Ballet has fascinated since its beginnings (around 1500 in Italy). The ballerina has become an ethereal, almost other-worldy creature, on display again in Amazon Prime's new miniseries, "Etoile", streaming April 24.
"Etoile" promises to be a potboiler of romance and workplace intrigue with beautiful locations, not to mention a gorgeous cast.
Once bitten little girls never get over the ballet bug.
I saw "The Red Shoes" in 1948 (age 6) and begged my mother for ballet lessons for years. Never mind that "The Red Shoes" was a cautionary tale. I was far too young to understand the plot, but Moira Shearer was enchanting. Like all good performers she made it look easy. By the way, Moira Shearer was a dancer who had never acted when she took the role.
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| Scenes from "The Red Shoes" |
My mother wisely stalled on those ballet lessons as Gallumphing Gertie here would never have been successful. Undeterred I did take a few lessons at the Joffrey Ballet in NYC in the mid-'60s. They had open classes for $5 a session. Mr. Joffrey only took $10 from me. I realized it best to save my money for tickets to his wonderful productions.
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| Scenes from "The Secret People" |
Audrey Hepburn might be the world's most successful unsuccessful ballerina. She studied ballet throughout her childhood despite the privations and dangers of WWII. Audrey grew too tall (5'8") for a conventional ballerina but found work as a cabaret dancer. In one of her early films, "The Secret People", she was a ballerina in training. Eventually she danced on film with the great Fred Astaire in "Funny Face". Ballet's loss was truly our gain.
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| Portman and Millepied in "Black Swan" |
Natalie Portman met Benjamin Millepied on the set of 2010's "Black Swan" where he was the choreographer and one of the film's dancers. She prepared almost a year for her part as another doomed dancer. Millepied is a classically trained pro who later became director of the Paris Opera Ballet. They were married in 2012 and divorced in 2024.
Dancers lead impossibly disciplined lives. Their workouts are brutal and never-ending, diets restricted and stringent, lives outside the studio or off the stage limited at best. They are almost always in pain and live in constant fear of injury. But that doesn't take away from our fascination.
Just think about the fashion classics that have come to us from ballet:
BALLET SLIPPERS
(from the real deal to street style)
(Giselle to Chanel)
Once I achieved my goal of red toe shoes and then had nowhere to wear them I lost interest. But still proud they were mine.
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