BACKSTAGE AT THE KIROV

A former dancer with the Stuttgart Ballet and London's Ballet Rambert, British writer/director Derek Hart has made a number of dance films. Three and one-half years of dedication to a deeply loved project went into Hart's creation of BACKSTAGE AT THE KIROV, a documentary that celebrates the world's foremost ballet company, Leningrad's Kirov Ballet, now 200 years old. Unquestionably a must-see for ballet fans, BACKSTAGE AT THE KIROV, like Carlos Saura's dance films, appeals to the cinephile as well due to the breathtaking fluidity of the camerawork. Ivan Strasburg's new technique creates a seamless flow of angles that sustains the rhythm of the choreography, making the viewer feel like a participant onstage. In addition to its focus on “Swan Lake, Act II,” the film features turn-of-the-century archive footage of St. Petersburg, backstage life of the Kirov Ballet School, the corps in rehearsal and gossiping and griping in the dressing rooms. We also watch the emergence of young Altynai Assylmuratova from the corps de ballet to her role of the Swan Queen – her Paris debut marked instant stardom. Hart shows the poetry of movement together with the human sweat behind it in this unforgettable tribute to the Kirov. “BACKSTAGE AT THE KIROV succeeds in re-creating the magical atmosphere of the theater, particularly in the wings, during a performance, in those moments when the performers are no longer quite themselves, nor yet the characters they portray.” – Jennifer Dunning, New York Times “Beautiful and lovingly made.” – Dancemagazine