Ballet Collection

Ballet—an art form dating back over 500 years and once reserved only for nobles and royalty—is now a mainstream form of dance, practiced all over the world by people from all backgrounds. Spanning the globe, Film Movement’s Ballet Collection features stories from the barre and beyond—each illustrating the incredible amount of strength, poise, and determination required to excel.

A LIFE FOR BALLET (2011, directed by Marlène Ionesco)
A documentary on the life of the legendary ballet reconstructionist, Pierre Lacotte and his wife and longtime dance partner Ghislaine Thesmar.

JOY WOMACK: THE WHITE SWAN (2020, directed by Dina Burlis and Sergey Gavrilov)
The film follows several years in the life of Joy Womack, the first American to graduate from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy’s main training program, and the first American woman to sign a contract with the Bolshoi Ballet.

ONLY WHEN I DANCE (2009, directed by Beadie Finzi)
A feel-good documentary following Irlan and Isabela, two teenagers from the violent favelas of Rio de Janeiro, as they pursue their dreams of becoming professional ballet dancers. This inspiring story takes us from Rio - where their communities must raise the funds to support their ambitions - to exhilarating ballet competitions in New York and Switzerland. It's a film about their determination to dance, and the price one must pay for talent, ambition and success.

"Recommended" - Video Librarian