"You're very talented-- talented enough to change it" -- Anne Bancroft in The Turning Point

Aging ballet star Emma Jacklin walks out of rehearsal of her new ballet, choreographed by a young choreographer, Arnold. She wants to know what she should be feeling with the dance; he tells her, "Just dance." The company's artistic director (James Mitchell) tries to mediate. Screenplay by Arthur Laurents, directed by Herbert Ross, 1977.
Impressive in this scene is how Daniel Levins as Arnold holds his own with Bancroft, nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress of 1977, an amazing year for lead actresses.
Read more about Bancroft's performance at bancroftturning.blogspot.com
(Ad disclaimer: I do not own the copyrights to this video and do not know what ads they will run with it.)

[@laminage]

Arnold and Emma were in their own way "using" each other. Arnold was an up and coming Choreographer who knew that Emma was going to "make" him with his Ballet. Emma on the other hand needed Arnold to prove she still had the goods even though she was working with the New Stars Of Ballet. Can you imagine how Rudolf Nureyev felt seeing Mikhail Barishnikof stealing his thunder.

[@dmmchugh3714]

How many dancers boldly smoke during rehearsal? Love this movie - wish we could get the full movie on KZbin.

[@DavidGibson154]

Lol, true. 1977, though-- check out this scene from 3 Women (same year), in which Millie Lammoreaux (Shelley Duvall) casually lights up in the hospital cafeteria! kzbin.info/www/bejne/qYW1o4qeprlgqJI

[@suzannewinland6989]

Everyone smoked in rehearsal - & EVERYWHERE - back in the day. :) Thank HEAVEN it's different now...

[@rca6576]

Much to my surprise this entire movie is not available for purchase to stream online! Amazon Prime has it but, ONLY for the U.S. What a shame!

[@gregj831]

That is very bizarre

[@hollyb6885]

.54-- You can do a single. “I can do a double.” SAVAGE!

[@DavidGibson154]

Don't mess with Anne B!

[@rebeccassweetmusic4632]

Pretty much everybody is passive aggressive in that film, but I love Anne's bitchiness in that scene because it's pretty valid and understandable. Frankly, the dude teaching was an asshole and did patronize her. And she was like... "ERM...ERMMM... WHAT?!?! HMM?!?! EXCUSE ME??? YEAH, I DON'T NEED THIS NEGATIVITY, GOODBYE!!!" 😆

[@laminage]

Boy the world of ballet is ferocious so to speak. Emma is on her way out, she can't relate to Arnold this up and coming choreographer telling her how to do the dance. It would be like someone like David Foster telling Diana Ross how to sing a song. She won't work with him because he already worked with barbra stresiand whom she idolzies, she'd feel like a charity case. Also when I was a kid, I had no idea that James Mitchell (Ex Palmer Cortlandt) AMC was once a professional ballet dancer.

[@laminage]

I sometimes wonder how Diana Ross feels knowing that Beyonce achieved even more that she could ever dream. Back in the day her Father Matthew all but copied Berry Gordy's Blueprint. The children of this generation have no idea what she did for Pop Music, and this year marks the 60th anniversary of Where Did Our Love Go debuting.

[@abcxyz8787]

0:44 - this is such a basic and simple combination. "You can do a single". LOL, every intermediate level ballet dancer can do a double pirouette that's it's ridiculous to suggest that a ballet star should have a problem with it, I'd understand if he told her - do a triple instead of four pirouettes.

[@DavidGibson154]

Interesting!

[@user-kb6xn6ig7k]

IMHO, Arnold was taking a swipe at Emma's age here. He was suggesting that if the technique was too much for her, he could dumb down the steps. Who wouldn't get bitchy at that type of diss ?

[@abcxyz8787]

@@user-kb6xn6ig7k No, he wasn't taking a swipe at her. He was suggesting it to make it easier for her. If a professional ballet dancer that is still dancing, can't do a double pirouette she should have retired long ago. It's the script writer who doesn't know much about ballet to write such a thing.

[@laminage]

​@@abcxyz8787Also the style of Ballet had changed alot since the late 1950's. New Dancers, New Choreography. Michael knew that something was going to happen between those two, even the other Dancer knew something was amiss. She's Emma Jacqueline (Star) but maybe Arnold felt that she had forgotten the Beauty Of Ballet.

[@amysill3815]

Ugly modern music equals daring and stunning for Hollywood….blecch.