Rebekah Harkness documentary - "An American Ballet Story" (2022)

[sandik]

It's taken a while, but it's finally opened in NYC.  Reviewed here.

[pherank]

On 4/23/2023 at 4:22 PM, sandik said:

It's taken a while, but it's finally opened in NYC.  Reviewed here.

I imagine Helgi Tomasson would have been one of the interviewees, but the article doesn't list who appears in the documentary.

[sandik]

Well, there's a cast list at IMDB -- it's full of folks!   And here is the official website.  There are a number of excerpts here, including interview footage.  It's not being shown in Seattle at the upcoming film festival, which is a disappointment, so I'll have to hope it makes it to a streaming service. 

Edited April 29, 2023 by sandik

[vipa]

On 4/23/2023 at 7:22 PM, sandik said:

It's taken a while, but it's finally opened in NYC.  Reviewed here.

Just wanted to say that I happened upon the documentary about Rebecca Harkness and the Harkness Ballet on youtube. It's free and quite interesting.

 

[sandik]

Wow -- many thanks!

 

[duffster]

I thought this documentary was very well done. I was a member of the Harkness 1, and was taken into the trainee program and later into the company by Brian Mc Donald . Mrs. Harkness was very kind to me as I was only a teenager at the time. She told me once if I was having any problems, to write her a note and slip it under her office door.  The standard of dancing in the company was very high - the result of daily class with David Howard, Ben Harkarvy and sometimes Rosella Hightower. Living in Montecarlo and working in the same studio as the Ballet Russe and going through the long corridor to the theatre was a bit unusual. Anton Dolin, was there working with us would tell us stories of the Ballet Russe. and showed us where Nijinsky was fitted for his Spectre costume. The principal dancers were all role models for me- 100% commitment from rehearsals to performances. I had the good fortune to work with Rudi Van Dantzig in two ballets, also with Harkarvy, Dolin, Mc Donald, and a young John Neumier. It was tragic when the company disbanded, But since I was so young I was able to join two companies later.  I still have very fond memories of that time.

[dirac]

Thank you for the memories, duffster!

I saw this some time ago and remember it as well worth watching although I don't remember it venturing into areas like Harkness' grim end or her troubled children. Probably just as well.

I see Taylor Swift has written a song about Harkness, unheard by me.

[balletgirl22sk]

I finally watched it yesterday but it unfortunately had lots of commercials. I enjoyed it immensely. I took classes at Harkness with Elisabeth Carroll who was a fabulous teacher and person.