LIFT (2023)

FEATURE-LENGTH documentary - PARAMOUNT PICTURES

Director and co-producer: David Petersen

Producer: Mary Recine

Executive Producer and Principal Advisor: Misty Copeland

Executive Producers: Sam Pollard & Jannat Gargi, Jody Allen, Ruth Johnston, Rocky Collins, Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet and Bruce Evans, Lisa Kleiner Chanoff, Bonni Cohen, and Megan Gelstein

Co-Executive Producer: Leyla Fayyaz

Advisors: Misty Copeland, Lourdes Lopez, David Lansky, Wendall Harrington, Nan Roman

Cinematography: Alan Jacobsen, Gary Griffin, David Petersen

Distributed by Paramount Pictures with major support from Vulcan Productions, Catapult Film Film, Ford Foundation | JustFilms, New York State Arts Counsel

LIFT: As a fine art, ballet rarely finds its dancers or audience among the underprivileged or homeless, but for three decades, a small ballet company in New York City has held auditions in homeless shelters and underserved communities to teach children the commitment and devotion to become fine artists, or to pursue other careers beyond what they could have imagined. This journey, from the marginalized community of underprivilege to the rigor of professional ballet, drives a powerful story of empowerment for these children, and offers a unique window into the invisible story of homelessness in America. Through the choreography and direction of their mentor Steven Melendez, an international dancer who began his career in a New York City homeless shelter, several children embrace the discipline, passion, and beauty of classical ballet and make this art form their own by telling their extraordinary story through movement and gesture, a tale rarely heard by the public, and never seen on a ballet stage.