First Hit: I enjoyed this interesting film showing how Russian Ballerinas are chosen for a prestigious school and then into a ballet company.
The film begins by setting the stage of the importance of The Ballet in the Russian culture. Although not started in Russia, the form of dance itself has been officially and completely embraced by the Russian people.
Ballet is a beautiful form of dance which, within its confines, can continue to provide new and fresh performances of age old dances. Swan Lake is seen, in parts, three or four times in the film and regardless, it is mesmerizing when done by these different talented dancers.
After a brief history the film takes us into the Russian ballet school selection process. Young girls ages 8 – 12 standing around, topless waiting to be scrutinized by a table full of people for their body shape, head size, flexibility, beauty and presence. These unformed students are then placed in a rigorous program of learning how to dance.
The stern instructors hold no quarter when pushing these students to learn the dance. As they move to a company, the rigors of the lifestyle take over. One thing that is readily apparent in all of the featured dancers, they are good, they bring who they are to the role, and they love to dance.
Shot in Super 8 format, I was surprised how easily I adjusted to the film size and texture; this was because the content was interesting.
Overall: If you have an interest in the ballet go see this film.