I became a fan of ballet after seeing the Bolshoi perform at Covent Garden a couple of years ago; at that time I had heard the name of Svetlana Zakharova and Natalia Osipova only! Though I didn't see Svetlana -- she pulled out due to injury -- Osipova in Giselle entranced me. Since then it has been my goal to see all the great ballet troupes live. Though that is still a goal, this fascinating documentary makes up partially for it. It takes a look at Svetlana Zakharova, Ulyana Lopitkina, Diana Vishneva, Alina Samova (I think she was also at Covent Garden but not sure!) and Evgenia Obraztsova and their day-to-day life at the Kirov and its training school. Apart from being visually beautiful to look at this is a real insight into how hard life is for top ballerinas and how difficult it is to become one.
For ballet enthusiasts, it is essential viewing.
For ballet enthusiasts, it is essential viewing.