Dance Biopics

Inspired by the life of Blaze Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas outlaw music movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. The film weaves together three different periods of time, braiding re-imagined versions of Blaze's past, present and future. The different strands explore his love affair with Sybil Rosen; his last, dark night on earth; and the impact of his songs and his death had on his fans, friends, and foes. The braided storyline terminates in a bittersweet ending that acknowledges Blaze's profound highs and lows, as well as the impressions he made on the people who shared his journey.

Ballet 422 is a record of the creative process of a young choreographer Justin Peck, just 26 years old, hired to create a new ballet for the winter season of the New York City Ballet in 2013. The New York City Ballet is considered one of the best companies in the world. Since 1990 he is led by Peter Martins, his Ballet Master in Chief. The documentary describes the intense backstage work that takes place during the process of creating and learning this new ballet: "Paz de la Jolla". It shows Peck working with his fellow dancers (Justin Peck is also a soloist at NYCB!), with musicians, lighting technicians, and costume designers in the composition of a new work, his third creation for the NYCB. It is the first time the New York City Ballet is exposed during the creation of a new a ballet.

In modern dance since the 1970s, few choreographers have had more influence in the medium than the late Pina Bausch. This film explores the life and work of this artist of movement while we see her company perform her most notable creations where basic things like water, dirt and even gravity take on otherworldly qualities in their dancing.

Ohad Naharin, artistic director of the Batsheva Dance Company, is regarded as one of the most important choreographers in the world. Meeting him at a critical turning point in his personal life, this spirited and insightful documentary will introduce you to a man with great artistic integrity and an extraordinary vision. Filmed over a period of eight years, director Tomer Heymann mixes intimate rehearsal footage with an extensive unseen archive and breathtaking dance sequences. This story of an artistic genius who redefined the language of modern dance is guaranteed to leave you skipping.

First Position follows six talented young dancers (ages 9-19) from five continents as they prepare for a worldwide ballet competition that could transform their lives overnight.

SPOILER: A young girl from a modest Russian family studies classical ballet. After many difficulties, she succeeds as a young woman to enter the prestigious Bolchoi. However she turns to modern dance, then improvisation, then choreography. The movie includes beautiful dances from acclaimed choreographer Angelin Preljocaj.

Lucien Ginsburg, a rebellious French Jewish boy with a grotesque imagination, hates playing the piano like his father, a bar professional, and manages to be admitted to Montmartre Academy as a painter, where he befriends an SS officer who helps him survive the occupation. After the war, he chooses to become a performing artist and adopts the stage name Serge Gainsbourg. His unorthodox songs bring him success, even his parents's approval, and lots of lovers, yet his marriages are all utter failures.

Alex aspires to become a ballet dancer and prepares to enter a dance academy, although she doesn't have the training she needs. Furthermore, she has to support herself with two very different jobs, but her boss Nick and a former dancer and mentor encourage her to pursue her dreams and believe in herself. Its impact on pop culture goes beyond its plot; it is an iconic '80s romantic drama known for its iconic soundtrack and the inclusion of music video-style dance scenes.

Scott Hastings is a champion caliber ballroom dancer, but much to the chagrin of the Australian ballroom dance community, Scott believes in dancing "his own steps". Fran is a beginning dancer and a bit of an ugly duckly who has the audacity to ask to be Scott's partner after his unorthodox style causes his regular partner to dance out of his life. Together, these two misfits try to win the Australian Pan Pacific Championships and show the Ballroom Confederation that they are wrong when they say, "there are no new steps!"

At the New York City High School for the Performing Arts, students get specialized training that often leads to success as actors, singers, etc. This movie follows eight students from the time when they audition to get into the school, through graduation. Among these are the brazen Coco Hernandez, shy Doris Finsecker, sensitive gay Montgomery MacNeil, and brash, abrasive Ralph Garcey.

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 ABA, 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.

Between romantic comedy and drama revolves the story of John Cark, a lawyer who, attracted by a woman, Paulina, decides to venture into the world of ballroom dancing. There he recovers a spark in his life that he thought he had lost and discovers that his passion for dancing makes him happy. However, he hides it from his family and arouses suspicion in his wife, Beverly. A remake of Dansu Wo Shimasho Ka (1996) with delightful characters, played by a cast that includes Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez and Susan Sarandon.

A drama based on the autobiography by Li Cunxin. At the age of 11, Li was plucked from a poor Chinese village by Madame Mao's cultural delegates and taken to Beijing to study ballet. In 1979, during a cultural exchange to Texas, he fell in love with an American woman. Two years later, he managed to defect and went on to perform as a principal dancer for the Houston Ballet and as a principal artist with the Australian Ballet.

In Los Angeles, Mia, an aspiring actress, and Sebastian, a jazz pianist, meet and fall in love. As they pursue their personal dreams, the challenge of maintaining their relationship arises. In a bittersweet climax, they must decide between their individual dreams or finding a path that merges their love and passion. The film explores the price of artistic pursuits and the transformative power of love and art, in a visually stunning and emotionally captivating masterpiece that celebrates the courage to dream and the enduring spirit of artists.

Billy Elliot, an 11-year-old boy, unintentionally discovers his passion while watching the ballet classes next to his boxing training. Despite the crisis this could trigger in his patriarchal family, as his father and brother are miners on strike, Billy decides to secretly take the ballet classes. Soon his great talent is revealed, and with the support of his teacher, he must decide whether to join a dance academy or give up. This inspiring and emotional film will encourage you to pursue your own dreams!