Only When I Dance

Finzi's lovingly filmed movie draws viewers into the lives of its two young heroes. You don't have to be a ballet buff to be moved by Isabela's and Irlan's stories.

British director Beadie Finzi follows both dancers to international competitions, where the difficult questions raised by their struggles are set aside.

A more probing exploration of the subjects' diverse challenges would have been welcome. But your heart connects to these young artists. When they soar - onstage and off - you feel it.

What’s unique to Beadie Finzi’s debut feature is what it reveals about the financial, physical and emotional costs of talent.

The lack of information about the school, or about any aspect of the two dancers’ lives that doesn’t involve training for and competing in international competitions, can be startling. When another Centro de Dança student, a petite woman, is a winner at the prestigious Prix de Lausanne, we’re stunned. We didn’t even know she was there.