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We recently joined Oscar nominated filmmaker Steven Cantor in the West Village office of Stick Figure Productions to talk about his new epic documentary, “DANCER.” Centered around the once-notorious “bad boy of ballet,” Sergei Polunin, this character-driven documentary instead reveals a charming and multi-dimensional dancer of prodigious talent who has a complicated relationship with his craft. In conversation with Steven, we delved further into the nature of his latest subject as well as his process of creating character-driven documentaries in general. Don’t miss “DANCER” if you haven’t seen it yet (Amazon, iTunes), and stay tuned for Stick Figure’s latest documentary (also dance-related!), “Step,” premiering at Sundance this coming January.

Steven Cantor is best known as the director of such hit documentaries as Chasing Tyson (2015), loudQUIETloud: A Film About Pixies (2011) and What Remains (2007). He is also the producer of Devil’s Playground (2002), Reporter (2011) and Unraveled (2012). He is the founder of NY based Stick Figure Productions.

Since its formation in 1999, Stick Figure has developed and produced films and series for over 40 television networks and digital platforms. Stick Figure specializes in character driven docu-series such as HBO’s Family Bonds (HBO), Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane (E!/Style), American Gypsies (National Geographic) and Catching Hell (The Weather Channel.) Whether profiling Amish teenagers or fashion divas or bail bondsmen or gypsies or rock bands, Stick Figure brings its unique ability to build characters and artfully reveal tension to every project they undertake.