First Position

I've become weary of documentaries about winning prizes, but this one is special because the kids are.

These performers are so young, so serious, so full of dreams and so hard on themselves that it is difficult not to be moved by their striving.

First Position is a simple, but effective portrait of ambition and determination in an art form where the stakes are high and the rewards are few.

Because its subjects are so driven and so talented, First Position, which is about ballet, is more gripping than the norm.

Kargman is light on her feet, and she has chosen to follow a fascinating group of kids preparing for the 2010 Youth America Grand Prix.

It's a simple and lovely movie, and particularly for people who haven't seen "Spellbound," it's a great introduction to the intriguing mix of parents - neurotic, loving, pressuring, calming - who raise great kids who do great things.

The result is a film that eschews in-depth insight in favor of easily digestible who's-going-to-win suspense, a tack that's aided by Kargman's rather poignant (and visually graceful) evocation of pre-performance anxiety but ultimately leaves the material feeling deflated once the winners emerge.

Liked the movie a lot. Showed you the passion and hardwork put in by the youngsters in pursuing their dream of dancing ballet professionally. Would recommend this film to young people and their familes who are seriously considering a career in the arts.

What it offers is simply a glimpse of what this work is about, what it implies for these young people, their talent, their profession and of course what will represent for their professional future. Also the strenght of this doc is that is giving us an insight of this young people working so hard which is rewarding and inspiring. It's not an outstanding documentary but it's pretty good and definitely a good option even if you never cared about ballet.

It seemed like a long promotional pitch for: "American Idol for Ballet Dancers". I was ready to be a fan of this documentary and a good story, but the potentially good stories were mashed together. I was disappointed they didn't use the ebb and flow of ballet to tell the story. Great kids, good music, hard work, sacrifice is clear. But, I wasn't invested in the **** summary, with so many other great movies to watch, this one is on the end of your list unless you love ballet.