Off The Beaten Path -- Jig

Off the Beaten Path -Jig

There has been a proliferation of dance “reality” shows that have shown up on your television screen in recent years. So You Think You Can Dance has taken Fox by storm and made dance a part of homes everywhere. The show has introduced viewers to many dance forms they may not have experienced earlier, except in the occasional movie. And of course there is Dancing With The Stars in which our favorite athlete, actors, reality personalities and the like get paired with a real dancer and we get to see how hard they work to put on one small routine. But those, shows are child’s play compared to the World Championships of Irish Dance that are exhibited in the new film, Jig.

Jig is a documentary that is about the blood, sweat, tears, money, time, effort, and the list goes on…that goes into Irish dancing at the top levels. Some will say, these are just dancers. After seeing this film I defy anyone to not say they as highly trained and work as hard as any Olympic athlete.

In the film we are treated to a variety of competitors from the young 10 year old to the nearly 20 year olds. Some are nearing their last competition, while others are just embarking on a long journey. Director Sue Bourne tells a story about some of the lead up to the 40th Irish Dancing World Championships that were held in Glasgow in March 2010. The championships are a global event drawing competitors that we meet in the film from the USA, Scotland, Ireland and even a “Flying Dutchman”. And lest you believe this is just girls with long curly wigs, think again! The boys get their chance to shine as well with moves that will make Michael Flatley a bit jealous.

And Bourne delivers just the right amount of suspense as she has covered some winners, some runner-ups, and some that are just happy to be in the country (Visa problems…you know).

As a father of a nearly 7 year old that is enjoying her time in ballet and tap dancing classes, this is just mind-boggling. Some of the footage reminds me of the show “Toddlers and Tiaras” with one clear exception. These kids ALL seem driven by their goals, well most of them at least. The extent to which the parents support their children is amazing as the thousands of dollars that are spent on costumes, wigs, and training lead to this top event.

The behind the scenes in some of the sequences are amazing as we get the admission from one that she watches her competitions videos on You Tube, to learn the moves to hopefully make her a champion. Imagine, being able to learn from your competition that is half a world away. The changes in 40 years of competition aren’t as much shown here as they are implied.

I sat down to watch this with my wife and daughter in the room with me, fully expecting them to run off and do other things, but instead they were as engrossed with the stories being told onscreen. Much as I found myself wanting to know what happened next and watching it as a critic, I ended up more a fan, cheering for the results, watching the finish and knowing that some would be back next year to try harder and some just might walk away one last time.

Jig is not without faults, it has some stories that seemed a bit harder to follow than others, and would have benefited from a bit more screen time as a whole. But this tight 93-minute film is worth dancing around every corner to find.

Check out http://www.jig-the-film.com

Follow the film on Twitter to see when it is showing near you! @jigthefilm

B+ / B

Jig

Rated PG

Dir: Sue Bourne

Opening 6/17 in LA, NY, Boston, Chicago and Toronto with other cities to follow.