 minutes, Colour.
Aran Bell, Rebecca Houseknecht, Miko and Jules Fogarty, Joan Sebastian Zamora, Gaya Bommer Yemini, Michaela dePrince.
Directed by Bess Kargman.

First Position is an engaging film about ballet students. Its title refers to the house position for the feet at ballet lessons, but also applies to post position in competition.

As with many similar documentaries, the group is selected and individuals followed throughout the period of rehearsal, performance, competition. However, one of the charms of this film is that it doesn’t focus on competitiveness. The students are not competing against each other. Which means that we watch them with their talent, their lessons, the rehearsals, the performances, without worrying about who will win or lose.

The students have been well chosen, a boy from the United States whose military family is based in Italy, a girl adopted from the civil war in Sierra Leone, a boy and a girl from a Japanese- American family, a girl from Israel, a girl from middle America, a boy from Colombia. Each has the opportunity to show their personality to best advantage. We also see a great deal of several of the parents and their involvement with their children’s careers.

The strength of the film is in the editing rather than in the visual style. The dances are presented straightforwardly. However, the inter-cutting of the stories, the cumulative effect of the narration as well as the joy of the final awards, mean that this is a film which can entertain most audiences unless they have a fixation against ballet.

1. An appealing film? Ballet, students, parents, teachers, professionals?

2. The title, the first position for the feet? The first position in winning?

3. Audiences becoming involved with the contestants, the personal stories, family? The boys and the girls? Their lives? From different countries? Comic, serious? Getting to know the students well?

4. The ballet sequences, a wide range and selection, the brief excerpts, plainly directed, classic, contemporary? The music and the response?

5. The perspective of the director, the young American competition? International? Acceptance into the competition, the dancing as audition? For entrance into the finals? Competition but not competitive? The director presenting the different contestants, not in competition with each other? The reality and hardships of learning, rehearsing? The reality of not succeeding? Of not winning? Awards, scholarships? A pleasing film, a film that does not create tension in the audience but is enjoyable?

6. The youngsters, their obvious talent, some of the dancers not so talented, especially Jules? Audiences seeing and recognising the talent? The response of the teachers, the styles, praise, demands, rebukes, harshness, affirmation?

7. The issue of ballet students losing much of their childhood? Miko’s response? Her love of dancing? Her dream? The physical demands, emotional demands, pain, accidents, success, the overall effect on the dancers?

8. The parents, especially the mother of Miko? Her intensity, ever-present, urging her children on, costumes, rehearsals, the teachers? The contrast with Aran’s parents, his supportive mother, the military father, moving so that Aran could go to dancing school? Rebecca’s encouraging parents? Michaela, her being adopted? The support of parents and the interviews? The girl from Israel and her choreographer mother, her enthusiasm? The family in Colombia, the father as a dancer, the mother wanting to be a dancer, there encouraging Joan Sebastian? The American families? The stories about Sierra Leone?

9. Aran, his age, his talent, the home movies, his intense practice, his teachers and the Frenchman fond of Aran, his skateboarding, with the gun, teased at school? A pleasant character? The military background? In Italy, the competition in Catania? The girl from Israel, bonding with her at once, supporting her?

10. Miko and Jules? Mixed race parents, the bonds with the children and the parents, the mother ever present? Miko and her skills, poise, the rehearsals, the dancing? Jules and the photos, awkward when dancing, the teacher and his exasperation, moving house, dreams, the competition and Miko falling, getting up and continuing, the move to New York?

11. Jules, very young, not good, with his sister, the rehearsals, the cracks of the teacher? His mother’s response to his pulling out of ballet? Concentrating on math and studies?

12. Michaela, the story of Sierra Leone, the death of her parents, the hacking of the teacher? In the photos, conscious about her spots, her comments, the audience not noticing them? The adoption, her sister, their conversations together, the parents and their comment on adoption, racism? Her life, rehearsals? Tall, muscular, lithe, supple, her movement? Her dream to be an African dancer in America? To return to Sierra Leone and teach?

13. Rebecca, her comments about Barbie dolls, her being a cheerleader? American, pretty, the coach, her beauty, her skills in dancing, her hopes, initially not getting a job? The final offer?

14. Joan Sebastian? From Colombia, his father and his talk about dancing, their feet together, the mother wanting to be a dancer? His age, talents, moving to New York, difficulties in language, culture? His roommate, cooking? Talent, rehearsals? His going home, the joy of seeing his family, his mother’s response? Talking with his brother about daancing? The finals, the scholarship to Britain?

15. The girl from Israel, her age, talents, in Italy, support of her mother, her friendship with Aran, intense, her mother, that she looked like an adult when she danced, intense understanding of her characters? The end and the prospect of her returning to competition?

16. A film of inspiration, exhilaration, to admire talent and dreams, all contestants being equal in the opportunities and for the world of dance?