Wonderland: Boy Cheerleaders, BBC Two

Wonderland: Boy Cheerleaders, BBC Two | reviews, news & interviews

Wonderland: Boy Cheerleaders, BBC Two

A lovely documentary about the impact of dance on difficult lives

by Jasper ReesWednesday, 13 October 2010

DAZL Diamonds: There are some things you can't fake

Nowadays it’s not so easy to find a doc you can trust. Since talent shows started supplying back stories as part of an all-in-one narrative package, it’s as if everyone has learnt how to behave when there’s a camera crew around. Meanwhile, in the cutting room film-makers can be quite as manipulative as colleagues who nakedly trade in fiction. But there are some things you can’t fake. A young male troupe of cheerleaders from rough working-class south Leeds? That’s one of them.

If they were looking for a substitute father to teach them discipline, hyper-camp dance coach Ian might not have been the place to start

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Permalink Submitted by dave (not verified) on Thu, 14/10/2010 - 09:08

i am joes dad...the captain of dazl diamonds all male squad...i would just like to point out that joe is not from a single parent family..he lives with me and his mam who are married with his sister and younger brother...he is not a troubled teenager..he dances because he loves it..i would just like to add that he also plays rugby for a local club...i dont understand why people are having such a hard time accepting boys doing cheer...me and his mam are just happy that hes having fun and keeping fit !!!

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Permalink Submitted by Jasper (not verified) on Thu, 14/10/2010 - 09:45

I stand corrected, Dave. The filmmakers clearly chose to home in on those boys with a story that fitted that pattern and I thought I heard Ian suggest that the boys were all from single-parent families. But I stick by my original point that the performing arts in whatever form brings light into young lives of either gender. I hope you don't get the impression that I'm giving the boys a hard time.

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Permalink Submitted by John B Sheffield (not verified) on Thu, 14/10/2010 - 16:24

These young boys are Achieving! and what is more important rather than any documentary maker "agenda" which will all know will always try to find negatives, what many do not realise is that we are able to see through their single minded ideas at times. The boy's are a credit to South Leeds and I really hope that dance will along with rugby and whatever will always bring Joy into their lives and in the case of Harvey I trust he can go on with his ambitions and get a scholarship to The Northern Ballet. Every Boy is doing well and long may that continue!.

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Permalink Submitted by Ramboid (not verified) on Fri, 15/10/2010 - 14:37

Wonderful, wonderful. Heroic and inspiring - just like the Venezuelan kid orchestras, but very different. Dave, you brought tears to my eyes with your last line. I expect the programme which I am going to watch on iPlayer as directed will do the same.

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