Netflix Streamer: First Position

I remember that when Billy Elliot came out I was deemed far too young to see it. At barely seven years of age, there is no way I would have understood all of the issues eschewed in the film, nevermind the fact that I would have learnt a whole new world of swear words. Even so, everyone saw the adverts and knew the story of a boy who chooses to secretly pursue ballet, right under the nose of his uber masculine father. Even though I didn't see the film until I was much older, the iconic shots of little Jamie Bell dancing his socks off in the streets of north England had a profound effect on me. As it turned out, I chose sports and music as my artistic and physical outlets. When it came to gymnastics and dance I was as stiff as a cardboard box, and although my dancing has improved (my caribbean blood finally manifested itself age 11), I still can barely touch my toes, let alone point them. Thus, as I sat down to watch Bess Kargman's 2011 documentary First Position, I did so almost reluctantly, not willing to be reminded of my former shortcomings.

First Position is a documentary that looks at the world of dance by examining the journey of a number of aspiring dancers of differing ages as they prepare and compete for a chance at their dreams in the Youth America Grand Prix. Upon reading a similar summary given to me by Netflix's info, I was anticipating some sort of extended version of the TLC show Dance Moms, complete with needless drama about choreography and the mind-numbing politics of the studio. But First Position is not that sort of beast, and shows us a world that many of us have had no exposure to, in an upbeat and yet honest way. Kargman does this through her examination of her carefully chosen participants. We are introduced to six dancers with very differing backgrounds and challenges who compete with one certainty in common: that failure could shatter their dreams.

Some of the participants have stories that we automatically latch onto without hesitation. We meet Joan, a boy from Columbia, practicing and living thousands of miles away from his family all for a shot at a scholarship to a ballet school. Yet another inspiring ballet dancer we meet is Aran, an American "navy brat" living as an ex-pat in Italy whose composure and determination is far beyond that of the typical kid his age. However, the real crowning jewel of this documentary is the now semi-famous Michaela DePrince, who grew up as an orphan in the midst of the Sierra Leonean Civil War. She talks of her earliest memories in such a horrifyingly inhumane environment so matter-of-factly that what she says throughout the documentary hits home better than anything any of the other kids do. In fact, because of the strength of Michaela and Joan's respective stories, I almost felt bad for the other kids highlighted in the documentary. Afterall, it's not their fault they have led relatively normal lives, but the camera (and Kargman) seems to love Michaela and Joan more and more as time goes on.

What's best about the whole affair is that Kargman's documentary doesn't gloss over much, and the nature of what is discussed means that it doesn't need to be over-dramatized.  It's the casual way First Position is shot that gets you in the end, whether it's Aran showing us his latest foot torture/ stretcher apparatus among his toys ("you do a ton of these and then five more when you can't do anymore"), or Michaela's adoptive mother painfully bemoaning ballet's racist perception of her daughter. There are failures and setbacks, injuries and financial burdens, but they all pale in comparison to the joy and happiness both the dancers and we feel during a performance.

Every now and then, Kargman interrupts our following of each featured dancer and provides us with quick testimonials about the key parts of a dancing lifestyle. We hear from so many judges, parents and coaches that it is impossible not to appreciate how many people's lives revolve around competitions like these. The magnitude of the time commitments alone are boggling, but First Position answers the inevitable "why?", with pirouettes and arabesques to say "why not?". Why shouldn't Aran's mother drive him to receive lessons over three hours away?  Why shouldn't Joan's mother have such faith as to pour much of the family's money into her son , even though male ballet defies Columbian cultural norms? Kargman, however is no Spielberg, and the film goes to great lengths to remind us these kids are already one in a million for making it this far and still might not make the big time.  Still, it's hard not to wonder that if these kids are doing all this and achieving so much at a young age, what are the majority of us doing with our lives?