Movies
Center Stage"Center Stage" is an intimate look into the education of three young students, Jodie, Eva and Maureen, as they study at the American Ballet Academy. Life isn't what they expected at the esteemed ABC, and all three face problems along the road. Jodie doesn't have the "ideal" body for dancing, Eva doesn't have the right attitude, and Maureen doesn't have the heart. Along the way, they learn that love can be found in unlikely places, and dancing should be a passion, not a duty.
Save The Last Dance
Sara Johnson (Stiles) dreams of becoming a professional ballerina. After the accidental death of her mother, Sara is forced to move from Lemont, a quiet Chicago suburb, to her father's ghetto apartment on Chicago's gritty south side. The new urban environment, very different than what she is used to, adds to Sara's feelings of loss and frustration, and her misplaced guilt, which is caused by the fact that her mother had been en route to her dance performance at the time of her death. But when she meets Derek (Sean Patrick Thomas), a popular fellow student with a passion for hip hop dancing and a future brighter than his troubled past, her repressed ambition is released through a revitalized interest in dance.
The Company
An inside look at the world of ballet. With the complete cooperation of the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, 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. Campbell plays a gifted but conflicted company member on the verge of becoming a principal dancer at a fictional Chicago troupe, with McDowell the company's co-founder and artistic director, considered one of America's most exciting choreographers. Franco plays Campbell's boyfriend and one of the few characters not involved in the world of dance.
The Turning Point
The story of two women 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 a company and became a star though her time is nearly past. Both want what the other has and reflects back on missed chances as they are brought together again through Deedee's daughter who joins the company.
Step Up
Everyone deserves a chance to follow their dreams, but some people only get one shot. Tyler Gage is a rebel from the wrong side of Baltimore¹s tracks and the only thing that stands between him and an unfulfilled life are his dreams of one day making it out of there. Nora is a privileged ballet dancer attending Baltimore¹s ultra-elite Maryland School of the Arts -- and the only thing standing in the way of her obviously brilliant future is finding a great dance partner for her senior showcase. When trouble with the law lands Tyler with a community service gig at Maryland School of the Arts, he arrives as an angry outsider, until his skills as a gifted street dancer draw Nora¹s attention. Now, as sparks fly between them, both on and off stage, Tyler realizes he has just one performance to prove that he can step up to a life far larger than he ever imagined.
The Red Shoes
Under the authoritarian rule of charismatic ballet impressario Boris Lermontov, his proteges realize the full promise of their talents, but at a price: utter devotion to their art and complete loyalty to Lermontov himself. Under his near-obsessive guidance, young ballerina Victoria Page is poised for superstardom, but earns Lermontov's scorn when she falls in love with Julian Craster, composer of "The Red Shoes," the ballet Lermontov is staging to showcase her talents. Vicky leaves the company and marries Craster, but still finds herself torn between Lermontov's demands and those of her heart.
La Mort Du Cygne
A young student at the Paris Royal Opera becomes angry when she thinks a new dancer is about to replace her favorite ballerina. In her anger, the young student plots revenge. How this story plays out is intense, astonishing and strangely beautiful. This black and white French movie stars Yvette Chauvire and Mia Slavenska, two famous dancers of the 30s and 40s, but the movie itself does not have that much dancing. It’s all the incredible story yet it’s also all ballet. Unfortunately, it’s not available on either DVD or VHS. It plays occasionally at art houses, colleges and museums.
Invitation to the Dance
This is an odd but remarkable movie directed by Gene Kelly as his ode to ballet. It is not one of his usual musicals but rather a collection of three story ballets. The first two use professional ballet dancers with Kelly choreographing and taking small roles. The last story is part animation/part Kelly. If you are a fan of Gene Kelly you should check this movie out. It is definitely worth a view. At the moment, it is only available on VHS and even that is hard to find.