Everything is beautiful at the ballet

I saw an amazing movie last night. "Ballet Russes". It's a documentary about French ballet company (well, technically they were based in Monaco) that was made up of Russian dancers, many of them young children whose families had fled Russia during the revolution. This company toured the US and was responsible for spreading a knowledge and love of ballet throughout the country. It also was the creative force behind what ultimately became the New York City Ballet. In all my dance obsessed years (how many teenagers do you know who have 3 poster of Baryshnikov on their bedroom wall?) I had never heard about this company. Or maybe I had but their significance didn't register.

In this movie they interview several of the surviving members - prima ballerinas, corps members, some of them with the company from the very beginning and others who joined at significant turning points for the company. To see these men and women speak about their time with the ballet is so emotional. To see film and photos of them dancing 50-60 years ago (most of the dancers are in their 80s now) and then to see them still so passionate about the music and the dance is incredibly moving. I was moved to tears more than once throughout the movie. I am so thankful to the creators of this film for leaving something for posterity because these men and woman are such artists and they have given us such an enormous legacy.

I wanted to run out of the movie theatre to go buy season tickets to both the New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. I love ballet.