UK TV Channel 4 Christmas Day 1.25pm

[Nanarina]

Documentary about two Brazillian Girls who hope t to become Ballerina's Finishes at 3pm. Prime time viewing on one of the main UK channels.

[Helene]

I've seen the movie at the Vancouver Film Festival: it's about one boy, Irlan Silva (ABT II), and one girl, Isabella Coraci, who are from the favelas of Rio de Janiero, and who study at Mariza Estrella's Centro de Danza Rio.

http://www.tribecafilm.com/filmguide/Only_When_I_Dance.html

If you can, don't miss this viewing.

[carbro]

Irlan Silva's bio and photo -->click.

[leonid17]

If you can, don't miss this viewing.

I am grateful I took your advice Helene and watched the film this afternoon which I thought was filled with realities, charm, emotion and what I can only call a kind of bravery. I hope Irlan Silva is doing well with ABT, which google tells me he joined last year.

Thank you Nanarina for your original post.

[Nanarina]

I am glad you enjoyed it folks. I myself missed it, as it was a case of spending Christmas day on my own, or accepting an invitation to friends which which I did. I hope it will be repeated later, so I can carch up with it. Happy new year to you all. Nanarina

[volcanohunter]

For those of you with region-free players, the DVD is selling on British Amazon for £5.99.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002WJAJ4E

The North American version can also be pre-ordered on Amazon.com, though it won't be released until December 7, 2010.

[puppytreats]

I watched "Only When I Dance" and "The Dancer" today. I was disappointed by "The Dancer", finding that it lacked any depth. I thought "OWID" was one of the best dance movies that I have seen.

Questions:

1. In "OWID", Irlan Silva danced a piece called, "Nijinsky", in which the dancer commits suicide. I have not read about his life ending that way. Is the choreographer making some kind of suggestion about institutionalization being a form of suicide, or is suicide only a satisfactory ending from a dramatic, literary, or plot viewpoint? Who choreographed this piece and who has performed it?

2. Does anyone have any update on Mr. Silva's career? His biography is not on the abt.org website anymore, although his picture remains.

3. In "The Dancer," the prima ballerina who coached the student seemed to bouree from the upper, inner thigh, while the student seemed to move more from the lower part of her legs. Is this a function of age or technique?

[naomikage]

I watched "Only When I Dance" and "The Dancer" today. I was disappointed by "The Dancer", finding that it lacked any depth. I thought "OWID" was one of the best dance movies that I have seen.

Questions:

1. In "OWID", Irlan Silva danced a piece called, "Nijinsky", in which the dancer commits suicide. I have not read about his life ending that way. Is the choreographer making some kind of suggestion about institutionalization being a form of suicide, or is suicide only a satisfactory ending from a dramatic, literary, or plot viewpoint? Who choreographed this piece and who has performed it?

2. Does anyone have any update on Mr. Silva's career? His biography is not on the abt.org website anymore, although his picture remains.

1. The piece "Nijinsky" is choreographed by John Neumeier, and this is a solo part of the full-evening piece. This work was premiered in 2000 at Hamburg Ballet and Nijinsky was danced by Jiri Bubenicek. This piece has been performed in Hamburg Ballet's tour and is a popular piece, using Schostakovich's Symphony No.11 and Scheherazade. This solo is just an expression of Nijinsky's madness and not a suicide.

http://www.hamburgballett.de/e/rep/nijinsky.htm

2. According to Dance Magazine, Irlan Silva has joined the Boston Ballet from 2011–12 season

http://dancemagazine.com/issues/January-2009/Comings--Goings