TV and Movies

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Go backstage at the ballet when the CW's extraordinary docu-series, Breaking Pointe, returns for its second season on Monday, July 22nd at 9 PM Eastern.

I was mesmerized last summer by this all-access pass to Salt Lake City's Ballet West that included agonizing auditions, countless hours of classes and elaborate costume fittings. The viewer gets a unique perspective concerning what goes into those magnificent performances, that are also shown extensively on this breautifully shot and edited series. As you might imagine, there's lots of drama when these creative types collaborate and tempers clash.

In 2012, the six episodes (hulu.com/plus) introduced us to the Artistic Director, the Company and dancers from the Apprentice Company. The backstories are fascinating, including the aging prima ballerina who's balancing her marriage to a former dancer (he's now part of the ballet's administrative staff), her insecurities about growing older in a profession with a very limited shelf-life and the younger dancers including the hopefuls waiting in the wings for their chance at stardom. One younger dancer in particular, eager to replace the star, gives credence to an All About Eve (Margo Channing vs. Eve Harrington) scenario. It shows that the world of professional ballet can be simultaneously filled with beauty, grace and cutthroat competitiveness.

In the critically and popularly acclaimed series this season, we'll watch what happens before the curtain rises on "Cinderella," starting with Episode 1, "It's Not Brain Surgery, It's Ballet."

The Breaking Pointe website http://www.balletwest.org/BreakingPointe includes a countdown clock to tomorrow's S2 premiere, S2 trailer, cast list, S1 articles and reviews and a link.

If you appreciate the performing arts, you'll applaud this "must-see" series enthusiastically.