Balanchine's Protege: John Clifford

This documentary film explores the life and artistry of American ballet star dancer and choreographer John Clifford. It’s an in-depth assessment of what makes him unique and highly lauded in the ballet world and the titans of dance that mentored and choreographed ballets on him, such as George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, and many others. Furthermore, it examines the politics of the arts in Los Angeles, and the support his Los Angeles Ballet (the first fully professional ballet company in that city’s history), received from Hollywood heavyweights Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, and others, and why the company was forced to close due to the direct influence of Nancy Reagan, “downtown” politics, and jealousy.