TuTuMuch

No mean girls appear in Elise Swerhone's pleasant documentary about the summer audition program of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, a month-long intensive course in which some 70 young dance students, chosen from 1,000 or so applicants worldwide, live in dormitory-style housing and vie for invitations to join the company's professional school the following year. TuTuMuch, filmed at the 2005 camp, focuses on nine participants, some of whom—such as petite, bespectacled Canadian Alicja—are brash and outspoken—while others are quiet and reserved. Swerhone interweaves footage from class sessions together with observations from both the girls and their instructors. Viewers will also see the girls away from the barres, having fun on outings and comforting one another over bouts of homesickness. (A few boys are glimpsed during the audition process, but there's no hint of gender interaction off the floor.) The students' relatives, particularly parents, are also interviewed, offering perspectives on the girls' home lives and other interests, as well as the sacrifices that the families have made in order to provide opportunities for their children. The film ends with the company's final decisions about who will be invited to the professional school, leading to scenes of jubilation, disappointment, and—in one case—ambivalence about accepting the offer. While all nine aren't able to immediately fulfill their dream, TuTu Much impresses on viewers both their talent and their dedication to dance. An inspiring documentary, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)