Films

American Ballet Theatre: A History is a rich, 75-year history of one of the world’s preeminent ballet companies, from its earliest days as a small, financially struggling collective, to its pinnacle as one of the most respected and revered dance companies in the world. With unprecedented access to the company, witness dramatic live performances in Paris and Havana; grueling rehearsals at ABT’s flagship studio in New York City; and slow-motion captures at Kaatsbaan International Dance Center in Tivoli, N.Y., with iconic dances by Misty Copeland, Gillian Murphy, Hee Seo, Marcelo Gomes, Isabella Boylston, Herman Cornejo, Daniil Simkin, Joseph Gorak, and Cory Stearns, who were chosen by artistic director Kevin McKenzie to illustrate the ABT dancers’ formidable technicality, intricate artistry, and nuanced emotion.

This comprehensive inside look at the world of professional ballet includes archival photos and rare footage of ballet icons Jerome Robbins, George Balanchine, Agnes de Mille, Antony Tudor, and Mikhail Baryshnikov, as well as artists pivotal to the company’s formation, including Alicia Alonso and the late Donald Saddler and Frederic Franklin; and contemporary luminaries, including dancers Susan Jaffe and Julie Kent, and choreographer Alexei Ratmansky.