What are your favourite ballet movies

[rlyons]

I am trying to think of lots of great ballet movies and documentaries for my Netflix list after reading the Black Swan topic

I just LOVE ballet movies...even not so good ones!

 

On my list (I have seen some but not all yet), I have put stars next to the ones I've seen (and remember) and the stars indicate my level of enjoyment!

 

The Red Shoes (Naturally)****

Center Stage ( My guilty pleasure)***

The Turning Point (watching right now)****

The Company (on my list)

Etolies; Dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet (LOVED it!)****

Ballerina (Very Very good!)****

The Black Swan ( not seen yet)

Billy Elliot ***

White Nights (haven't seen this one in a while...need to see again)

 

I would LOVE any new movie or docu suggestions and any critiques you may have on the ones I've mentioned!

[dancepig]

Rlyons, there's an extensive list in the "Ballet Books, Movies. etc" topic. I am not sure exactly what page it's on, but it is a very long list. In my opinion, as far as actual movies about ballet, you've made a complete list. For movies with ballet in them, you could check out Danny Kaye's "Hans Christian Andersen", and "American in Paris".

[Doubleturn]

A quite old one is "Summer Interlude" by Ingmar Bergman from 1957. Although mainly about the relationship between the protagonists, it has some quite long ballet extracts. It is fascinating to see how technique has changed. There is also a sequence of the lead girl doing exercises on pointe at the holiday cottage, fast and furious to illustrate her emotions at the time. The camera focusses on the feet and I wonder whether the close up of feet at the beginning of "Black Swan" is referencing this. Will find out when I get to to see it.

[Je Suis Aimee]

OMG, you have to see The Dancer. I absolutely adore it to pieces. It's on youtube, actually! You have to search for it under the name "Dansaren" because while it is subtitled and has narration in English, the dancers are Swedish. And it has Anneli Alhanko in it... she is so fabulous!!

[Hans]

"The Dancer" is excellent.

 

"The Glass Slipper" with Leslie Caron is very good--an adaptation of the Cinderella story with a more interesting Cinderella character, and two "dream ballet" sequences.

[Mazenderan]

There's a ballet section in the film 'The Story of Three Loves', with Moira Shearer and James Mason. The choreography is by Frederick Ashton. You can see Ms Shearer dancing here:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWCgavOqE9U...player_embedded

 

Her dancing is all very clean and precise and strong. James Mason mostly stands about brooding as only James Mason can.

[rlyons]

Dancepig,

Can't find that list..will try again...thanks! I know An American In Paris...FAB! That will go on there too! Will check out the Hans Christian movie.

 

Doubleturn,

I love Ingmar Bergman so will deff. check this out!

 

JeSuisAimee,

The Dancer sounds perfect!

 

Hans, the Glass Slipper sounds super too...Leslie Caron is so charming!

 

Thanks all!

[rlyons]

Thanks Mazenderan!

Beautiful! AND Rachmaninoff!? One of my faves!

She is beautiful! James Mason DOES brood! LOL

[Hamorah]

What is very special about Moira Shearer here is how her technique doesn't look dated. She could almost be a 21st century ballerina, which was pretty amazing for that period.

 

There was a film called Dancers with Baryshnikov. He was supposed to be in an American company making a film of Giselle in Italy, with love interest thrown in too. The film as far as I was concerned was great for its extracts of Baryshnikov dancing Albrecht - oh talk about broody James Mason, give me tragic Misha any day! I don't know if the film was ever released commercially. I recorded it when it was shown once on TV.

 

Don't forget the dream sequence in Carousel and of course all the Gene Kelly ballet scenes in his musicals.

 

Mao's Last Dancer should definitely be added to your list.

[Swiss_Chard]

I quite enjoyed the documentary about Les Ballets Russes. I think that was the name of the movie as well. In the documentary category as well, I enjoyed 'The Children of Theatre Street' and 'Elusive Muse' as well.

[luceroblanco]

The Children of Theatre Street is great IMO. Also Ballanchine in Russia. I'm not sure if anyone mentioned that one. When the NYCO ballet goes to Russia several years ago to perform Ballanchine's choreography.

[Tarthulhu]

"Ballet High"

http://www.filmoption.com/international_se...ails.asp?id=530

 

There are a couple trailers on YouTube. Documentary about a group of students in their final year at Royal Winnipeg Ballet School.