First Position
First Position is a 2011 American documentary film. It follows six young dancers preparing for the Youth America Grand Prix in New York City, an annual competition for dancers ages 9–19 to earn a place at an elite ballet company or school. Directed by Bess Kargman, it features Michaela DePrince, Aran Bell, Gaya Bommer-Yemini, Miko Fogarty, Jules Fogarty, Joan Sebastian Zamora and Rebecca Houseknecht as they intensively train and prepare for what could be the turning point of their lives.
| First Position | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Bess Kargman |
| Produced by | Bess Kargman |
| Starring | Michaela DePrince Aran Bell Gaya Bommer-Yemini Miko Fogarty Jules Fogarty Joan Sebastian Zamora Rebecca Houseknecht Giuseppe Bausilio |
| Cinematography | Nick Higgins |
| Edited by | Kate Amend Bess Kargman |
| Music by | Chris Hajian |
Production company | First Position Films |
| Distributed by | Sundance Selects |
Release dates |
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Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1,730,824 |
The title 'First Position' is taken from one of the five standard positions of the feet in classical ballet.
Kargman was a first-time director who had studied dance herself. "I ended up quitting my job to make this film, my first film, and I thought maybe by choosing a topic that was quite dear to me and that I had lived for a number of years growing up—maybe I’d be able to do this story justice." The film features renowned dancers and choreographers from all over the world including Nadine Bommer, Denys Ganio, Élisabeth Platel, Raymond Lukens, and Youth America Grand Prix's founder Larissa Saveliev.