Title: TuTu Much
Directed by: Elise Swerhone
Running time: 83 minutes, Unrated, released 11/12/13
Every year, girls from around the world audition for the Summer School at Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Out of 1000 applicants, only 70 will be invited to the 4 week program. The documentary follows 8 girls in various stages of experience as they train and compete for a chance to get into the full-time professional program.
I was put in ballet & tap classes as a child and I thought dance was the worst thing ever. I’ve had to sit through several performances of The Nutcracker and each time felt like a slow death. Holy crap there’s people that actually want to do this for a living?! After watching this surprisingly intriguing documentary on one of the most boring professions ever, I now have experienced the dreamer’s perspective. The pain these girls and boys endure is incredible. One 15 year old girl named Raquel sees ballet as I do, but utilizes it as a springboard to jazz, hip-hop and acrobatics. Some of the girls realize ballet is probably not something they’ll continue doing, but the discipline they learn can apply to other things, which is great. I would recommend any parent to watch with their aspiring dancer, just to give them an idea of the process involved and how much time, money and work they have to put into it. Some kids may have their goals reinforced, or realize it was just a fleeting fantasy.
Total rating: B
Reviewed by: JM Willis
