VIFF Review: Ballerina

Ballerina
September 28, 2007 8:00pm
Vancity Theatre

This showing is director Bertrand Normand's international premiere of his film about the rarefied world of ballet. He intimately captures the working life of the ballerina.

He starts at the beginning for all prospective young ballerinas. The Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg has produced some of Russia's best ballet dancers. Its graduates include Nureyev, and Barishnikov. The selection process of prospective students is rigourous, and humiliating. In their underwear, the 10 year old girls are lined up, poked, and prodded like prize animals at a county fair. Before a panel of teachers, each girl has her limbs manipulated to determine flexibility, and must perform an audition. Only one out of thirty girls are selected.

From the beginning of schooling we go to end of schooling and meet one 8th year student, Alina. She is graduating top of her class, and we get to see her dance the lead role of her graduation dance. The graduation performance is a chance for students to show their talents to prospective employers and Alina is hired on by the Mariinsky Theatre.

Formerly know as the Kirov Ballet, the Mariinsky is arguably the top ballet troupe in the world. Along with Alina we meet other Mariinsky dancers at different stages in their career.

Alina shows so much promise that she is given the lead role in Swan Lake at the tender age of 18. We see her rehearsing with the directors minutely criticizing her every movement.

Alina's friend Evgenia is older and more experienced, but her path is less direct. She takes on an acting role in a French movie about a ballerina falling in love. She competes in the Moscow International Dance competition—winning first place. With these successes under her belt, she is finally able to take a leading role after two years with the Mariinsky.

At 24, Svetlana is blossoming in her career, and just been named a prima ballerina.

Diana has been a prima ballerina for a few years. She is a seasoned member and is starting to spread her wings. While still maintaining her position with Mariinsky, she performs around the world with renowned ballet groups in Paris, Berlin, and the USA.

Ulyana is the eldest of the dancers and looks to be in her early 30s. She had to leave ballet for a few years due to a foot injury. Her life has changed completely as she has gotten married, and had a young daughter. She is returning to dance now after surgery in the USA.

Normand has had incredible access to the lives of these ballerinas. We see the dancers in rehearsal where the instructors mercilessly find every flaw in their performance. We get an insiders' view of performances taken from the wings and backstage. The ballerina's life is a challenging but rewarding existence in devotion to their art.