Frederick Ashton's Scènes de Ballet remains a work of constructional genius. It is extraordinarily tricky to perform, with copious pirouettes and jumps, and it's testament to the dancers that they could deliver the work with such grace under enormous Festival pressure. For the moment, the work resides an inch outside their comfort zone but may well move inside it over time.

William Forsythe's complex Workwithinwork, however, is Scottish Ballet to the core. You can't fake Forsythe – you've either got it or you haven't – and Scottish Ballet's take on it at the weekend was nothing short of remarkable. Great news, then, that we'll see it again in their autumn programme.

Dracula is such a well-known character, he's so iconic, that I don't mind if people love or hate him – as long as they have a strong emotional response. Gary Oldman really amazed me in the role. You can sense him smelling [the characters'] blood. He's been an inspiration to me for the part. Last time Northern Ballet Theatre put on Dracula, there were four of us in the company dancing the lead, so I was able to watch others in the role. That way, you can see what works and what doesn't.

Transferring that spirit to film has been a two-year struggle for Ms. Bar and Mr. Suozzi, the creators and executive producers of the movie, which stars City Ballet dancers. After raising $50,000 in three weeks from the Jerome Robbins Foundation and private donors, they shot the fourth movement, “Passage for Two,” on the High Line in Manhattan, but then they encountered delays in generating financing. Now they are overseeing a four-week shoot for which they raised $600,000 from the Robbins Foundation, WNET and private donors. (They still need $200,000 for post-production.)

Filming will take place in a variety of locations in the New York region, including that school gymnasium and the McCarren Park Pool in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Guadagnino also said plans are on track for his First Sun shingle to produce the long-in-gestation remake of Dario Argento's 1977 cult hit "Suspiria." It will be helmed by David Gordon Green with a 2010 shooting date.

Finding Your Center

Using simple physics, the dancer is spinning on the supporting leg pushing against the floor while the upper body is pulled up in a perfect vertical line from the top of the head to the toes. The force against the floor creates the acceleration for the pirouette. Finding your center is achieved by keeping your body tight with a closed ribcage and pelvis tucked under and with your shoulders squared over your hips.