Ballet (film)

Last updated
Ballet
Directed by Frederick Wiseman
Produced byFrederick Wiseman
Starring Julio Bocca
Alessandra Ferri
Susan Jaffe
Amanda McKerrow
CinematographyJohn Davey
Edited byFrederick Wiseman
Distributed by Zipporah Films [1]
Release date
  • March 22, 1995 (1995-03-22)
Running time
170 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Ballet is a 1995 American documentary film directed by Frederick Wiseman. [2]

Contents

Summary

It portrays rehearsals, choreography, performances, business transactions, and other day-to-day life of the American Ballet Theatre. [3] Much of the footage dates from the 1992 season. It also includes scenes from the company's European tour, namely in Athens and Copenhagen. [4]

Appearances are made by Susan Jaffe, Julie Kent, Julio Bocca, Angel Corella, Amanda McKerrow, Alessandra Ferri and others. Various ballet masters and choreographers also appear, including Kevin McKenzie, ABT's artistic director, Ulysses Dove, Irina Kolpakova, Natalia Makarova and Agnes de Mille. Business transactions by then-director Jane Hermann are also included. [5]

Availability

The film is currently released to the public by Wiseman's distribution company, Zipporah Films

Related Research Articles

High School is a 1968 American documentary film by Frederick Wiseman that shows a typical day for students and faculty at a Pennsylvanian high school during the late 1960s. It is one of the first direct cinema documentaries. It was shot over five weeks between March and April 1968 at Northeast High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The film was not shown in Philadelphia at the time of its release, because of Wiseman's concerns over what he called "vague talk" of a lawsuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agnes de Mille</span> American dancer and choreographer (1905–1993)

Agnes George de Mille was an American dancer and choreographer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederick Ashton</span> British dancer and choreographer (1904–1988)

Sir Frederick William Mallandaine Ashton was a British ballet dancer and choreographer. He also worked as a director and choreographer in opera, film and revue.

The National Ballet of Canada is a Canadian ballet company that was founded in 1951 in Toronto, Ontario, with Celia Franca, the first artistic director. A company of 70 dancers with its own orchestra, the National Ballet has been led since 2022 by artistic director Hope Muir. Renowned for its diverse repertoire, the company performs traditional full-length classics, embraces contemporary work and encourages the creation of new ballets, as well as the development of Canadian dancers and choreographers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Ballet Theatre</span> Ballet company

American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant, it is recognized as one of the world's leading classical ballet companies. Through 2019, it had an annual eight-week season at the Metropolitan Opera House in the spring and a shorter season at the David H. Koch Theater in the fall; the company tours around the world the rest of the year. The company was scheduled to have a 5-week spring season at the MET preceded by a 2-week season at the Koch Theater beginning in 2020. ABT is the parent company of the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, and was recognized as "America's National Ballet Company" in 2006 by the United States Congress.

<i>Titicut Follies</i> 1967 American documentary film

Titicut Follies is a 1967 American direct cinema documentary film produced, written, and directed by Frederick Wiseman and filmed by John Marshall. It deals with the patient-inmates of Bridgewater State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, a Massachusetts Correctional Institution in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. The title is taken from that of a talent show put on by the hospital staff. Titicut is the Wampanoag name for the nearby Taunton River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Royal Ballet</span> Ballet company in the United Kingdom

The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in 1931 by Dame Ninette de Valois. It became the resident ballet company of the Royal Opera House in 1946, and has purpose-built facilities within these premises. It was granted a royal charter in 1956, becoming recognised as Britain's flagship ballet company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederick Wiseman</span> American documentary filmmaker

Frederick Wiseman is an American filmmaker, documentarian, and theater director. His work is primarily about exploring American institutions. In 2017, The New York Times called him "one of the most important and original filmmakers working today".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joffrey Ballet</span> Ballet company (founded in 1956)

The Joffrey Ballet is an American dance company and training institution in Chicago, Illinois. The Joffrey regularly performs classical and contemporary ballets during its annual performance season at the Civic Opera House, including its annual presentation of The Nutcracker.

Houston Ballet, operated by Houston Ballet Foundation, is a professional ballet company based in Houston, Texas. The company consists of 59 dancers and produces over 85 performances per year. It is the 5th largest ballet company in the United States.

Ballet is a formalized kind of performance dance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlos Acosta</span> Cuban ballet dancer

Carlos Yunior Acosta Quesada is a Cuban-British ballet director and retired dancer who is director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet. He danced with many companies, including the English National Ballet, National Ballet of Cuba, Houston Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. He was a permanent member of The Royal Ballet from 1998 to 2015. In 2003, he was promoted to principal guest artist, a rank that reduced his commitment, enabling him to concentrate on a growing schedule of international guest appearances and tours. He celebrated his farewell after 17 years at The Royal Ballet, dancing his last performance in November 2015 in Carmen, which he both choreographed and starred in.

Gillian Murphy is an American ballet dancer who is a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cincinnati Ballet</span> American ballet company

The Cincinnati Ballet is a professional ballet company founded as Cincinnati Civic Ballet in 1958, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. After being registered as a company, it had its first performance in 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin McKenzie (dancer)</span> American ballet dancer, choreographer, and director

Kevin McKenzie is an American ballet dancer, choreographer, and director. A former principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre, he then served as the company's artistic director from 1992 to 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind</span> School in Talladega, Alabama, United States

The Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind (AIDB) is the world’s most comprehensive education, rehabilitation and service program serving individuals of all ages who are deaf, blind, deafblind and multidisabled. It is operated by the U.S. state of Alabama in the city of Talladega. The current institution includes the Alabama School for the Deaf, the Alabama School for the Blind, and the Helen Keller School of Alabama, named for Alabamian Helen Keller, which serves children who are both deaf and blind. E. H. Gentry Facility provides vocational training for adult students, and the institution offers employment through its Alabama Industries for the Blind facilities in Talladega and Birmingham. AIDB has regional centers in Birmingham, Decatur, Dothan, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, Opelika, Shoals, Talladega, and Tuscaloosa. AIDB currently serves over 36,000 residents from all 67 counties of the state.

Public Housing is a 1997 American documentary film directed by Frederick Wiseman. It records the daily life in the Ida B. Wells public housing development in Chicago, Illinois.

<i>Boxing Gym</i> 2010 film

Boxing Gym is a 2010 American documentary film edited, produced, and directed by Frederick Wiseman. The film premiered at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2010.

<i>Monrovia, Indiana</i> (film) 2018 American film

Monrovia, Indiana is a 2018 American documentary film edited, co-produced, and directed by Frederick Wiseman. The film documents daily life in the titular small farming community of Monrovia, Indiana. It premiered at the 75th Venice International Film Festival on September 4, 2018, and made its premiere in the United States on September 30, 2018, at the New York Film Festival.

<i>City Hall</i> (2020 film) 2020 American documentary film

City Hall is a 2020 American documentary film directed, edited, and co-produced by Frederick Wiseman. It explores the government of Boston, Massachusetts.

References

  1. James, Caryn (1995-03-22). "FILM REVIEW: BALLET; On the Heels of a Ballet Troupe, Through Drudgery to Glory". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2019-04-05.
  2. MUBI
  3. Frederick Wiseman returns to ballet world with new film - Los Angeles Times
  4. IDFA Archive
  5. The Paley Center for Media