ONLY WHEN I DANCE

While the hysteria of reality-TV shows like "So You Think You Can Dance?" trade in cheap theatrics, the struggles of two Brazilian teenagers to scale the rarefied, and still predominantly white, heights of classical ballet, provides real drama in Beadie Finzi's riveting documentary

Isabela and Irlan live and train in one of the violent favelas in Rio di Janiero. Backed by their formidable teacher, the pair embarks on a series of international competitions that will determine the course of their entire lives. Finzi brings a depth of approach to her portrayal, not only of these two remarkable young performers, but to the politics of the ballet world itself. Built on attaining Olympian levels of physical stamina and grace, ballet has little room for human failings. Whether it's losing ten pounds, or performing on an injured ankle, competition for jobs is both highly pressured and unforgiving.

In riveting and poignant counterpoint to this is the struggle of the teenager's families not only to support their kids, but to understand the passion that drives them. As heartbreak and beauty dance a desperate duet, will raw talent be enough to launch them to the top?