Canadian Documentary Chronicle New Edition “Swan Lake” Made

A few years ago, before stepping down as artistic director of the National Ballet of Canada, Karen Kane decided to direct a show. “We need a new Swan Lake,” she says at the beginning of the new documentary swan song, “I thought: I want to try to find the courage to do this.” Kane, a former ballet dancer, trained at NBC and made her debut as the Swan Queen in the company’s 1971 production. She later came under the tutelage of Soviet dancer and choreographer Rudolf Nureyev, who helped develop her career. Kane has received national and international recognition. Andy Warhol painted a portrait of her, and Canadians affectionately called her “their country’s Princess Diana.”

Directed by Chelsea McMullan, swan song Follow Kane’s directorial journey Swan Lake This is her final year with the National Ballet of Canada. She originally planned to retire in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the company to suspend performances three months before opening night. McMullen’s documentary, which will be available on demand in select theaters on July 26, acknowledges this challenge in the opening scene. Kane finally delays retirement swan song It officially started two years after the show was off the air, eight weeks before their debut. From Caine to the dancers, the company is under pressure as it stages an ambitious, more contemporary version of Tchaikovsky’s ballet and tries to recoup some of the money it lost in the early stages of the pandemic.

There are a lot of moving parts swan song It makes sense that the film has a four-part documentary series that premiered in Canada last fall. The pandemic extended the timeline for McMullan and their team, allowing the crew to work in-house for two years before resuming rehearsals. swan song Only a small part of this investment is summarized – the information gathered, the emotions felt, the experiences captured. Although Brendan Mills (accelerate) Competent and assured editor, documentation can feel rude at times. McMullan discusses a range of topics – Kane’s career, her desire for modern elements Swan Lake, Racism in Ballet, Eating Disorders, and Class — each could serve as an hour-long entry. Often, time constraints allow documentaries to be dynamic. Here, it inspires a desire for more.

McMullan’s performance offers a glimpse into the complex, dramatic and sometimes tense world inside the National Ballet of Canada. From the moment the easy-smiling Russian-Lithuanian dancer Yurgita Dronina appears on screen, the physical, emotional and mental stamina required of a dancer is on full display. She briefly explained the structure of the company, which includes corps de ballet, soloists and principal dancers like herself. In the first half of the documentary, McMullan also introduces Shaelynn Estradra, a group dancer from Texas whose working-class background and mental health issues can sometimes be Contradictory to her ambition to become a prima ballerina. at a certain moment swan songEstradela described ballet as his personal “angel” and “demon.” The testimonies of Kane, Dronina, Estradera and other interviewees together form a compelling portrait of modern ballet’s past, present and future.

McMullan supplemented Kane’s past stories with archival footage of the dancers that she produced herself. Swan Lake and interviews with dance scholars and critics such as Seika Boye and Paula Citron. Boye talks about the importance of some of these elements Swan Lake – for example, the key role of the Legion – and touches on structural issues and histories of exclusion in ballet. An important source of internal tension swan song Surrounded by Kane’s decision to ditch the leotards for Legionnaires. The artistic director understood the traditional role of white nylon, but felt that the performer’s bare legs would make the piece feel more contemporary.

Responsible for bringing Kane’s vision to life is choreographer Robert Binet, a patient and steady figure throughout the documentary. He corrected the group of dancers, reminding them when they had to move faster to keep up with the music, and challenged Kane with similar gentle but firm commands. He accomplished the task of marrying the director’s vision with the dancers’ abilities with admirable grace. Binet’s emotional support can be felt in almost every scene of the film swan songFrom scanning the company during rehearsals to reassuring individual dancers in private conversations.

But there’s also a clear technical flair – most evident in the final scene. swan song, the company was filled with opening-night tension. Along with DPs Tess Girard and Shady Hanna, McMullen blends in with the chatter of the crowds hanging out in the theater lobby and the dancers in thick eyeliner and hairspray. Mills’ editing becomes more dynamic in these scenes, reflecting that haunting beauty accelerateanother film about the grueling demands of dance.

When a performer takes the stage, swan song Become electric. Close-ups of the dancers invite us to experience the effort of this performance: beads of sweat roll off their chests, muscles tense as they jump and land. Watching the lithe body glide across the stage, I’m reminded of Kane’s earliest wishes that seemed to propel her in her direction. Tired of watching academic performances Swan LakeShe left the company to loud applause. “I want to be moved,” she said. “You know, this is theater; I wanted to cry. Of course, no one in the house had a dry eye that night.