To Dance Like a Man

Closing Night! 

Identical triplets Angel, César and Marcos of Cuba are poised for greatness at the start of their dancing career. No one can remember a trio of identical boys making it to a professional ballet stage anywhere. Ballet star José Carreño tells the 11-year-olds to pursue their dreams, just as he did when he was growing up in Havana. The triplets are top young students at Cuba’s renowned National Ballet School. Teachers comment that all three show equal emerging talent. This film explores a child’s-eye view on determination and hunger for professional success in the context of Cuba’s surprising impact on the formation of male dancers.

Screening with:
En Avant
Gabrielle Lamb | 2012 | Canada | 12m
In Fall of 2012, after an eight-year hiatus, the Dance Theatre of Harlem returned to the stage under the direction of founding member and former principal ballerina Virginia Johnson. On the eve of the company's comeback, filmmaker Gabrielle Lamb, herself a dancer, followed young members of the DTH Ensemble (second company) who aspired to make the transition into the main troupe.  In a collage of voice-overs by Johnson and the dancers with both present-day and archival footage, Lamb tells the story of the talented artists who have created a unique and resilient American institution.

Double Take
Samuel Hodges | 2012 | UK | 3m 
Inspired by the story of real-life identical twin dancers, Double Take is a story of family rivalry and aging bodies. Part-drama, part-documentary, it charts each man's journey to reconnect with his mirror and find redemption along a trail of forgotten memories.