In Balanchine's Classroom CFF

United States, 2021, 88 mins.

DIRECTOR: Connie Hochman

WITH: George Balanchine, Edward Villella, Jacques d'Amboise, Merrill Ashley, Heather Watts

Documentary filmmaker and ex-professional ballerina Connie Hochman spins us into the world of George Balanchine, one of the most influential choreographers of the 20th Century, during his days at the New York City Ballet company. He was a teacher with many disciples, who eagerly followed his teachings, but also had to adjust to his unorthodox methods, intense presence, and keep up with a man who pushed the limits of dance. The footage of Balanchine watching over his classes feels almost ethereal, his grunts and gestures demanding the direction of movement with little explanation.

“Former ballet dancers grasp at words to describe the genius of George Balanchine in this charming documentary” Teo Bugbee, The New York Times

The Cambridge Film Festival is presented by the Cambridge Film Trust, a registered charity with a mission to foster film culture and education for the benefit of the public, in Cambridge and the Eastern region but also throughout the UK.