Born to be wild at ABT: PBS documentary profiles four leading men of American Ballet Theatre.

At no other time in American ballet history have so many outstanding male dancers belonged to one company. They are drawn to American Ballet Theatre like a magnet. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie, once a brilliant dancer himself, they flourish in the varied repertoire, which allows them to dance classics such as Swan Lake and Giselle; Balanchine, Ashton, and Tudor masterpieces; works by Mark Morris, Paul Taylor, and Twyla Tharp; and the newest offerings of up-and-coming choreographers, such as Stanton Welch and Robert Hill. But unlike great performers in other fields, audiences know little about them but their astounding talents.

Three years ago, Judy Kinberg, the Emmy Award-winning producer of Channel 13/WNET's Great Performances/Dance in America series, decided to rectify the situation with a documentary on four stars of the company: Jose Manuel Carreno (see cover story, DANCE MAGAZINE, July 1997, page 36), Angel Corella (see cover story, DANCE MAGAZINE, November 1995, page 52), Vladimir Malakhov (see cover story, DANCE MAGAZINE, May 1999, page 46), and Ethan Stiefel (see cover story, DANCE MAGAZINE, November 1999, page 54). "I thought audiences might like to know what kind, generous, and thoughtful people they are," Kinberg says, "because they bring those qualities to the stage."

Her insightful (though incongruously named; a ballet dancer could hardly be wild and succeed) show, "Born to Be Wild: The Leading Men of American Ballet Theatre," offers a window into the lives of each of these men by going home with them--Carreno to Havana, Cuba; Corella to Madrid; Malakhov to Moscow, where he danced before coming to the U.S. (he was born in Ukraine); and Stiefel to Madison, Wisconsin.

Viewers will meet the families, friends, and teachers, soak up some of the atmosphere in which the dancers blossomed, and learn how ballet became so central to their lives. For the conclusion, Mark Morris choreographed a special ballet, Non Troppo, for the four men, to the fourth movement of Schumann's Quintet in E-flat for Piano and Strings. "They're fabulous artists," Morris says. "Funny and friendly, and not in the least divas."

Instead of giving them splashy solos, he created several quartets and duets that show off their skills without being ostentatious. However, they needed every bit of their virtuosity to dance to his complex rhythms and direction changes, as viewers can observe in "Born to be Wild," which is scheduled to air on PBS stations nationwide on February 3 (check local listings).

Carreno spoke at length about the experience of making the documentary. Being a video subject wasn't entirely new for him; he was filmed when he won the grand prix at the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1990. But this time it was different.

"Judy interviewed us at length before the filming began," says the handsome 34-year-old Cuban dancer, "so she could get an idea of what really mattered in our lives. It is very personal." In the Havana segment, viewers are introduced to his parents and grandparents. "They got very excited about being able to talk about me," he says, smiling.

Carreno explains that when he was growing up in Cuba it was difficult for a man to become a ballet dancer without being considered effeminate. But since his two uncles were members of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, he saw ballet in another light. Virtually adopted by the company as a child, he didn't make judgments or suffer from being judged like another boy might be who grew up outside the dance world. "Though I didn't start studying until I was 10," he says, "I'd been in that ambiance all my life. Everybody remembers me being passed as a baby from one dancer's arms to another's during classes and rehearsals. All I've ever wanted to be is a dancer."

As a member of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba for four years, Carreno came under the profound influence of its founder, the legendary dancer and teacher Alicia Alonso. "The most important thing Alicia taught me," he says, "is that dancers are artists, not gymnasts just doing pretty steps. She also emphasized how critical it is to differentiate styles; for instance, to perform every character differently, always stressing the theatrical quality of the work. You don't do the prince and the peasant in the same way." He carefully watched other dancers, as he still does today, to learn from them. But before anything else, he took from those early years an appreciation of discipline. "Without it," he says, "I would not be where I am today."

Thanks to Alonso's efforts, ballet is widely appreciated in Cuba, with schools in almost every province, and dancers are idolized as much as athletes and pop stars. This becomes apparent during the show when Carreno makes a guest appearance at the biannual International Festival of Dance, which took place during his visit to Havana. His performance, including a pas de deux from Swan Lake, brings down the house.

Unlike many male dancers, Carreno likes partnering a variety of ballerinas rather than always being associated with the same one. "I get a different sense of the dance from each woman," he says, "and it helps me grow in my roles."

A man who likes challenges, he confesses there is one ballet he is dying to dance: the great Russian ballet Spartacus. Though he has been a guest artist at both the Kirov and Bolshoi Ballets, he has never danced it for them. "It has the most beautiful pas de deux," he says longingly.

But dance does not consume Carreno, we learn from the show. He devotes as much time as possible to his wife, Lourdes Novoa, a former principal dancer with the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, and their two daughters, Carmen, 15, and Alessandra, 5. "I try to keep a balance in my life," he says. "We go to movies and museums and see friends." He isn't encouraging his daughters to be ballerinas. "Ballet is a very tough life," he says, "mentally and physically. Probably the toughest part is staying on top once you get there. But I never regret being a dancer. I can't imagine what I'd be otherwise."

Over the course of "Born to Be Wild," each of these four dancers reveals not only what it takes to be a ballet superstar--the hard work and moral fiber--but how much joy he derives from his art. Though they came to ABT by different routes, all were driven by the same passion. Viewers get intimate glimpses of the men that makes watching them dance the exquisite Morris work even more delightful.

"We're usually always going in our own separate directions," Steifel says, "so it was a great moment to work together on a new creation--and so much fun."

Valerie Gladstone also writes for The New York Times, Elle, and Town and Country. She co-authored the book Balanchine's Mozartiana: The Making of a Masterpiece.