Follow in the inspirational footsteps of six talented ballet dancers (ages nine to nineteen) as they struggle to maintain form in the face of injury and personal sacrifice on their way to one of the most prestigious youth ballet competitions in the world. First Position is a feature length documentary about a love of dance and a drive to succeed that trumps money, politics and even war.

With unprecedented (and exclusive) access to the Youth America Grand Prix, the largest competition that awards full scholarships to top ballet schools, First Position takes audiences on a yearlong journey around the world. At a time when art, music and dance for children are severely under-funded, the film reveals the struggles and success, the pain and extraordinary beauty of an art form so many children across the globe are determined to dedicate their lives to…despite the odds.

The First Position documentary recently had its World Premiere at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival and was named the audience choice’s first runner up for Best Documentary. It also won the Jury Prize at the San Francisco Documentary Festival and the audience award at DOCNYC. First Position will be released in theaters May 2012.

www.balletdocumentary.com



Website: http://www.balletdocumentary.com

Jules Jarvis Fogarty, age 10

Aran Bell, age 11

Gaya Bommer Yemini, age 11

Miko Fogarty, age 12

Michaela DePrince, age 14

Joan Sebastian Zamora, age 16

Rebecca Houseknecht, age 17

SOURCE: A Distinctive Style