Blood, sweat and tutus

There is little shortage of drama this summer on new and returning TV series favorites, but most of them seem to be retiring or headed to the chopping block.

AMC's The Killing, a murder mystery stylized after the Danish hit Forbrydelsen, and Mad Men, which needs no introduction, will be wrapping up in the next few weeks, and FX's Damages, a legal thriller starring Glen Close and Rose Byrne, will conclude its final season in late-summer.

TV Guide's must-see list for summer 2012 is dismal - not quite sure how ABC Family's Baby Daddy and Beverly Hill Nannies made the list.

CW's Jersey Shore knockoff The Catalinas and Fox's celebrity dating show The Choice appear superficial and yawn-worthy, but there is one bright star in a disappointing slough of reality TV.

Normally known for producing vapid teenage angst, the CW has done one thing right with summer entertainment by pulling back the curtains on the professional dance world, offering viewers a peek into the studios at Ballet West for six weeks through its documentary-style show, Breaking Pointe.

Billed as "blood, sweat and tutus" and the "antidote to Black Swan," viewers see another side of a seemingly perfect world through jealousy, competition and intensity as company members strive for unattainable perfection through sacrifice and discipline.

Six dancers in various ranks at the prestigious, tight-knit ballet company in Salt Lake City are showcased: principal Christiana Bennett; soloist Ronnie Underwood; demi-soloists Allison DeBona, Beckanne Sisk and Rex Tilton and company apprentices Kathleen Martin and Ronald Tilton. Cameras follow the six as they take classes, rehearse and perform for up to 10 hours a day, six days a week.

Getting there is difficult. Specific physical aspects, extreme flexibility and a strong sense of artistry and technique are required, as well as years of expensive professional training and attending prestigious summer intensives.

But staying is even harder, because only a slim margin receive and retain professional status.

As Ballet West artistic director Adam Sklute puts it, "I often have to make decisions that my dancers don't like, and it's hard on them. But the best recipe for creating a hardworking and well-functioning dancer and artist is if all the dancers know that they are special, but also that they're expendable."

In the first episode, contract week is bittersweet: five of the featured six are promoted or retain their positions for the following year, while one is given the axe.