Four Romantic Ballet Films to Watch During Love Month

By Chino Hernandez

Ballet Philippines recommends four classic films that will make the heart soar during Love Month

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951)

An American in Paris was a massive hit in 1951, winning six Oscars, including Best Picture. Gene Kelly (who stars in the titular role) was awarded a special Academy Award for his contributions to dance on film. The Technicolor movie musical was a passion project for Kelly, who choreographed every number. The highlight of the film is the engrossing 17-minute ballet set to the music of George and Ira Gershwin. Kelly leads an ensemble of ballerinas, dancing on sets inspired by the great Parisian artists. The ballet is a cinematic feat that remains unmatched today. The film tells the story of a poor American painter named Jerry Mulligan who falls in love with Lise, a French girl engaged to another man. At the center of the plot are the themes of social change in Post-war France and the dilemma of sacrificing art for love. Ballet dancer Leslie Caron co-stars as Lise in her feature film debut. Colorful, glamourous, and romantic, An American in Paris is Old Hollywood at its very best.

WATERLOO BRIDGE (1940)

Vivien Leigh followed up her epic role of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind with a smaller, more intimate drama set in the ballet world. Today, Waterloo Bridge is mostly forgotten by the general public. However, if you seek it out, you’ll be treated to a lush production, a tragic romance, and a leading female performance for the ages. Leigh plays Myra, a young ballerina who falls in love with a British officer (Robert Taylor) on the onset of World War I. When she chooses love over dance, she is dismissed from the ballet company. In a heartbreaking string of events, we follow Myra as she resorts to prostitution to make ends meet. Waterloo Bridge is the darkest of our film recommendations. Instead of bright celluloid fluff, director Mervyn LeRoy asks his audience to experience the stark reality of dancers during a period of great despair.

THE BAND WAGON (1953)

Ballet meets Vaudeville in Vincente Minnelli’s musical-comedy The Band Wagon. Fred Astaire plays a washed up hoofer who moves from Hollywood to Broadway in hopes of making a comeback. He soon meets his new leading lady, Gabrielle (played by iconic dancer Cyd Charisse), the prima ballerina of the New York City Ballet. The two start off as rivals, but soon form an unexpected romance. As they get closer, their art forms begin to mesh together. The Central Park dance sequence titled “Dancing in the Dark” is a beautiful performance that truly showcases the seamless marriage between Charisse’s elegant ballet training and Astaire’s uncanny sense of rhythm. The film also features numerous ballet sequences, including the less traditional “Girl Hunt Ballet,” inspired by the pulpy detective novels of the era.

WEST SIDE STORY (1961)

While West Side Story isn’t an obvious “ballet film,” it certainly features some of the best ballet dancing in motion picture history. Jerome Robbins, the legendary dancer and choreographer, adapts his original Broadway routines for the big screen. The result: pure cinematic magic. Robbins, who was known as a perfectionist, had his group of ballet dancers perform each number so many times that their shoes would be covered in blood after several takes. In the end, it was all worth it. West Side Story is a musical masterpiece that changed the genre forever. It won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture of 1961. As a tragic romance, the film continues to break hearts. Based on William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the story finds a new backdrop amidst juvenile delinquents in New York City. Featuring a dazzling score from Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, West Side Story is undoubtedly a cinematic icon.