First Position

First Position is a 2011 American documentary film. It follows six young dancers preparing for the Youth America Grand Prix in New York City, an annual competition for dancers ages 9–19 to earn a place at an elite ballet company or school. Directed by Bess Kargman, it features Michaela DePrince, Aran Bell, Gaya Bommer-Yemini, Miko Fogarty, Jules Fogarty, Joan Sebastian Zamora and Rebecca Houseknecht as they intensively train and prepare for what could be the turning point of their lives.

First Position
Directed byBess Kargman
Produced byBess Kargman
StarringMichaela DePrince
Aran Bell
Gaya Bommer-Yemini
Miko Fogarty
Jules Fogarty
Joan Sebastian Zamora
Rebecca Houseknecht
Giuseppe Bausilio
CinematographyNick Higgins
Edited byKate Amend
Bess Kargman
Music byChris Hajian
Production
company
First Position Films
Distributed bySundance Selects
Release dates
  • September 11, 2011 (2011-09-11) (Toronto International Film Festival)
  • May 4, 2012 (2012-05-04) (United States)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1,730,824

The title 'First Position' is taken from one of the five standard positions of the feet in classical ballet.

Kargman was a first-time director who had studied dance herself. "I ended up quitting my job to make this film, my first film, and I thought maybe by choosing a topic that was quite dear to me and that I had lived for a number of years growing up—maybe I’d be able to do this story justice."[1] The film features renowned dancers and choreographers from all over the world including Nadine Bommer,[2] Denys Ganio, Élisabeth Platel, Raymond Lukens, and Youth America Grand Prix's founder Larissa Saveliev.

Reception

The film garnered critical acclaim, receiving a rating of 93% on the website Rotten Tomatoes. The site's critical consensus reads, "An upbeat and visually dramatic documentary of children's ballet, First Position displays the potential of the human spirit when fostered at a young age."[3] Manohla Dargis of The New York Times praised the film as creating "pocket portraits of children whose dedication to their art is by turns inspiring, daunting and, at times, a little frightening."[4] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that First Position "overcomes its predictable elements thanks to the inherent visual drama of watching children strain their bodies to the limit in obsessive pursuit of their goals."[5]

The film was the first runner-up for Best Documentary at the Toronto International Film Festival where it premiered, winning the Jury Prize at the San Francisco Doc Fest, and audience awards for Best Documentary at the Dallas International Film Festival and at the Portland International Film Festival, where Bess Kargman also won Best New Director. The film's takings were $48,024 on its opening weekend in the first weekend of May. As of 24 June 2012, the film had grossed $894,471 in the United States.

References
  1. "Interview: Director Bess Kargman of the Ballet Documentary "First Position" - Movie Mom". www.beliefnet.com. Archived from the original on 12 March 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  2. "Four Questions with filmmaker Bess Kargman, director of First Position". JewishBoston. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
  3. "First Position (2011)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  4. "Tracking Ballet's Pull on Youth Worldwide". The New York Times. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  5. "First Position: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 5 April 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
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