Imagine Documentaries has partnered with DCTV and School of American Ballet for “On Pointe,” a docu series offering an inside look at the rigorous training program at the nation’s foremost school for ballet professionals.
The deal calls for Imagine to work with DCTV and the School of American Ballet on a series chronicling the pursuit by young ballet hopefuls of coveted roles in the New York City Ballet’s annual performances of “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker” at Lincoln Center. Performances in that holiday institution are considered crucial for dancers to be accepted into the New York City Ballet and other companies around the world.
DCTV is a New York-based non-profit organization that has provided on media literacy and documentary production training courses since 1972. The SAB has been a premier dance academy for 85 years but has never before allowed documentary filmmakers access to the school. The school draws a diverse array of aspiring dancers from around the world.
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Imagine’s Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Justin Wilkes and Sara Bernstein will executive produce “On Pointe” DCTV’s Matthew O’Neill will direct the series and produce along with Larissa Bills. The series has not yet been shopped to TV buyers. Imagine Documentaries recently inked a first-look pact with Apple but it’s unclear if “On Pointe” will end up there.
“I am in awe of the tremendous talent and commitment of the young student dancers and instructors at the prestigious School of American Ballet. I am honored Imagine is part of the team trusted in sharing their inspirational stories with the world for the first time,” said Howard.
Carrie Hinrichs, executive director of SAB, said school leaders are confident that Imagine and DCTV will deliver the “highest quality” documentary look at the institution.
“The dedication, artistry and accomplishment that is on display at SAB on a daily basis is nothing short of remarkable, and yet we have always been extremely reluctant to allow any invasive film production that would interfere with our focused daily training. In Imagine and DCTV, we believe we have finally found the perfect partners to tell SAB’s story without compromising any facet of our mission,” Hinrichs said.