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BEYOND THE STEPS follows Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater during a pivotal time in its history as the company ventures abroad while establishing new roots at home in New York City. When the company moves into a state-of-the-art facility called "the largest in the country devoted exclusively to dance," longtime company Artistic Director Judith Jamison creates a new ballet entitled Love Stories. Choreographed in collaboration with hip-hop pioneer Rennie Harris and modern dance maverick Robert Battle, Jamison explains that Love Stories expresses "the past, present and future" of the company. Ailey dancers take center stage in this documentary as the troupe brings this new work to the White Nights Dance Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia. —Becca Bender
Status
Released
Original Language
EN

As young dancers, they were best friends and fierce rivals. Deedee left the stage for marriage and motherhood, while Emma would become an international ballet icon. But when Deedee's teenage daughter is invited to join Emma's dance company and begins an affair with a young Russian star, the two women are forced to confront the choices they've made, the resentments they've hidden and the emotional truths they must face at the turning point.

A former professional dancer volunteers to teach dance in the New York public school system and, while his background first clashes with his students' tastes, together they create a completely new style of dance. Based on the story of ballroom dancer, Pierre Dulane.