VISUAL ARTS

The struggles and triumphs of The Joffrey Ballet, the first quintessentially American ballet company, are beautifully recapped through a wealth of performance footage as director Bob Hercules (Bill T. Jones: A Good Man) illustrates a history of the company's innovation and international success. The revolutionary artistic strategy of combining modern dance with ballet, and integrating pop and rock scores, pioneered by founders Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino, is seen as the cornerstone of a new philosophy of dance. This engrossing documentary captures it all, featuring Gary Chryst, Trinette Singleton, Helgi Tomasson, Kevin McKenzie and more, and excerpts from signature works including "Astarte," "Trinity," and "Billboards."