Movies: Dance movies?

[BW]

goro or EvilNinjaX - great listing of films!

 

If you're not familiar with the other board (at one time there was one larger board) called: Ballet Talk, you might find it quite interesting... They have a special forum devoted to videos...it's "restricted" to full members of that board...but it might be something you'd enjoy.

 

Again, thanks for adding your listings here.

[JaneD]

As far as I can see, no-one has mentioned White Nights. Mikhail Baryshnikov plays a ballet dancer who has defected to the West (pre-perestroika), who is on a 'plane which crashes over the Soviet Union. In an attempt to re-educate him in communist ways, he is introduced to an American tap dancer (Greg Hines, I think) living in the Soviet Union. Cue some competetive ballet versus tap scenes.

 

At a guess, I would say it was made around 20 years ago.

 

Also, a French film with dialogue in English, French and German, called Les Uns et les Autres, tracing famlies of various nationalities through World War II. A few scenes with the Bejart Ballet (I think), including a complete performance of Ravel's Bolero. Starred Geraldine Chaplin, score by Claude Lelouche and Francis Lai. Easily 20 years old - I saw it in the Netherlands, and haven't been there for quite a while.

 

Jane

[Guest london_dancer]

By the way, I think Eva is really the best dancer in the movie. 

Interesting, because she (Zoe Saldana) isn't trained as a dancer

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

the IMDB have it worng then they say:

 

'Zoe Zaldana' was born in New Jersey to Dominicans parents, moved to the Dominican Republic for 7 years and studied ballet there at Ritmos Espacio de Danza academy (actually known as "ECOS Espacio de Danza Dance Academy), and then went back to the United States to continue her career'

 

also another bio -

 

'Born in New Jersey and raised in Queens, New York, Saldana moved with her family to the Dominican Republic as a youngster. After winning a scholarship to a prestigious dance school, the budding talent studied all forms of dance including ballet, jazz, modern and latin dance'

 

 

iyou might mean Susan May Pratt i read somewhere that she wasn't a dancer.

 

i would of thought that to be in a dance movie you would off had to have some training.

 

on another note - anyone seen the movie 'honey'?

[Marga]

Aesha Ash (NYCB at the time) did most of Zoe Saldana's dancing, particularly the lead in "Jonathon's Ballet".

[MichelleW]

Funny that this topic should pop up. I just finished watching The Company and, while I'm obviously a ballet fan and an Altman fan as well, a good 25 or so minutes of this film should have been left on the cutting room floor. That said, there weren't enough extras on the DVD, either.

 

The Blue Snake was horrible but sort of charming.

[Guest london_dancer]

Aesha Ash (NYCB at the time) did most of Zoe Saldana's dancing, particularly the lead in "Jonathon's Ballet".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

yeah but still she's a trained dancer, but not good enough then for all the parts

[shnymrsh]

This afternoon I watched part of a movie on the Sundance channel called Dracula;Pages From a Virgin's Diary. It was by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. It was done in black and white and in a silent film style. It was rather different than other productions I have seen and from what I saw, very artistic. It comes on again late tonight at 3:20 AM eastern time and again Thursday July 21st at 8AM and 3 PM (also eastern time), also on the Sundance channel for anyone interested. (you should check listing/guide channels for other time zones).

Shnymrsh

Edited July 18, 2005 by shnymrsh

[Guest castilloje]

I agree to all the top 5 movies.. <how about a sticky>

My 9yr old LOVES "CENTER STAGE". We have watched that movie several times. I use that movie to describe to my daughter the correctness of arms and posture. JUST LIKE MOREEN

 

As we have forgotten "FLASHDANCE", one of my favorites are "GREASE", "SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER" <-- not too much ballet but John Travolta is great dancer and how about "ALIVE" <--- its great to see the challenges a dancer faces in auditions and relationships and also coming from a low income family to a royal rich family. I always remember this other movie called "SIX WEEKS"

 

Thanks so much for all the inputs on movies. I got my self my list and get my daughter a great birthday gift for her this year!!!

 

Thanks Ballet Talk

I've gotten the best advice and suggestions since I became a member !!!

[Paula]

My dancing daughter really appreciated the dancing in West Side Story. Also the story, as she understood the Romeo & Juliet allusion, from her exposure to that ballet.

[Siegelife]

I will always love Flashdance and White Nights. But more recently I think Center Stage is a great movie. DD and I just watched that one last night. I didn't realize that the one actress who was the rebel in class-who replaced the bulemic girl at the end.....she was in Pirates of the Carribean too! She was a dancer first.

[Guest castilloje]

I rented and watched Fame. Not quite like Center Stage, but ok. There were a few ballet scenes that my DD was interested in. Took it back right away and bought The Company. That one was good as well. Has a variety of ballet scenes. More like modern.

 

Next on my queue is west side story, etoiles, Anna. We'll see how those turn out this week

 

As far as I know I went back and did a research on "aesha ash" boy was I fooled about eva doing all the dance moves. I wonder why they didnt list her name in the dvd movie about being eva's double?

Edited July 25, 2005 by castilloje

[tu2sparkles]

Backstage at the Kirov and Children of Theatre Street might be interesting.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I saw that children of theatre street about the kirov at my ballet studio on movie night and it really gave me a better picture of just how much harder those kids had to work compared to me who only goes 3 times a week for an hour outside of school.really good documentry.you should see it.

[ABT Wannabe]

Tinks12115,

I think Gillian Murphy appears when "Cooper" walks out of the theatre, leaving Jody behind. He's got his arm around her. I'm not sure if there's any other appearences from her.

-ABTwannabe

[Guest castilloje]

Over the weekend we saw Turning Point and loved it. Mikhail Baryshnikov is such a great dancer as well as Leslie Brown. Wow I love her arm movements.. she is great! Suzanne Farrell is also a great movie I recommend.

[dancelyssa]

At the Briansky SI in 2003, we saw Children Of Theatre Street. I believe they show it every year as Mr. Briansky was one of the makers (I'm not sure if he filmed, directed, or produced) and afterwards they told us what happened to the children. The 12 year old girl, Angelina Armeiskaya, came over to America and is a teacher at UBA I think. It shows how old the movie is. It is narrarated by Princess Grace of Monaco I believe.