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ROBERT SIEGEL: Finally, this hour, a documentary that's been winning awards at festivals and soon opens in theaters across the country. It's called "First Position," and it's about ballet. The film follows seven young dancers as they prepare for the Youth America Grand Prix, a high-stakes international ballet competition. Here's NPR's Elizabeth Blair.
ELIZABETH BLAIR: The first person we meet in "First Position" is a very mature 11-year-old named Aran Bell. His father is in the military. He likes to skateboard and jump on his pogo stick.(SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, "FIRST POSITION")
ARAN BELL: I began dancing when I was 4 years old.
BLAIR: When little Aran Bell hits the stage, he turns and leaps with the poise and fire of a professional.(SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, "FIRST POSITION")
BELL: I love ballet so much. I don't know. I just love it so much that it's hard to explain.
BLAIR: The personal stories of the dancers in "First Position" are very different. There's a 16-year-old who moved to New York by himself from his native Colombia in search of opportunities. There's a 14-year-old named Michaela DePrince, who was adopted...