Need Some Back-to-Studio Inspo? Take Your Pick from These 8 Dance Docs, Now Streaming on OVID

August 22, 2019

If you’re seeking an extra dash of inspiration to start the new season on the right—dare we say—foot, look no further than dance documentaries.

Starting August 23, OVID, a streaming service dedicated to docs and art-house films, is adding eight notable dance documentaries to its library. The best part? There’s a free seven-day trial. (After that, subscriptions are $6.99 per month or $69.99 annually.)

From the glamour of Russian ballet stars to young dancers training in Cuba to a portrait of powerhouse couple Carmen de Lavallade and Geoffrey Holder, here’s what’s coming to a couch near you:

Carmen & Geoffrey

Way
before #relationshipgoals was a thing, Carmen De Lavallade and Geoffrey Holder were exemplifying them. Dive inside the legendary careers and five-decade marriage of this dynamic duo in Carmen & Geoffrey, featuring archival footage from as early as the 1950s. The couple’s collective performing and choreographic careers spanned Broadway, film, the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and much more.

Ballerina

Onstage, we see classical ballet’s glamour. Behind the scenes, it’s about sweat, discipline and rigor. Ballerina shows viewers both perspectives, focusing on the careers of Mariinsky luminaries Diana Vishneva, Svetlana Zakharova, Ulyana Lopatkina, Alina Somova and Evgenia Obraztsova.

Ballet Boys

https://youtube.com/watch?v=jttI0iobM6s

Follow three rising dance talents over four years as they prepare to enter the professional ballet world. While Ballet Boys is a story of sacrifices, it’s also a portrayal of teenage friendship shared by Lukas Bjørneboe Brændsrød, Syvert Lorenz Garcia and Torgeir Lund.

Dancing Dreams

Pina Bausch fans, this one’s for you. Dancing Dreams retells the 10-month process when Bausch staged her Kontakthof on 40 teenagers in 2008. Be a fly on the wall during rehearsals with the late master.

Dream Girls

Though Dream Girls was originally released in 1993, its story of Japan’s Takarazuka Revue, a musical theater company, is equally intriguing today. Thousands of girls apply to attend the competitive Takarazuka Music School annually. Their ultimate goal? To join the prestigious Revue, where they have the option to perform male or female roles.

Miss Hill: Making Dance Matter

A must-watch for all dance majors, Miss Hill: Making Dance Matter explores the life of Martha Hill, a pioneering figure for dance in academia and Juilliard’s founding director of dance.

Secundaria

For many young dancers, training at the illustrious National Ballet School in Cuba is a dream. But for locals, it may also be an escape from poverty. Secundaria follows one high school class through their training, with a special focus on Mayara Pineiro, who’s now a principal at Pennsylvania Ballet.

The Passionate Pursuits of Angela Bowen

The late Angela Bowen‘s life was truly multifaceted: She grew up in Boston during the Jim Crow era, married and had children, divorced, and came out as a lesbian. Along the way, she started a dance studio, was a professor of English and women’s studies and became a dedicated gay rights activist.