Join us on September 11 for two screenings of Connie Hochman’s documentary IN BALANCHINE’S CLASSROOM presented in collaboration with Kaatsbaan Cultural Park at their 153-acre artist sanctuary in Tivoli, New York, courtesy of Zeitgeist Films in association with Kino Lorber Incorporated.
The film's director Connie Hochman, producer Mark Hochman and former New York City Ballet Prima Ballerina Merrill Ashley will be present for a panel discussion with other guests TBA. There will also be a special installation of select books from the library of Clive Barnes, the late dance and theater critic for The New York Times, whose family generously donated the Clive Barnes Dance Library to Kaatsbaan. A panel and reception with the filmmakers and dancers will occur between the first matinee screening and second evening screening.
Patrons are required to bring proof of vaccination to attend the screening. Face masks are required when inside the theater. Click here to see the Woodstock Film Festival’s current COVID-19 protocols.
ABOUT THE FILM:
IN BALANCHINE’S CLASSROOM takes us back to the glory years of Balanchine’s New York City Ballet through the remembrances of his former dancers and their quest to fulfill the vision of a genius. Opening the door to his studio, Balanchine’s private laboratory, they reveal new facets of the groundbreaking choreographer: taskmaster, mad scientist, and spiritual teacher.
Today, as his former dancers teach a new generation, questions arise: what was the secret of his teaching? Can it be replicated? Filled with never-before-seen archival footage of Balanchine at work, along with interviews with many of his adored and adoring dancers and those carrying on his legacy today, this is Balanchine as you have never seen him. This film will thrill anyone interested in the intensity of the master-disciple relationship and all who love dance, music, and the creative process.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKER:
Connie Hochman was a professional ballet dancer with Pennsylvania Ballet where she performed many Balanchine masterworks. In 2007, Connie began a series of interviews with former Balanchine dancers – ninety in all – to explore the phenomenon of Balanchine’s classroom. Why did he teach and not just choreograph? What did he teach? How did he teach? How did his daily class relate to his ballets? Their remembrances of his unorthodox methods and transformative teaching form the basis of IN BALANCHINE’S CLASSROOM.
In addition to the oral histories, Connie launched an extensive and painstaking search for visuals that would bring the story to life. Over years, she discovered a trove of never- before-seen archival footage of Balanchine in America. With approval from The George Balanchine Trust, Connie traveled around the country and to Europe to film Balanchine’s former dancers staging his ballets, teaching class, and passing on their knowledge to today’s generation.
As a first-time filmmaker, Connie consulted with Louis Psihoyos (THE COVE, CHASING EXTINCTION), Andrea Meditch (MAN ON WIRE, BUCK, GRIZZLY MAN), and Dan Geller/Dayna Goldfine (BALLETS RUSSES, THE GALAPAGOS AFFAIR), each of whom offered guidance and helped her form the creative team behind IN BALANCHINE’S CLASSROOM.