Dancing Across Borders, directed by Anne Bass, is a documentary that follows the journey of 16-year-old dancer Sokvannara 'Sy' Sar from Angkor Wat, Cambodia to the halls of New York's School of the American Ballet, to the stage of the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle. Here's the official description:
Dancing Across Borders is the intimate and triumphant story of Sokvannara "Sy" Sar, who as a young man in Cambodia was dancing with a small troupe in Angkor Wat when Anne Bass, a longtime patron of dance in America, saw him perform. Bass was so taken with Sy's talent and potential that she arranged for him to come to New York and audition for the prestigious School of the American Ballet.The film is currently in limited release from First Run Features (it's playing right now at Quad Cinema in New York). For the full release schedule, go here. Haven't seen it yet, but I've been interested in checking out this film for a while. For more information, visit the Dancing Across Borders website here. And watch the trailer here.
What unfolds in Dancing Across Borders is a tentative negotiation between Sy and the world of American ballet and culture - from the serene countryside of Southeast Asia to the high-powered rehearsal studios of New York, and finally to the stage of the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle. The film follows Sy's unusual development as a dancer and offers an astonishing, behind-the-scenes look into the world of American ballet.
At its heart, Dancing Across Borders is an extraordinary story of growth, adaptation, and belonging - and a window into the development of talent at the highest level and the mastery of an art form.
