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Editor's Note
Five rising stars in Russian ballet are put in the spotlight in this documentary. From their posts at the famed Mariinski Theatre (formerly the Kirov), the young women reflect on their art and the long, difficult path they have trod in pursuing it. Meanwhile, footage of performances--Alina Somova, Svetlana Zakharova, Diana Vishneva, Ulyana Lopatkina, and Evgenia Obraztsova--shows their astonishing talents in action.
| Features | Region 1 | | NTSC | | Keep Case | | Full Frame - 1.33 | | Audio:
| (unspecified) - English, Russian, French | | Subtitles - English | | Text/Photo Galleries:
| Biographies:
| 1. Filmmaker Biography | | Photo Galleries:
| 1. Photo Gallery | | 2. Dance Film Gallery |
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| Entertainment Reviews
 | Ballerina - DVD Review By: Jules Brenner - filmcritic.com DVD Reviews Published on: 7/10/2009 4:48 PM | |
The world of the ballerina has around it a curtain of mystery, which serves the art of classical ballet by framing it within an aura of unapproachable beauty and physical fluidity. As dancers interpret surreal and mythological symbols, they turn into iconic specters of a composer's imagination. But, do dance schools and ballet companies purposely distance their dancers from the public eye so as to preserve the magic? Director Bertrand Normand proves with his documentary that there is no collusion of secrecy in ballet. It's only a matter of filmmaking ambition and opportunity....read the full review |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
|  | Studio: First Run Features |
| Release Date: 7/21/2009 |
| Running Time: 77 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2009 | | Catalog ID: 913843D | | UPC: 00720229913843 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Video: Color |
| Cast & Crew | Alina Somova - Dancer | | Svetlana Zakharova - Dancer | | Diana Vishneva - Dancer | | Ulyana Lopatkina - Dancer | | Elena Obraztsova - Dancer | | Frederic Podetti - Producer | | Yann Brolli - Producer | | Diane Baker - Narrator | | Bertrand Normand - Director |
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| | Professional Reviews | Box Office
"With an appropriately workmanlike method, Normand moves through the Ballet Academy's audition process, following the students' transformations into prima ballerinas." 02/01/2009Washington Post
"[A]t the highest level of the profession, the unvarnished reality of a dancer's life contains plenty of genuine theater, as proved in Bertrand Normand's jewel of a documentary, BALLERINA." 03/06/2009 Los Angeles Times
"[A] beautiful snapshot of ballet life, Russian style, and a tribute to five particular ballerinas..." 04/17/2009 |
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