Anatomy of a Male Ballet Dancer, the documentary film on the acclaimed Brazilian dancer Marcelo Gomes directed by Mexican-born David Barba and James Pellerito and distributed by Cinema Tropical and Retribution Media, earned a nomination for the Chita Rivera Award for Best Documentary. The winners of the award (formerly the Fred and Adele Astaire Awards, honoring the best in dance on stage and screen, will be announced at a ceremony at NYU's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts on May 20.
Anatomy of a Male Ballet Dancer follows Gomes, who has been a rare dancer: a versatile leading man and, arguably, the best partner of his generation. Fellow dancers Julie Kent, Veronika Part, and others light up when they speak about him. He had been a star at American Ballet Theatre for the past 20 years.
The filmmakers take us on an intimate journey from his native Brazil to the stage of the Metropolitan and beyond to show just how much dedication and discipline are required to reach the top and how much physical stress is imposed on the body in the process, even a perfect one like his. In archival footage, rehearsal, and privileged backstage and dressing room interviews, Gomes emerges as a warm and charming personality, a serious artist, and a fun-loving regular guy.
“Engrossing... An intimate study...fluidly edited and shot with an excellent eye for both the exertion and the seeming effortlessness of the dance sequences” wrote David Rooney on his review of the film for The Hollywood Reporter.
