BALLET WHAT’S THAT FOR?

year: 1978
duration: 38 min

logline:
Film about the Scapino Ballet commissioned by the Ministry of CRM

synopsis:
The Scapino Ballet works mainly for children aiming to encourage their interest in dance from an early age. The ballet ‘Pulcinella’ is explained to a primary-school class before they see it performed. The children interpret the ballet in their own way and so learn to watch the dancing with greater awareness. Their succinct comments on their visit to the theatre show that they have developed their own ideas about the ballet and the dancers. The film also shows members of the Scapino practising dance with a first-year class in a secondary school. The pupils show great enthusiasm and dedication and a performance for parents and teachers is a highlight of the film. Later the Scapino dancers themselves give a performance at the school, winning great respect and admiration from the audience of teachers and children.

Director’s statement:
Some people don’t like ballet.
But before you are sure that you don’t like ballet, you should see some. You need to know what it’s all about. That is often the problem. Most people have not been brought up with ballet and keep thinking it isn’t their thing.
You might conclude that you should start with children, if you want a critical and interested audience who knows what’s going on.
There is a ballet company in the Netherlands that focuses mainly on children: Scapino Ballet.

Ballet is a kind of motion. Very sophisticated motion. Sometimes with strict rules, sometimes not. It’s so sophisticated that you can experience some enjoyment or other emotions when – as an audience – you watch it. By explaining in advance the rules of the game and talking about it, Scapino tries to teach children to watch and appreciate ballet.

In a playground, for example, children also move around. They have a range of motions at their disposal. More than grown-ups, it seems. It’s fun to move. It’s great. It’s also fun to dance. Making a presentation with ballet, decors, music and beautiful clothes is very exciting. Then it also becomes apparent appears that you don’t master those perfected forms in one morning. Ballet is also a profession.

This film is intended for people who would like to know some more of these things: parents, teachers and cultural officials for example.
If they have seen this film, they might know what to do with Scapino. And in what way.

(bron: flyer, eigen tekst)

screenplay, direction, editing: Digna Sinke
camera: Paul van den Bos
sound: Hans Fels, Roel Bazen
assistance: Peter Smaling, Rob Lorié
re-recording mix: Jan van Sandwijk
laboratory: NLF Loenen a/d Vecht
producer: Rolf Orthel