To Dance Like a Man

Gr 5 Up—Both documentaries center on young people studying ballet and aspiring to stardom, but To Dance Like a Man is far more captivating for general audiences. Set in Havana, the film focuses on 11-year-old identical triplet brothers. Studying at the National Ballet School of Cuba, the three boys explain (in Spanish, with English subtitles) their passion and enthusiasm for their pursuit. TuTu Much, by contrast, follows young women at a Canadian summer camp run by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. Arriving from all around the world, dancers spend one month living in a dormitory and competing for a chance at further training with the company. For viewers interested in ballet and other performing arts, both films may be of interest, but for those with little or no affinity for dancing, To Dance offers more broad appeal. Americans unfamiliar with Cuban society may be surprised to learn that the boys' dance classes are fully funded by the state, along with all costs for regular schooling and comprehensive health care. Spanish language teachers may wish to screen all or parts of To Dance for more exposure to the language. Finally, the novelty of boys dancing, let alone identical triplets, is appealing in and of itself and should make this a popular choice in many school and public libraries. Librarians on a tight budget should choose To Dance Like a Man.–Bernie Morrissey, The Harker School, San Jose, CA