Original subtitles

FEMALE VOICE: One, two, three, four...

At School of American Ballet, there's competition everywhere.

MALE VOICE: Soutenu and fall.

DOMINKA: There're so many beautiful dancers here.

Every single day you're like, "Oh, they can get their leg higher,

"they can turn more."

Seeing just all these other people, I need to step up my game.

-Go to the front. -Don't make your arms stiff.

Don't be too down this way.

Can you soften that first finger?

DOMINKA: Everybody has something they're not good at,

so it's just all about you.

You can't focus on other people.

MALE VOICE: Arm one, up two.

Three arrive by four.

ELIAS: You have to give up on trying to control everything,

and just work the hardest for yourself.

The heel, the heel, the heel, that's... that's right, that's right,

it's not the toe, it's not the toe, good.

MALE VOICE: Here we go. Ready?

KAY MAZZO: What we try to do here at the School of American Ballet...

is only really have students that we feel

are gonna find a job somewhere.

Because there is a lot at stake, and you know, you strive,

I think you strive, that's what you do.

MALE VOICE: Give him a good step.

Good!

But you completely chickened out, Dominika, on the a la seconde...

and it was sort of Elias's fault because he was too close to you.

But sometimes it means almost kicking him and then he'll know to stay away,

so you just have to do your part...

and he'll learn.

DOMINIKA: This is my second year at the school.

What I'm working towards right now is finding myself as a dancer,

which is really exciting for me, because last year

I was trying to look at everyone

that I thought was really great at it and try to be like them.

But I think now I'm trying to be more myself.

(PIANO PLAYING)

ARCH: Stretch the front knee, Sam. Pique, soutenu.

Little more height in those jumps, okay?

And lots of plié with knees away.

Knees away, knees away, and there.

That's better!

I was in Intermediate Men last year

and now I'm repeating Intermediate Men this year.

One thing that I struggle with in Balanchine is everything is really fast.

For me it's harder to move really fast

just because I'm just not a fast person.

ARCH: Front, front plié, deep plié, up, go front.

No, you're going back on your leg.

You gotta push those hips forward.

SAM: The hard part of dancing at SAB is just,

there are just so many talented people and sometimes

it can be a little draining to always see, like, other guys

in Advanced Level doing these really amazing things.

And I knew I couldn't do it.

I'm gonna try my best, work hard, try to get better.

(PHONE RINGING)

-MARTHA: Hey Teacup. -TAELA: Hey, Mom.

-What are you doing? -I'm sewing shoes.

Do you have enough ribbons and elastics, baby?

TAELA: Yes, I do.

My mom, I think she's definitely, um,

a bit more adjusted than I am.

MARTHA: What are you gonna do for the rest of the evening?

You're finished with classes for today right?

Yeah. I'm fin... I'm finished with classes but I do have rehearsal at 7:00.

Tell me something, do you have a lot of homework?

Um... I have a good amount. (CHUCKLES)

Well, let me know if you need anything else because I know

-you always wait last minute. -(CHUCKLES) Yeah.

She calls me, she's just like completely normal

and I call her and I'm like, "I miss you so much."

And she's like, "Oh I miss you too."

-MARTHA: Did you have dinner yet? -TAELA: No.

I'm probably going to get dinner after rehearsal.

-Well I miss you, Pumpkin. -I miss you too, Mommy.

I think she's definitely a lot more adjusted than me at this point,

but I'm getting there slowly.

MARTHA: Don't forget to call me before you go to bed.

-All right. I love you. -I love you too. Bye.

Bye.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

And change, and change, and up. That's better, that's better. Yeah.

I'm not used to doing partnering back at my old studio,

so it is definitely a transition trying to understand

like, all the different functions of partnering...

ALAN: Better.

TAELA: So, I'm still, like, adjusting.

For example, if there's a girl in my class who's, like, a lot better,

I would, like, stand behind them so I can learn from them.

And I work harder myself because I'm, like, right behind them.

I strive to be like them.

ALAN: One...

SAM: I actually really like partnering,

with the Balanchine technique, for the guy it's not about you looking great,

it's about showcasing the girl.

Because you have to focus on not only yourself,

but your partners movements.

ALAN: Fouette! Ooh! Okay!

SAM: It's really important that you're keeping your girl safe.

ALAN: Six, plié!

SAM: I feel like with every partner it's different.

ALAN: And one.

SAM: Dominika's definitely one of my favorites to partner with.

She's just a really hard worker and super talented

so that obviously helps when partnering.

DOMINIKA: I always look forward to partnering class every week.

It is really fun.

Of course at times it's challenging to figure out

all of the... the grips and things like that.

But, we all go through this together, so it's really not that bad.

JONATHAN: At New York City Ballet, partnering is very, very important.

It is very critical, and something we look at

when we're hiring from the school into the company.

We're walking forward, hopefully.

Guys, make sure you really set your feet here.

As we train professional dancers, it's a huge part of the package.

Our mission here is to train the best dancers out there.

and we need to be able to train the dancers in a way

that they can get on to the stage.

KAY: The most important thing is the classroom.

That's... If they don't have that, it's not going to work.

The older students do get a chance to perform.

We have our workshop in June.

But the younger students can do The Nutcracker

on the stage at Lincoln Center.

And they adore being on stage.

Down straighten those legs, Parker stay right behind Brandon,

sorry Alexander, right behind Brandon.

Down place it behind, place the foot behind Brandon.

The youngest children have just come back to classes at SAB...

and Arch and I have a tremendous amount of work during this next six week run,

before we open The Nutcracker, Thanksgiving.

Ready. Get ready...

DENA: So many of our students just want to perform,

and need that to work towards as a goal.

DENA: We have two casting sessions for The Nutcracker,

just because it takes so long and there are so many children

and we really want to give each kid as much of a fair chance as we can.

SOPHIA: Nutcracker is a really magical show to be in.

Ella is one of my really close friends, we're both gonna do the Hoop audition

and the Poli audition.

ELLA: It's exciting 'cause, I mean, it's fun to be in Nutcracker.

It's really cool because I've never done a dancing role before.

I have been a soldier, a Polichinelle...

A boy Polichinelle, which also comes with being the role of a mouse.

I'm going to the audition for Polis and Hoop this year.

DENA: Because The Nutcracker is a Christmas holiday celebration really,

we're always looking for that extra spark,

for that something special that will show on stage,

that sometimes shows in the classroom but not always.

ISABELA: Ballet is more of an art. Sometimes it's hard for me,

but we're going to challenge ourselves.

KAI: Ballet is my main thing. I just like to move, I think.

I like to get on my feet...

and... I don't know, dance.

ARCH: Nice and slow. Good, Brandon.

BRANDON: I chose ballet because ballet is something

that you can do gracefully and you kind of have your own freedom.

Even though you do have a story to tell,

you really get to choose the way you show it,

is very important to what the story becomes.

OLIVIA: I just love performing in front of, like, audience.

This is my last year of being eligible for The Nutcracker.

I really want to just treasure all the moments that I have this year,

and kind of make everything grand.

SHERYL: Very good. Goodnight!

Goodnight, everybody.

(GIRLS GIGGLING)

STEVE: Hey! (CHUCKLES)

SOPHIA: Everyone was asking today

what you were gonna audition for tomorrow.

-STEVE: Oh, yeah? -(SOPHIA LAUGHS)

If you had to choose, which one would you rather do most?

SOPHIA: Well...

I'd rather probably do Poli this year...

because I probably can't do it next year, I'll probably be too tall.

KELLY: Okay, would you go wash your hands real quick?

STEVE: Tomorrow is unique in that it's the big Nutcracker audition day.

So that'll be, you know, Sophia,

most of the morning, I guess the whole morning,

through lunch time.

We just missed the train so it was kind of good

'cause the next one came a minute later and it was empty.

When Daddy picks you up you get lucky on the train.

(CHUCKLES)

KELLY: Sophia right now definitely wants to go on and pursue a career in dance.

I remember when we came to New York she said,

"I really want to be more serious, I want to go where all the kids go,

"who do The Nutcracker on that stage".

And she really loved the idea of one day

possibly being able to audition for The Nutcracker.

KELLY: ...you guys have to leave at 7:25, okay?

-Mm-hmm. -Yeah.

KELLY: Even when she's exhausted, it's amazing to see

at such a young age, to give up so many things.

They miss birthday parties, they miss family outings with cousins,

just so she can pursue ballet.

-KELLY: So class was good? -Yeah.

We usually have lots of time with Ms. Abergel

and we also got to stretch, so.

DAWN: I'll make you guys the hot chocolate later for dessert.

Duck.

Did you see hum... Oh, okay.

No one eats hummus.

DAWN: This is typical for us, just to be me with the girls.

Wait but I thought you said that you made hummus in school,

-and you loved it. -No.

DAWN: My husband, he's a firefighter, which means he's not home a lot.

Um... Twenty-four-hour shifts and sometimes

he gets called in unexpectedly and, you know, we deal with it.

I've done The Nutcracker for all the years that I've been eligible.

So, that's four.

This is my soldier. My first year. Last year I was a girl Polichinelle.

Love nutcrackers. They're really fun.

I mean, I've never tried putting a nut in here.

Uh, when I go to bed, I feel really protected

by... these guys.

-(TOY WINDING) -(MUSIC PLAYING)

All right.

-(HUMS) -(MUSIC PLAYING)

Yeah.

KAI: This is when I was a soldier.

And you can just kind of see me. Third to the left.

That's last year,

I was one of the tallest of the party boys. (CHUCKLES)

So, I have a bunch of pointe shoes from dancers

that I have written to over the years...

Uh, well, the year, of me dancing. Christina was my Nutcracker mom.

This is Lydia, she was also the hostess.

This is Ashley Bouder's shoes, the principal dancer

at New York City Ballet.

It's amazing that someone would want someone's stinky old shoes

but someone does. And now they're on your table, Mom.

(BRANDON'S MOM LAUGHS)

SOPHIA: I'll wear a green leotard and pink tights.

Hairspray, all my pins.

I like to carry this lint roller around just in case

any lint gets on my tights.

I'm excited but I'm also kind of nervous,

I feel like you always get kind of nervous for an audition.

JULIE: Okay. Go get dressed.

I remember taking her her first year I let her audition.

That was a hard year, so it's been a lesson for her to learn,

there's always someone who's gonna be better

and, um, or have, you know, have a part that you wanted or have a bigger part.

You know the reality is that there are so many roles for children

and they want to give roles to everyone,

but it's such a popular performance...

and they have to tell people, "No."

That's what happened with Gabbie her first year.

(TIRES SCREECH)

GABBIE: I've been in The Nutcracker for two years.

This is going to be my last Nutcracker.

Even if I get held back I won't... I probably won't be doing it,

I'd be too tall.

So, it's nerve-racking.

(CHATTING, SINGING)

And then they... they went up.

Raise your hand if you're excited.

(ALL GIGGLE)

-Are you scared? -Yes, I'm really scared.

-Guys don't be scared. -I'm not scared but I'm just like,

I'm excited. I'm just going to roll with the wind.

DENA: Each year we cast 126 children.

Two full casts that rotate.

SOPHIA: Each part has a different audition time.

My first audition is Hoops.

Calling all Girls IV and Girls V.

DENA: The challenge for the casting day, of course, is knowing that

some of the children won't have the opportunity to perform,

at least this year, and knowing that they will be sad and disappointed,

and just as a mom, and as a human being, that doesn't feel good.

-Come on in, girls. -ARCH: Good morning!

DENA: Actually, let's, um... let's just line up along this bar.

But I have to make the choices that work best for the production.

And I explain this to the children.

What happens today doesn't have anything to do with how great of a dancer

you're going to be one day, okay? It's just about choosing the people

who are right for this part today.

Candy Canes, or the Hoops, is like a big burst of energy.

They are usually the oldest children in the production.

They need real training to be able to execute the steps properly.

All the weight is on your front foot.

You're going to do through a tendu side and soutenu.

One, two.

Dena and Arch put us in groups. They show us some moves.

DENA: Does everyone feel like

-ARCH: See the timing? -they know the step?

-More than expected. Yeah. -ARCH: Yeah.

GABBIE: I usually rehearse the dance before I go into the auditions.

-DENA: And up, up. -GABBIE: I look on YouTube

-and mirror the dance. -ARCH: Hold that arm.

And I listen to the music, imagine me doing it.

DENA: Okay, girls, let's see the next group.

ARCH: Down, down.

DENA:

GABBIE: Then comes the first cut.

DENA: You guys can come back for Polis,

so why don't you guys come out of the room?

It's a lot of girls.

DENA: Nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen,

fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen,

eighteen, nineteen, twenty! (SCREAMS)

DENA:

-ARCH: This is the hardest part. -Okay.

ARCH: This is the hardest part.

Then, next cut...

it's nerve-racking. Really nerve-racking.

Right now you really don't want to be tall.

DENA: We definitely need to put her in, we don't have enough spots.

ARCH: Breaking my heart.

DENA: Olivia and Cassandra, you're just too tall for this this year,

I'm really sorry, you did really well.

So we won't be able to use you this year.

Like that's all you'd want, not to be tall.

-ARCH: Really good, girls. Really good. -DENA: You two, come with me for a second.

ARCH: Yeah.

DENA: I feel it's important to understand

why we call this at the New York City Ballet,

"the casting day" as opposed to "audition day".

It's a combination of having to find the right size child

but the child who can do the choreography.

So now can you guys just go next to each other.

And a lot of times, the truth is, they have to be the right size.

That's why we call it a casting.

Okay, girls, you will be this year's Hoops!

-(ALL CLAPPING) -(DENA LAUGHS)

You made it! And girls, everybody remembers

-to be considerate of your classmates? -ARCH: Go ahead, girls. Yeah.

We have to go on. We gotta go on.

-You got it? -Yeah!

-Wow. -We're in the same cast.

-MALE VOICE: Cool -GABBIE: I got in!

I ended up being a Hoop.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

ELLA: In my mind, I knew I was not going to get Hoops,

because I was probably too short and there was a lot of girls

who were in like Girls V and that's like the prime time to audition for Hoops.

I was like it's okay if I don't have Hoops, I can still audition for Polis.

But at the same time, I don't know if I'm going to get a role

and so it's stressful.

DENA: Just come to the end of the barre.

ARCH: Hi, girls.

OLIVIA: My dad always says don't be really cocky,

just focus on the way you want to look, the way you... you put yourself out.

So move over so that everybody can fit.

KELLY: When we were getting ready today she said,

"Oh, I'm pretty nervous."

Any experience like this I try to remind her to be in the moment,

really enjoy it, the process itself is really fun

and exciting but it's nerve-racking for sure.

-Sophia. -Sophia.

-(MUSIC PLAYING) -DENA: Polichinelles is a coveted role.

The dancing is very challenging.

And they have to all fit under the skirt. At once.

And not get stepped on by Mother Ginger.

-And sauté and step, glissade. -(MUSIC PLAYNG)

DENA: So, why don't you girls go all the way over there? Next six?

So let's do our échappé step.

And échappé and change and change.

Up down, up down.

ARCH: This is, both yes on the right, all three on the right. Yes.

DENA: Échappé and change and change, and up, down, up.

Okay.

-DENA: This one? -ARCH: Yeah.

I'm just going to call them out. Can I just have Charlotte

and Sophia TH come forward?

Girls, we need, um, we need you for Party scene.

Okay, so why don't you just take a break now

and come back for Party scene rehearsal, okay?

You guys did great, but we really need you for that, okay?

-Thanks. -ARCH: Good, girls, we'll see you later.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Party scene's gonna go to like 4:30,

so you got to take a proper lunch

because it's going to be a long day. (CHUCKLES)

Okay.

I'm kind of upset 'cause I really wanted Polis.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

DENA: Okay, so you girls you did a great job today,

but we can't use you for this this year.

Thanks, girls, you can follow Sherell out.

ARCH:

DENA:

DENA: Girls, congratulations,

you are going to be this year's Polichinelles.

I feel really blessed to be able to get a role.

DENA: And Josephine and Ella!

ELLA: Luckily, I got into Polis and I'm very grateful

that I've been really lucky with Nutcracker.

I've gotten to do the parts I really wanted to do.

-GIRL: Thank you, Ms. Abergel. -You're welcome, girls.

-ARCH: Congratulations. -Congratulations, you did a great job.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER, CLAPPING)

KELLY: She was told to come back, that was a little unsettling,

because it means she's not being cast in the role

that she really thought she was trying out for, Poli.

-Yeah. -Are you in the Party scene?

Really?

FEMALE VOICE: So we're about to get started, who's nervous?

Who's also excited though?

ALL: Yes. Yeah.

KAI: It's more in my tummy when I feel anxious.

I feel like my body is like kind of tense.

The first year I auditioned for Party scene,

I was eliminated, like, the last people

and I was really sad, like, I cried a lot.

KAI: This year I'm probably too tall, I'm still hoping

that I would get in but I'm not expecting anything.

Yeah, there is kind of a sense of nervousness.

But I will be happy with myself no matter what, pretty much.

DENA: The Party scene has lots of skipping and jumping

and just being childlike.

We're looking for something we never see in class,

we're looking for acting.

DENA: Ready? Go!

-That's Sophia. -ARCH: That's Sophia.

(CHUCKLES) Okay.

DENA: Next, get ready, and...

DENA:

-ARCH: -DENA:

ARCH:

-Next. -KAI: Party scene,

the kids who do it for the first time,

I think the reason that they're picked is because they are good performers.

-ARCH: No, no. -DENA: Okay.

Okay girls, thank you, okay let's stop for a second.

You did a really good job today

but we can't use you in this role this year.

ARCH: Good job today.

DENA: Okay.

We still have too many people in the room, as you can see,

for the Party scene.

KELLY: You're waiting with all your fellow moms,

everyone is equally stressed out,

because they want their children to be happy.

It is a little bit of a rollercoaster ride.

Okay, you guys can go sit down.

Um... We need to do a little paperwork so it's going to take a... a few minutes,

so just relax.

ARCH:

DENA:

Brandon, come here.

Let's have Sophia stand in front of Kai.

Brandon, can you stand in front of Sophia?

ARCH: Yeah.

DENA:

-ARCH: Yeah. -Okay, so everybody whose name

we haven't called, unfortunately, we don't have space for you

in the Party scene this year.

And we thank you very much for, um, coming today.

ARCH: Okay, really good. Great job all of you.

Okay, congratulations, you guys are in the Party scene...

(ALL CHEERING, SCREAMING)

DENA: Let's move over to the middle of the room.

ARCH: Everyone... this way, okay.

DENA: When I'm thinking about who the next Prince and Marie will be,

which I pretty much start thinking about the minute The Nutcracker is over.

Casting the leads is a huge burden. Making those final choices is not easy.

So much of it is how the kids go together.

Here are Prince and Marie's of the 2019.

(ALL CHEERING, CLAPPING)

I know, it's okay.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

GIRL: Mommy!

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Can we go out for candy like a tradition?

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

KELLY:

-(INDISTINCT CHATTER) -(LAUGHTER)

-You're crying. -I know.

I'm sort of, like, processing.

I'm really excited I'm kind of like, shocked,

but, like, it's going to be really fun.

DOMINIKA: We pick up our shoes every Thursday.

Once a week and we usually order two pairs.

That's my pile of dead pointe shoes.

I could go through around three pairs a week,

but my parents are not letting me get more than one. (CHUCKLES)

Back home I would have to pay 100 dollars for a pair of pointe shoes.

Luckily here they're only 49 dollars.

KAY: Go down, go up.

Yeah, a little bit slow going down.

DOMINIKA: The amount of classes we have, they're all en pointe.

They just run through pointe shoes very fast.

-Oh, my gosh, Taela. -I know!

You wore those today and I was like...

TAELA: I try to, like, make one pair last as long as possible.

I've been doing double strap of elastics,

it helps my ankle and it gives more support.

Every single time we get a new pair of pointe shoes,

I sew ribbons and elastic on, which make them stronger.

RUBY: I glue the shank, the bottom of it where you rest your feet

so that when you go up on to pointe, there's support there.

And then this is something that I just started doing,

I've cut down the sides and sewn them together.

There's just too much fabric, so it makes my arch show more.

Because of the financial support that SAB gives my family,

I'm able to get two pairs of pointe shoes a week

and it's helped my pointe work

because I'm not compensating for dead shoes.

FEMALE VOICE: How are your pointe shoes, did you get?

They hurt a lot today.

Suzie told me that she might find a pair for me,

-she was like, what's your size? -SAM: Wait what's wrong?

Well apparently, they have a pointe shoe shortage

and I'm not going to get shoes for another like two or three weeks.

'Cause we can't dance on them once they're like soft and dead.

SAM: I just love living with my friends because I'm always with them,

which is sometimes a little annoying, but most of the time, like, I love that.

-(GIGGLING) -SAM: We might have classes together.

That'd be so much fun.

I try to make friends with as many people as I can,

'cause it's just so important in the dance world

to have like a good positive reputation because it's so small.

It's not always about competition it's also being supportive

of your friends.

Sit over here!

A girl in my TA class gave me a chocolate rose today,

it was so sweet.

I have like the perfect aged girls, they're nine and my little sister is nine,

so like it's, they're just perfect. There's this little girl, Sasha,

who always says hi to me in the cafeteria,

'cause she normally comes down after class.

She's the cutest little thing.

I love them all, I love my TA class this year. They're all so cute!

Girls let's get in line, Girls II B.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

RUBY: I TA Girls II class.

Check in, I was like, "All the girls in blue,

where are all the girls in blue?" I'm like "Girls II, Girls II.

"Okay there's another blue one, check their name."

FEMALE VOICE: Onzu reach your arm,

make them soft and...

RUBY: I go in and I tell them to point their feet

and turn out their legs.

I am in level D, it is the highest level at SAB.

Hi, girls!

ZOE:

This is a treat for me today to teach you all.

We have Sterling Hyltin for today's class

and she is a principal with New York City Ballet.

We've had her class before and I just love it.

It's just so musical, and just the steps

and they just make you feel like, just like dancing,

it's just like a stage.

STERLING: Part of the magic is telling people how to hear the music.

So, you have to tell them what you want them

to concentrate on in your movement.

RUBY: I've lived in Seattle my whole life until I moved to New York.

New York seemed like such a mystical place, I was like "Oh my goodness",

it seems like another world.

STERLING: All right, really sharp.

Arrive and close...

and out, close.

RUBY: I always try to have a goal be to enjoy or to keep improving.

But in the back of my mind, my dream was always New York City Ballet.

But then when I came to SAB, and I saw all the talent,

I was inspired but also I realized, if I want to do what I've...

wanted to do, I need to get serious.

I'll go down and get snack in like five minutes.

I live in the dorms of the School of American Ballet,

up on the 16th floor.

-Tanner, you want to check in? -Yes, please.

I am a CDA, a Community Development Assistant.

How many?

Um... One, two, three, four, only five.

I work the desk, I talk about student concerns,

we have meetings once a week.

-Everybody! -(ALL CLAPPING, CHEERING)

SAM: All right, we're going to play Zip Zap Zop.

You have to make eye contact with the person that you're zipping.

Yeah. (CHUCKLES) All right, ready?

-Zip. -SAM: Zap.

Zop.

-FEMALE VOICE: Then you have to go. -RUBY: It's my job to help new students

who are coming in feel like home.

Zip! Zap! Oh...

-Zop? -Yeah.

(ALL LAUGH)

Zip!

ELIAS: I was a little bit worried about the friends I would make

at the beginning of the year, 'cause I had never been surrounded

by only dancers and I was worried about like the competition stuff,

but, as you've seen, the friends I've made are some of my best friends

that I've ever had and I love them so much.

Zip.

(ALL LAUGH)

Two winners.

Can we just give our CDA's a round of applause.

(ALL CLAPPING, CHEERING)

EUNICE: Give it up, give it up.

All right, y'all, who's ready for some ice cream?

(ALL CHEERING)

-(INDISTINCT CHATTER) -(LAUGHTER)

I didn't think I grew but I think Sam did too.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Are you going to do my hair like for the angels?

Well, do you want to Google it?

AVA: Since I'm in Girls II this is the first year

I can actually audition for The Nutcracker.

Oh, here we go. This looks like a bun.

You're getting tall, that's the problem.

And I'm not... and I'm not growing.

It's very nerve-racking, the audition,

because I really... I want to get in.

Should we do the flower thing?

BIANCA: Yeah.

...doesn't fall out.

(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

ISABELA:

LUIS:

(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

LUIS:

Okay.

-I love you. -Come on.

ANGELICA:

BIANCA: Thank you, Daddy, for the ride.

-AVA'S DAD: Oh, of course. -AVA: Thanks, Dad.

We're gonna be on time.

-Come on, Mom, come on! -BIANCA: I'm coming!

Bye!

(SCREAMS) Okay.

-Bye guys! -Bye.

BIANCA: Bye, guys. Love you.

-It's 10:45... Okay. -(AVA LAUGHS)

-BIANCA: We can make it. -AVA: We can make it.

Thanks very much.

FEMALE VOICE: All right, if you're here for the Angels casting,

students, please line up outside.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

GIRL: ...door's closing!

DENA: Now Angels live where? Yes.

-In the heavens and they float around. -The heavens,

in the heavens and they float around.

So, no angry Angels.

(ALL LAUGH)

DENA: In The Nutcracker you have very young children, ages eight or nine,

doing the role of the Angels, which requires very little technique

Glide one foot in front of the other like this.

One, two... It's like you have ice skates.

-ARCH: Ice skates, yeah. -DENA: Right?

So you have that feeling of gliding.

So you don't need to be able to do a first position, even.

But you need to be able to count music.

Go ahead...

-chin up. ARCH: Bend those knees

so you're gliding, Onzu.

Bend, bend those knees.

Doesn't look happy. Nice happy expression yeah?

AVA: To audition it was very stressful,

but one of my friends has already been an Angel

so she told me that there's a shuffling step

that I really need to practice and to also smile and count.

-Smaller steps, Ava. -This is the one with the flexible feet.

DENA: She's really tall.

Arms up, Isabela! Arms higher, lift them.

You're like gliding on clouds.

But if you focus a lot and concentrate,

it was not hard.

DENA: Okay. Thanks, Arcoti.

-Count all your yeses. -ARCH: Yeah.

Ten, 11, 12, that's one cast.

DENA: Any you have in maybe I have in yes?

Keep, yeah, yeah.

AVA: There was, like, a lot of us.

Wait, wait, so that's not on this list.

And only 24 kids get the part.

So this line of girls come with us.

We don't have something for you this year, but please try again next year. Okay?

You did really well. Thank you, you guys did really well.

Okay? Okay.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

She's still in there, I'm sure she's like,

-what's happening, you know? -DENA: Ava, Melinda, Arielle,

Yasmina, Isabela,

Elise, Charlotte, Vivians, and Chloe.

You guys yeah, get into height order and just spread out a little bit.

What do you think?

That's good, that's great.

DENA: Girls, as you can see, this was very difficult,

because we have so many girls who could do it,

but you guys are gonna be Angels for this year's Nutcracker.

This is a wonderful opportunity for you girls...

-ARCH: Congratulations. -DENA: ...to perform

with the New York City Ballet.

(GIRLS GIGGLING)

Oh, my God! Congratulations, sweetie!

You got it! Wow!

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(LAUGHING)

(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

ANGELICA:

Uh-huh.

ANGELICA: Wow!

SAM: It's pretty normal to repeat levels at SAB.

You usually just move up once the teachers feel like

you have a lot of the things that they think

you'll need in, like, the next level.

ALLEN: I know it was somewhat disappointing for him,

knowing he was gonna repeat Intermediate.

But I also think that that put him in a different mindset over the summer.

The way he came back and really, like, channeled that...

-towards his technique. -It's a big step up.

ALLEN: He takes it seriously.

-Hi Sam. -SAM: Hi.

-How you doing? -SAM: Good.

Good.

ALLEN: So, you had mentioned wanting to take the extra advanced class.

We've noticed a lot of great change and you're working very well.

I saw you in class the other day too and just the way you were standing,

already looked really sorted out.

I was glad to see that you came back from the summer looking like

you had applied everything that we told you to think about.

What I noticed is at barre, the placement is very good.

So I think starting tomorrow you'll be in advanced class.

-Okay. -ARCH: It's going to be

a little bit more intense

so make sure you take all those great things

that you've been working on and put 'em in there.

-Congratulations. -Thank you.

Now you've gotta work even harder.

-You happy? -Yes. Very happy.

-ARCH: Congratulations. -SAM: Thank you.

It's gonna be a good year.

-SAM: Yeah. -Yeah.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

-SAM: I just got moved up. -(GASPS) You did?

-Yeah. -Congrats!

SAM: I got moved up from Intermediate Men's

into Advanced Men's starting tomorrow.

-I'm so happy. -Thank God.

-I know. -Well, I'm not surprised.

Hold you back to move you up.

-It's all good now! -FEMALE VOICE: Everyone called it.

-Partnering again tomorrow! -I know.

They can't repeat me again.

I've already done that once.

ALLEN: They all have the same goal.

To have a career in dance,

whether it happens or not, it's still hard to say.

FEMALE VOICE: One, two, three, four, five.

One, two, three, four, five.

ALLEN: Potential is a word that we like to use

because there is no crystal ball.

There's still time between now and 18

where they will be auditioning to New York City Ballet.

Before that, anything can happen.

There is no guarantees.

(MUSIC PLAYING)