FIRST POSITION

Ballet is so beautiful to watch, it is sad to know how painful and destructive it is physically to the performers! Their injuries are just as severe as any athletes. Three young aspiring dancers are featured in this fascinating (to me) documentary directed  by Bess Kargman. You get to see how these kids (ages range from 11 to 14) feel about dancing (obsessed with/in love with), and what it means to prepare for and take part in those stresssful competitions held to showcase their ability and potential.  The rewards for those who do well can be contracts and/or elite scholarships to prestigious ballet schools.   I also learned how expensive it can be for a family to support a child who wants to be a dancer.  Huge amounts of $$$$ for teachers, costumes, travel.   If you follow ballet, be on the lookout for Aran Bell, Gaya B. Yenni and Michaela Deprince.  (Hope I got all the names spelled correctly.)  "No guts, no glory," with courage and determination, they battle with amazing stamina ignoring pain and sometimes even serious injury to dance on cue.   Bravo!   (Brava?)