ballet movie

by Emily Kate Long

There’s something about the film Fall to Rise that just hits me in the guts. Leads Kathleen Crockett and Daphne Rubin-Vega deliver powerful performances as two former members of Husdon Dance Company who are struggling to carve out new identities after leaving the stage.

Lauren Drake (Crockett) and Sheila Jules (Rubin-Vega) are as different as two characters can be. While Lauren was forced into retirement by a severe knee injury, Sheila’s exit was a walk of shame following her assumedly messy romantic involvement with HDC’s artistic director, Des (Desmond Richardson). A chance meeting brings them together, setting them on a harried, frenzied mission to turn things around.

The characterization of these two women is further set off by their existence in a world of archetypes: the cash-strapped dance company, Lauren’s judgmental in-laws and frustrated husband, the sex-and-drugs-infested club underworld Sheila inhabits by night. The supporting cast includes Tamara Tunie, Kohl Sudduth, and John Rua.

Some of the best scenes in the film are those featuring Crockett’s dancing. Her statuesque, fluid beauty and the urgency and intensity of her movement sum up the heart of her and Rubin-Vegas’ struggle: what it means to feel crippled, what it means to stand up, and the intoxicating liberation that comes with resurrection and knowing you’re not alone.

Writer/director Jayce Bartok and producer Tiffany Bartok have delivered a punch with Fall to Rise. It’s emotional, uncomfortable, and raw.

The film won Best Feature at the 2014 On Location: Memphis International Film and Music Fest.

Fall To Rise Official Trailer from Vinyl Foote Productions on Vimeo.

by Catherine L. Tully

Better late than never–right?

It has taken me a long while to get around to doing this review. I was hesitant about watching this movie–not sure if I wanted to see what the depiction was of the ballet world. Somehow I knew it would fall short, and for me it did.

As I had heard, the movie rang true to overarching stereotypes of ballet dancers and what goes on behind the scenes, and I found myself disappointed that it didn’t try a little harder to stretch beyond the typical. After all, not every director is “grabby”, not every retiring ballerina is morose and suicidal, and not every dance mom is overbearing. It would have been nice to depart a bit from these images and strive to create real characters with dimension rather than falling back on old, tired images of these roles. Here, the director played it safe, but, admittedly, it is difficult subject matter to tackle. Still, it would have been nice to have had more range.

The behind-the-scenes look into the ballet world was again somewhat typical, but served as a decent bit of background for those who may not be aware of what goes on in a dance company. Many dancers can relate to things such as the cramped physical therapy office, the nerves as everyone checks the board for their name when ballets are posted and the hush that comes over a room when the director appears.

I loved the scene where you get to see how pointe shoes are “worked” and broken in and the realism of the dancers sitting around in the hallway with their ballet bags. How true, how true. Still, it would have been wonderful to have a little more of that–I think it would have helped explain dancers in a way that would have helped make sense of things better in the movie. After all, there is a lot more to the life of a ballet dancer than people may realize. [Read more…]

Dance Movie Review: Fall To Rise

Review: Black Swan

Disclosure – Affiliate & Ad Info

Copyright Notice