I Am a Dancer!

Television (Full Length) – 1990

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In 1989 dancer Douglas Wright returned home to choreograph and form his own company. This half-hour TV documentary, marking the launch of his work Gloria, looks back on a blossoming career that began at 21 — when he took up ballet to overcome a heroin addiction. After becoming a star with Limbs, Wright joined prestigious troupes in London and New York. Now, as opening night looms, he is acutely aware of the danger of pushing his dancers too hard as he fights to get the best out of them on an ambitious, demanding piece. Douglas passed away in November 2018.

I don’t think there’s such a great difference between being a dancer and being a junkie. It’s both punishing yourself like crazy. It’s what dancers actually have to do. They’re addicted to it.
– Malcolm Ross