First things first...First Position

Degas is late to the party, having just watched the documentary First Position.  Glad to see that it was an honest look at the life of a dancer and did not focus on broken hearts and social clicks that so far  appear to be the themes of newcomer tv series Bunheads (ABC Family) and Breaking Pointe (the CW).   To be fair, the latter did follow real dancers in a real company (Ballet West), but just not the artsy part.  So Degas ponders, now that the Olympics are foremost in the minds of many Americans huddling indoors to escape an incredibly hot summer, can Americans appreciate the artsy side of dance or do they see it as just another athletic competition.  Which brings me back to the First Position and its journey following six young dancers competing for ballet scholarships at the Youth America Grand Prix, the largest competition of its kind.  The stories of each dancer are compelling and admirable.  There is no doubt that they are all dedicated and talented.  But Degas doesn't see the artsy side.  There is little if any discussion in the film about the artistic challenges for a dancer as an artist: the chosen line;  sense of musicality; or choice of technical style and its impact on one's artistic career.
Degas has observed brilliant dancers that simply could not hear let alone feel the music.  Or dancers that were classically trained and mistakenly chose to pursue choreography that begs for the spontaneity of a jazz musician.  Lets not forget the dancer with the amazing fouettes and triple pirouettes that fails to find the artistic mask a dramatic dance role requires.

So todays ballet competitions are really an olympic sport and spectators cheer on the contestants.  Oh my how they turn and how high they jump!  Is that Gabby Douglas, she moves just like her, isn't it amazing.