Dancers know that even the most thrilling fictional dance films (Black Swan, we mean you!) can’t compete with the blood, sweat, tears and drama of real-life dance. Give your students a burst of inspiration for the new year by recommending one of these always exciting—and true-to-life—dance documentaries.
First Position MPI Home Video; 95 minutes Six young dancers enter one of the world’s most renowned ballet competitions, the Youth America Grand Prix. Expect amazing talent, insane work ethics and last-minute injury drama.
Pina The Criterion Collection; 103 minutes The late Pina Bausch’s dancers and friends muse on her legacy as a pioneer in German dance theater and perform several of her visually stunning works.
Paul Taylor: Dancemaker Docurama; 98 minutes It’s an oldie (1998) but a goodie: Get a rare glimpse into notoriously shy choreographer Paul Taylor’s process as he creates a new piece for his company (the tango-inspired Piazzolla Caldera).
Every Little Step Sony Pictures Home Entertainment; 93 minutes A 5, 6, 7, 8! Find out what really goes on during auditions for a dance-heavy Broadway show as A Chorus Line’s creative team mounts the 2006 revival of the 1970s smash hit.
Jig Screen Media; 93 minutes Wigs. Fake tans. Tiaras. Welcome to the 40th Irish Dancing World Championships, where thousands gather in Glasgow for one exciting—and heartbreaking—week of competition.