Ballroom Confidential

There’s an inherent sweetness to watching the women in this documentary from director Brian Lilla (Patagonia Rising) learn their dance routines, and it has nothing to do with the quality of their performances. Rather, the sweetness comes from the stories they share with the camera when they aren’t dancing, stories about love, loss and life and how dancing has influenced every aspect of who they are and, perhaps more importantly, who they are becoming. The film stumbles a bit when it includes the stories of dance studio owner Caleb Young and choreographer Joe Mounts, not because their stories aren’t interesting on their own, but they just don’t stack up against what the ladies have to say. Seeing their final performance at the end of the film is a true celebration.