This remarkable film recreates a 30-year period in ballet history by presenting rare archival imagery from the past and recently filmed discussions of a great era by people who participated in it. What comes across strongest is the affection that directors Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller felt for their subjects, the majority in their 80s, and for their fascination for the great work the brilliant dancers accomplished in the period 1932 to 1962.
I saw the film at the 2005 Vancouver International Film Festival, where it played to a packed auditorium. It's safe to assume that the majority of viewers were not balletomanes but simply addicts of the motion picture medium. (Some were seeing up to five films each day). Respectful silence was maintained throughout, with healthy laughter for the humorous content of the film. At the end there was applause, with several viewers standing to show their approval.
This film is a paean to humanity, the human spirit and the beauty that artists create for the world they serve.
I saw the film at the 2005 Vancouver International Film Festival, where it played to a packed auditorium. It's safe to assume that the majority of viewers were not balletomanes but simply addicts of the motion picture medium. (Some were seeing up to five films each day). Respectful silence was maintained throughout, with healthy laughter for the humorous content of the film. At the end there was applause, with several viewers standing to show their approval.
This film is a paean to humanity, the human spirit and the beauty that artists create for the world they serve.