CriticalDance Forum

There is a story on "The Dance Movie" in Dance Magazine. The movie about fictional dance students will have dancers from NYCB, ABT and SFB. Susan Stroman and Christopher Wheeldon choreographed. They will also have Balanchine excerpts.<P>But the feature doesn't say when the movie is coming out? Does anyone know?

Not a clue. Please tell us if anyone knows. I also read that NYCB dancers will play the students and the ABT dancers will play the pro dancers. Due to scheduling the producers say.

Being an avid figure skating fan, I read in a skating-related board that the film will be released in late-March 2000 in the US. Reigning Olympic skating champ, Ilya Kulik, has a featured role as a Russian ballet dancer.

Aurora, that's interesting. I guess Russian skaters have extensive ballet training? Hmm, I wonder if that's true elsewhere, especially here in the US.

Indeed they do, Azlan. Ballet is mandatory for all elite skaters in Russia. No, most elite skaters in the West do not take ballet. Perhaps that is the secret behind Russian pairs & ice dancers being consistently at the top? Interestingly, the only U.S. ice dancers who have had recent success in international competitions are those who are coached by Russians-in-exile, e.g., Igor Schpielband's ice dancers in Detroit. Schpielband makes his skaters take ballet every day! Current World Junior champs, Jamie Silverstein & Justin Pekarek (ages 15 & 17, respectively), are from that Detroit school & will most likely earn an Olympic title in the future.

Interesting trivia, Aurora. I didn't realize the connection between the two arts.

I've heard that for the 'serious' dancing parts, Ilya Kulik's character will be danced by a dancer from ABT. And like everyone, I have no idea when it's coming out. I'm assuming sometime next spring...<P>pidge