Original subtitles

Don't mind me. I, uh... Uh, we were practicing.

From what I just saw, I think you two got it down pretty good.

Be your own hero.

Be your own hero. Gotta be your own hero.

This is a ballet class.

We don't boogie here.

What's the matter?

The matter is that I've got this ballet to do. You said it yourself.

The kids get over -emotional about... Don't worry about the kids anymore, Ann.

You got me to worry about now.

You've got big dreams.

You want fame.

Well, fame costs.

And right here is where you start paying.

You sweat.

How long has that been going on?

About a week.

Is it serious?

I'd say so.

Come on, Amatulo. We gotta pick a scene for drama. We don't have much time.

All right, what are our choices?

The King and I.

Who did that on Broadway?

Neil Brenner.

Nah, what else?

Picnic.

Who played that?

What does it matter?

A lot.

If I can see myself as the actor who created the role, then it's good for me.

Besides, I can't see myself playing you, Brenna, you know what I mean?

Paul Newman did Picnic.

Not in a million years, Armatulo, forget it.

Um, public displays of affection are frowned upon by Miss Carlton.

Why does that get the impression that you don't really care?

Bruno's right, I better go inside.

Thanks for walking me.

Yeah, it was a real hardship.

I gotta go.

Don't you have a class to attend, Mr. Johnson?

Yes, ma 'am.

Then I suggest you move it.

Excuse me. Okay.

I expect it every time.

Oh, uh, excuse me. Of course.

No, no, I need some help. I'm looking for Mr. Sharofsky. He's in his room.

Uh, where is his room?

Third floor, room 214.

Mr. Martelli, the tempo is wandering. Could you do something about that,

Do my best.

Somehow I was hoping for something more.

Hold it, Mr. Martelli.

Miss Harrison, this is a ballet class.

It's not modern, not jazz.

We don't boogie here.

Which means that when I call for pique turns, I expect to see your toe at your

knee, not flailing around in the air.

I didn't think I was doing that badly. If you want to be proficient... You've

got to want more than not do badly.

You've got to want perfection.

Whether or not you'll ever get there, that's another matter.

I just meant I didn't think... And you've got to learn to take criticism.

I'm trying to teach you. I'm not inviting you to debate.

Just listen.

Sorry.

I was just practicing my tempo.

If the piano player can keep the tempo... and Miss Harrison can execute

theories properly, we may avoid incredible embarrassment when it comes

putting us on its feet in front of an audience, though, frankly, I think the

odds are rather long.

Are you ready, Martelli?

Sure. If you threw the sarcastic put -downs.

Whenever the spirit moves you, Mr. Martelli.

Handball? Sure.

I play in the basement.

Keeps me in shape.

I didn't know we had a handball court in the basement.

Well, it's not exactly a court.

You see, there's a wall, a little space out front, and you just have to learn

how to play off the poles.

You mean like bumper pool?

Yeah, sort of.

You two care to join me?

No, thank you.

It's your loss.

Do you know where Mr. Sharofsky is?

Well, yes, I do. But he told me that he did not want to be disturbed unless it

was a matter of life and death.

Life or death.

One or the other.

Disqualified.

Well, then room 242.

What is it, Mr. Mattelli?

I left explicit instructions that I did not want to be disturbed.

I know.

Then why are you disturbing me? Well, this is important.

Mr. Martelli, are you hemorrhaging?

No. Is the school on fire?

No.

Then what is important is what I'm doing now. I speak with you later.

Don't look so down, girl. I still love you. Time out, okay?

I'm not up to that stuff now.

How come? What's the matter?

The matter is that I've got this ballet teacher who...

About one of my ballet students,

Daphne Harrison.

Oh, that's Daphne. She's in my modern class.

She's very good.

Perhaps modern.

Classical ballet?

Not likely.

I demand a lot from my kids, and I don't think she's up to it. Hmm.

Well, what is it you want me to do?

Could you talk to her?

Today I corrected her in class, and apparently she took it the wrong way.

Maybe I'm coming down on her too hard, or maybe her priorities are wrong.

Meaning? I'm wondering if her major shouldn't be modern, not ballet.

If you could talk to her, get an idea of where her head is.

Sure, I'll talk to her.

No guarantees, but I'll give it a try.

Thanks.

I hate to see a young person waste time and energy when there isn't a chance of

it paying off.

Especially a girl like Stephanie.

Afternoon. Benjamin. Oh, Benjamin.

Would you, could you send me a new piano player for my fourth period class?

Martelli isn't working out.

Martelli? He's the best I've got.

It's an attitude problem with Martelli.

Oh, well. You said you wanted a genius. You didn't say he had to be an angel,

too. But, if you insist... Request.

Benjamin. Thank you.

She's really cracking the whip up there.

Must have been scared by George Steinbrenner.

Yeah, Anne can be a bit hard to take sometimes, but she does know ballet.

And if she's got doubts about a kid, well, you take that seriously.

I hate paperwork. I hate paperwork.

I hate paperwork.

Boom, chicka, boom.

Needs a little variety in the lyric.

Did you know the Mojave Desert was covered with trees?

Then the Board of Education discovered forms and it became a wasteland inside

a semester.

Do what I do.

I don't have the legs.

Surrendering, Mr. Sharofsky?

No. But by filling in these papers, I'm getting a student who's a dream, an

angel. A unique presence.

I'm going to make my stand on forms when I'm willing to lose.

Not this time.

Not this time.

Ladies and gentlemen, if I may have your attention, I would like to introduce a

new classmate, Susan.

May I present Susan Marshall.

Remember that imaginary string.

Oh, Bob.

No, you terrific.

I gotta go. I got a show at first period. Bye -bye.

Thank you.

Don't mind me. I, uh, I just work here.

Uh, we were practicing.

Oh, why, Leroy?

From what I just saw, I think you two got it down pretty good.

I don't think you need much more practice.

I gotta go shower.

Point that toe, girl.

Now what is all this between you and my star dancer?

Leroy? No, Danny.

Oh, that's good, huh?

All right.

Stephanie.

What are you planning to do with your dancing?

I've got it all mapped out.

Finish here and go to the American Ballet Theatre and audition.

Maybe San Francisco or London.

Wherever. As long as I can be in ballet.

You know, you might have an even brighter future in modern dance. Have

thought about that?

You're excellent in modern dance.

And you can sing and you're pretty as can be.

Miss Grant, did Miss Carlton ask you to talk to me? Oh. Whether she did or not,

that doesn't change what I'm talking about.

Well, Martin could offer you more avenues to explore.

More options.

I'm not trying to talk you into anything. I'm just giving you something

about.

I'm getting some tea.

Miss Grant.

Just giving you something to think about.

Mr. Batali, I have something I'd like you to do for me. Me too. Maybe we can

work out a trade. I need someone to look after Susan until she becomes

acclimated. Look, I want to lay it on the line. I'm kind of big brother. Miss

Carlton's ballet class, I want out.

If you consent, I will release you from playing for Miss Carlton's ballet class.

You will?

Forever? And a day.

Great!

Whoa! Wait, what do I have to do?

Mr. Martelli is going to be a sort of guide while you get familiar with the

we do things around here.

Great.

Exactly the word I was thinking.

There's still time before first bell. Why don't you give her a quick preschool

tour?

Okay, come on.

Maybe we can find a water fountain she can reach.

My folks are only going to be here for a month, so this seemed like a better way

for me to keep up my piano playing and my academics at the same time.

That's good thinking. What are you folks doing here for a month?

Well, my dad has, like, this course to teach in nuclear medicine, and my mom's

just having some of her stuff shown in some galleries around here.

You know, paintings and stuff. Your standard working vacation.

Is that the cafeteria?

Oh, yeah, it is.

But the food's pretty lousy, huh? Most cafeteria food is.

It's okay.

As long as you don't eat it.

Well, I can take it for three weeks.

Then we go to Dallas.

You live in Dallas?

Madison, Wisconsin.

And the reason you're going to Dallas is?

I have a concert there.

Dallas Symphony.

Hey, what's that?

Music. Come on.

She's going to be very easy to hate.

Or with some other girl that you knew before.

Between the two of us girls, you know I love you more.

She says she plays a little.

you by the end of the day. Promise.

Great. Appreciate it.

You know, you must have yourself some crop of divas in your class this year.

Why do you say that?

Well, I got a chance to look at some of Stephanie's technique this morning.

That girl is no slouch.

I mean, if she's the one you think ought to change majors, then the kid you want

to keep must really be something special. You saw her alone.

No ensemble work, right?

Right.

Makes it easy for her to look good.

There's nobody there to compare her to.

Yeah, well, it's pretty hard for me to imagine anyone looking too much better

than... As I said, I'll have the list for you by the end of the day.

Unless you'd like to make it up for me.

I'm not trying to tell you how to run your class, Anne.

Still needs a little fine -tuning, but overall excellent.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have selected the soloists for the recital.

Michelle Thomas, Michael DiLorenzo, Kyle Rooney, and

Marguerite Pomerantz.

All right, that's all.

You're dismissed.

We should have gotten it.

That's okay, Marguerite. You deserve it.

It's okay.

Miss Carlton?

You did some good work today, Stephanie. You should be very proud.

You'll be late for class, dear. You'd better hurry.

Look, I'm telling you, this is a bargain.

There's no way you can get to your fourth floor class on time without using

elevator. Am I right?

If you say so.

And there's no way you can get on the elevator without a ticket.

Where do I get one?

You're in luck.

I happen to be the sole authorized dealer of elevator tickets.

How much?

I can let you have this exclusive elevator ticket for, let's see, $2 .50.

Two -fifty? It's a bargain. Hey, didn't I tell you?

Right.

Amatulo, what's going on here?

Oh, nothing, Miss Grant. We were just on our way to class.

Hold on, hold on.

Sweetheart, what is that you've got there?

It's an elevator ticket. I just bought it from Danny.

An elevator ticket?

Miss Grant, it was a joke.

I just heard from Dow about what that witch decided.

Oh, come on, Stephanie, now don't start getting all down on yourself.

All this means is that we have to start working even harder than we've been

doing. If Carlton isn't smart enough to see how good you are.

Plenty smart enough to see how good I am.

He can also see how black I am.

That's a real problem.

Harder and harder every day, thinking I'm going to get so good, she's just got

to let me solo.

Got to.

Fact is, she doesn't have to do anything she doesn't want to do.

That's why she had Ms. Grant talk to me about switching majors.

Well, Ms. Grant ain't buying into none of that.

Ms. Grant doesn't know what's going on. That's what I think.

And one day his teacher isn't going to go up against another one.

Look, are you sure about what you're building?

Did she ever come out and just say it right out?

She didn't have to.

When was the last time you saw a black soloist out of Carlton's class?

I've never seen it.

That's because she manages to convince everybody they'd be better off than

modern.

Well, what are you going to do about it?

I've got a man and an uncle in San Francisco.

There are places to study there.

Are you serious?

I've been thinking about it for a while now.

That's why I didn't want to get too involved.

You and me, I mean.

I don't know how you do that.

Do what?

Just get as involved with someone as you want.

You know Carol Anderson in your ballet class?

Every move, perfect.

Totally under control.

Right?

Well, is it interesting to watch her dance?

No.

Everything's too safe.

There's no excitement.

I'm just trying to get you to live like you dance.

You can't go and break us up on account of one teacher.

But she's the ballet teacher, Leroy.

And ballet is all I want.

All right, fine, but if Carlton is having you, I think we should let

else know.

Who?

Luthiel Madison.

Who's that?

Freshman girl.

She's a little tiny thing.

She's in Ms. Grant's class now. A couple of years, she'll be in Carlton.

We might as well tell her to switch her majors now.

Because if you're not going to do anything about Carlton, well, she'll

there when Lucille gets to be a junior.

She'll just try to do the same thing to her she's trying to do to you.

Unless we do something about it.

If you want to, I'd be glad to help you with that piece you're working on in

class. The Hungarian Rhapsody.

I noticed you were having a little difficulty with it.

You did?

Yes. Well, you see, Liszt is one of my favorite composers.

I've studied him quite extensively.

Well, that's nice to know, Susan.

Look, I'll tell you what.

If I have any trouble getting through it myself, you'll be the first to know.

In the meantime, I'm going to get something to eat.

The ham and cheese is particularly good.

What are you thinking?

Give you a hint.

The felony.

Leroy, look, it's just our word against hers.

You're right, but I still think of something we can do.

I know we can fight this somehow.

I know we're not just going to roll over and play dead. I know that.

What are you guys, planning a revolution or something?

Joe.

Bad joke.

I thought that was my territory.

Can we sit down?

No.

Leroy, they should be in on it too. It's not only our problem anymore.

What's going on? What happened?

You mean Stephanie Harrison?

Yeah, Leroy's lady.

Friend.

Well, she thinks Miss Carlton didn't give her the solo because she's black.

Wait a minute. That's a heavy charge.

It may be, but it's true.

You know, there's no way Stephanie should have gotten that solo. She's too

So automatically it's because she's black?

That's a cop -out.

How do you know she didn't get the solo because of something else?

Like what?

I don't know. Anything.

Hey, come on, guys. That stuff doesn't go on here. I mean, the school isn't...

We're not talking about the whole school, Danny. We're talking about one

who has a problem with black kids in ballet.

She's right. Danny, Miss Carlton did the same thing to me that she's doing to

Stephanie. Told me I didn't have a classic body.

The woman definitely has a problem. It just hasn't been dealt with.

Yeah, until now.

I don't buy it. Not here.

I think you're paranoid.

I think we're not being paranoid.

All right.

Love struck.

Amatullo, you better get out of my face. Let me, Johnny. Come on, Danny.

Let's talk about it.

Danny, what are we going to do about this?

Who's we?

Hey, I go here too. Lighten up.

If I can lighten up, we wouldn't be having this problem.

Same question.

What are we going to do about this?

Talk to Miss Grant.

No, Carlton already has her fools.

What about Reardon?

He's new here, and I bet he'd be objective.

He'd be perfect.

I'm not saying I don't believe you.

What I am saying is with evidence so flimsy, there's just no possible way I

act on this kind of a charge.

If you had anything concrete, anything at all, I promise you I'd go to bat for

you. But just because a teacher doesn't give a student a solo she thinks she

ought to get does not constitute prejudice.

All right.

What about all the other black students that Miss Carlton talked out of the

ballet classes?

It's too subjective, Leroy.

Now, listen to me. All she'd have to do is say that she was acting in the

student's best interest.

All right, all right. It's subjective and it's flimsy and whatever else you

to call it. But a lot of people in this school think it's true.

That's right. Miss Carlton is messing with a lot of people's heads around

I know it's something we can do about it.

I'm sorry.

I can't take the responsibility of ruining a teacher's reputation based on

you brought me so far. All right, come on, y 'all. Let's go.

I thought you were supposed to be the fighter.

She's got you fooled, too, doesn't she? Come here. Come here.

Nobody has got me fooled, Coco.

What I'm trying to get through to you is that somebody's good name is not

something to be dealt with lightly.

You got that?

Mm -hmm.

So what do we do, Mr. Reardon?

Oh, Doris, look, I just told you. Okay, fine.

Try it this way.

When you were our age and you knew something was wrong and no adult seemed

care, how did you make them understand?

There is no one way.

All I know for sure is that there's never been a generation of young people

couldn't find some way to make the adult sit up and take notice.

I'll tell you something else, too.

Which is?

Just as there's no one way, there's also no easy way.

For next week's book assignment, I'd like you to read Studs Terkel's Working.

It's a combination of reportage and comments that I... I think you'll

find...

I didn't know whether they were praying or not.

If they were praying in school, we're all in deep trouble.

What

is

this?

I think they're wrong. Dead wrong. I got no part of this.

All right, Leroy, what's going on?

We are protesting the existence of bigotry here at the School of the Arts.

The students whose names appear at the bottom of this petition will continue to

protest until Ms. Ann Carlton is removed from the School of the Arts.

Oh, I'm glad you're here.

Are you?

Ann, I've known you a long time, and if I thought there was any possibility that

those kids could be right, I would have been standing right there next to them.

Well, you noticed I wasn't standing there. Thank you.

Oh, girl.

Seemed like we were back in the 60s all over again.

Nostalgia is not what it used to be. And Leroy, he's just lost his perspective

totally. He and Stephanie are going together, and, well, I don't think he

even look at this thing objectively.

You seem awfully calm about all of this, aren't you?

Angry, insulted, something?

I'm not going to address myself to it. Simply gives them credibility. It's just

what they want.

I understand what you feel, Ann, but, well, you know they're good kids. They

don't mean any harm.

Sometimes they just get overly emotional.

Emotional? They shove a stick of dynamite in your face and they beg you

it. Well, maybe if you just talk to them. Just explain why you didn't choose

Stephanie. I'm not going to defend myself.

I'm not talking about defending. I'm talking about explaining.

Lydia, I'm free, white, and 21, and I'll do as I damn well please.

Well, don't go reading more into that than there is. It's just a phrase, for

heaven's sake.

I grew up with that phrase.

It's just a matter of speaking.

Just a matter of speaking?

It's a way of thinking.

A way of stopping a girl like Stephanie from getting to where she wants to be.

And I've been helping you do it.

You said it yourself.

The kids get over -emotional about... Don't worry about the kids anymore, Ann.

You got me to worry about now.

That's all the worry you're going to need.

When I was a student, we used to talk about catching fire when we had some

or other that we believed in.

Those kids in the auditorium.

They had that.

Same thought crossed my mind.

When did it happen?

What?

When did we get to be the establishment?

That's something I've fought against all my life.

But when I was standing there looking down at those young faces, I

felt I was on the wrong side of the fence.

When they first came to me, I...

I put it down to a student being disappointed about failing an audition.

But today, it seemed like they had the fire.

You've been crying.

No.

I've been talking to Carlton.

She may not wear a white sheet over her head.

And she may never burn a cross in anybody's yard.

And she can blame it on her background.

The kids were right.

Oh, the kids were right.

Damn it!

Oh, good, there you are.

I wanted to catch you before you left school because I knew you would want to

know. What is it we would want to know, Mrs. Berg?

That pretty black girl who dances, Stephanie.

She requested a copy of her records.

Well, one reason for doing that would be if she's going to leave school.

Leroy.

It's a nice phone.

Thanks.

What I've got is a hook, though. I don't have the rest of it yet.

Would you mind if I tried?

Yes.

I always work alone. I'm no good at collaborations.

I understand.

Bruno, may I ask you something?

Sure.

How would you define prejudice?

What?

Well, with all the stuff that's been going on around here...

I've been thinking about it a lot.

Just wondered how you'd define it.

I guess it's when you assume things about a person and dislike them for

things before you take the time to find out whether or not you're right.

You mean kind of how you'd do with me?

Yeah.

Kind of like I've been doing with you.

I know it was a sign to you.

Sometimes I'm a pain to people.

Because I'm not exactly a dummy.

But I'm still just a kid.

Kids like to make friends.

Sometimes I talk too much, too.

See ya.

Hey, wait.

Come here. Let's see if we can't work out a collaboration.

Mrs. Berg, were you able to find my transcripts?

Are there one or two E's in Hawaii?

None.

Mrs. Berg?

I've got your transcripts.

How'd you get these?

Miss Grant gave them to me. Said she's making me her assistant.

In everything?

No, just about you.

Come on, I want to talk to you.

Well, finally.

Finally what?

Finally you're showing some fight. Even if it is with me, that's better than

nothing. Don't push it, Viva. Wait a minute. Slow down, Stephanie.

Look, and I'll do all the pushing I have to get you to stay here until you fight

for what's rightfully yours instead of running off to San Francisco and letting

us fight your fights for you.

I'm just being realistic.

Yeah, well, being realistic doesn't always get it done.

Stephanie, I bet you don't even know what this is in this folder.

It's a letter from Miss Grant to you apologizing, throwing in with Miss

She knows what Carlton is?

She does now.

Well, are they going to get her fired or thrown off the faculty?

No. Well, if they know what she's about, they got to... Babe, babe, babe, what

about you, girl?

Why don't you start showing some of that toughness inside of you?

Look, if you want to be a dancer, maybe, you're going to run into some lions way

more ferocious than old Carlton.

I don't know how to get the woman out of the school.

Stephanie, we don't want to get the woman out of the school.

Look, say we do get rid of her.

Whoever replaces her, they won't know ballet is good, so she'll just be

in her same old way just somewhere else, doing the same thing to other kids.

If you stay, you'll be staying for you, for me.

For that freshman girl, Lucille Madison.

And most of all, the teacher teaches that she's wrong, Stephanie. She's

You're just the person I need.

Most of the day, the people who've been looking for me wanted me to take a long

walk on a very short plank.

Understandable. After all, you are a racist.

Benjamin. Hey, it's a fact.

Don't make a big deal about it. That's not what I came here to talk to you

about. I simply believe that black bodies are not suited to ballet.

Racist nonsense.

But let's change the subject.

Physically, they don't have the proper line. But more importantly, there are

very few job opportunities for blacks in ballet.

It is cruel to encourage a young person in that direction.

I'm saving them from a lot of unnecessary heartache. God help you. You

believe that, Waddle.

And I won't try to convince you otherwise. I don't have the time or

We have a new sound system in the auditorium. I need an objective ear to

check it out.

Would you?

Whenever you're ready.

You feel like running

in a...

Maybe you're thinking of leaving school.

You heard wrong.

I'll see you tomorrow, then.

You'll see me tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that.

You'll see me for all the days it's gonna take me to get as good as I can,

all the days it's gonna take me to drag you to the 20th century.

The sound system seems...

Quite nice, Benjamin.

Leroy, who's that with Miss Grant?

That's Lucille Madison.