From left: ABT dancers Hee Seo, Cory Stearns and Joseph Gorak in rehearsal.

Bunheads and daredevils alike will enjoy television premiers of two new dance documentaries this month. On May 11, Born to Fly: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity on PBS details Streb’s rise from experimental modern dance choreographer to ringleader of a high-risk, dance-gymnastics hybrid. Follow her and her company members—she calls them “extreme action heroes”—as they prepare for their gravity-defying performances at the 2012 Olympics in London.

And on May 15, PBS will premiere American Masters: American Ballet Theatre, charting the company though 75 years, from its early struggled to its current status as one of the top ballet companies in the world. Included is rare footage of Balanchine and Baryshnikov, rehearsal and performance shots and interviews with key figures, both past and present (artist in residence Alexei Ratmansky, soloist Misty Copeland and the late Donald Saddler, to name a few). Check your local listings—set your DVR, too!—to catch these incredible inside looks into the diverse world of dance.

Photo by George Seminara, courtesy of ABT