Documentary "Ballerina" Opens Tomorrow

Meryl Cates | Jan 15, 2009 | there are 3 comments

Diana Vishneva

After an appearance at the Dance On Camera festival, "Ballerina" will be opening at a limited number of movie theaters tomorrow, January 16th. The film, shown alongside a number of dance-related movies, documentaries, and features, will now stand on its own as an intimate look into the lives of five Russian ballerinas.

For the ballet aficionados who are interested in the in-depth journey of a dancer, or for the ballet admirer who lusts after the glamour of the stage, the film intends to satisfy with their unique stories and experience...if nothing else, the dancing will be worth the watch.

Directed by Bertrand Norman, he sought to tell the story of the ballerinas at the Kirov, and the mystique of their lives behind the Maryinsky theater stage. Following Ulyana Lopatkina, Diana Vishneva, Svetlana Zakharova, Alina Somova, and Evgenia Obraztsova through different points of their career, we see the complexity of everyday human emotions paralleled with their work and passion as a ballerina.

The 80-minute documentary takes on a mission that could easily become trite (the Russian ballerina has certainly been the focus of many films before), but aims to introduce something new with their personal stories and journeys.