Five Questions With... Steven Cantor, Director/Producer of BALLET NOW

We're screening an incredible documentary on the Monday of #NFF18 (Monday, June 25 at 12:15pm) and want to make sure you grab your tickets NOW for this not-to-be-missed special film.

BALLET NOW provides a rarely seen, unfiltered glimpse into the world of ballet and what it takes to create a groundbreaking, one-of-kind dance extravaganza. Featuring a diverse cast of world-class dancers from around the globe, the film follows New York City Ballet’s Prima Ballerina Tiler Peck as she unites the worlds of tap, hip-hop, ballet, and even clown artistry as the first female curator of The Music Center’s famed BalletNOW program. With less than a week to pull it all off, Tiler faces the mounting pressures of not only dancing in multiple pieces, but also producing and directing this high-profile event. The success of the performances rests squarely on her shoulders. Will she pull it off?

Read more with Director/Producer Steven Cantor below, and join us on the 25th!

NFF: How did you come to this story, and/or how you were introduced to Tiler?

Steven: Tiler and I made a music video (Charlotte OC - Medicine Man) together last year and became friends, plus I was blown away by her talent and athleticism. My company, Stick Figure, has a partnership with Paul Allen’s Vulcan Productions to do a series of projects aimed at making the classical arts, in particular ballet, more accessible and inspirational to younger generations, so when Tiler was given this opportunity, she told me about it and it fit right in with that mission and became our first feature film together.

NFF: Can you talk about your own relationship to dance and the dance world?

Steven: My main relationship is that my daughter, Clara, is 14 and a student at SAB, the school of the New York City Ballet. She has been there since she was six. There’s no outside pressure on her or anything - she goes because she absolutely loves it. Tiler has been her favorite dancer since she started watching ballet at 3 or 4, so this whole relationship is kind of mind-blowing to her and has  made her think I’m a real cool dad. 

On another note, I made the film DANCER about the so-called “Bad boy of ballet”, Sergei Polunin, last year, so this is my second ballet themed film in a short period.

NFF: How did Elisabeth Moss become involved in Ballet Now?

Steven: Elisabeth was a ballet dancer growing up. In fact she attended the same school, Westside Dance, in L.A. as. Tiler. She is Tiler’s and my partner in this whole mission with Vulcan. And she has obviously a great relationship with HULU, so she was instrumental at bringing them on board at an early stage. She’s been a phenomenal partner - highly engaged and a creative force at every step of the production.

NFF: Did you face any challenges or surprises while filming?

Steven: Well, what is never said on screen is that while documenting Tiler’s monolithic effort to pull off this whole program in three days, we essentially had three days to film all the major building blocks of a feature film. On films in the past, I have often taken several years to accomplish the same task. So that was certainly an adventure.

NFF: Why are you excited to screen in Nantucket?

Steven: I love Nantucket. I have been visiting since I was a child and for the last ten years or so, my parents, my sister’s family and mine all rent a house on the island for a few weeks in August. It’s a time of extended family togetherness that we otherwise rarely get. Suffice to say, Nantucket has a special place in my heart. You can spot me riding my bike around town this August, probably with some kids behind me.