Dancers spend a lot of time on Youtube watching as many videos as we can, so when one of my students mentioned a dance film I hadn't seen, I was a little surprised. But after he sent me the link, I spent probably the better part of an hour watching clips of David Kinsella's beautiful and yet highly disturbing film. "A Beautiful Tragedy" follows the progress of a 15-year old girl named Oksana Skorik, a student at the famed Perm State Ballet School -- a place which has turned out some of the world's most refined dancers.It's not unlike watching a terrible tragic accident: so upsetting that you can't look away.
In pursuit of a career in dance, (as much for her mother as for herself) Oksana works, starves, battles loneliness, and takes heaps of verbal abuse from her teachers, notably Lidiya Ulanova, who calls the girls idiots and angrily tells them they're insolent and stuffed dummies.
"Why would a teacher do that?" wonders my student aloud. "What kind of a person is that?"
I have no good answers. But almost more disturbing is the thought that so many people think this is the way to make good dancers. Skorik went into the Kirov Ballet, and her classmate Masha Menchikova went to the Perm company. Success came to them, but how much more beautiful could they have been without the abuse?
Clip 1
Clip 2
Clip 3
Clip 4
You can order the film in both NTSC and PAL formats from Faction Film.
"Why would a teacher do that?" wonders my student aloud. "What kind of a person is that?"
I have no good answers. But almost more disturbing is the thought that so many people think this is the way to make good dancers. Skorik went into the Kirov Ballet, and her classmate Masha Menchikova went to the Perm company. Success came to them, but how much more beautiful could they have been without the abuse?
Clip 1
Clip 2
Clip 3
Clip 4
You can order the film in both NTSC and PAL formats from Faction Film.
2 comments:
This movie was a real shock for me… I mean this amount of lie and profanation the author put into it. It looks like the film was made specially to discredit Russian ballet school. What the lie is in? “Awful” instructors convinced |Oxana to have better and more nutrition, they didn’t force her to starve. The College Director personally, her instructor and the doctor often talk to her about harm of becoming thin. The girl was very respected and valued by them. But try yourself to convince a 13 yo teenager with steel will and iron character in something that differ from her convictions! She never had anorexia! She was always too clever to cross the line.
Moving to Perm Choreographic College was Oxana’s own decision, not her mother’s fancy. Oxana studied there since being 12 yo (she went to the third class because her mother was afraid to leave her earlier), not since 10 yo like other kids. The tragedy was absolutely in another area and original script written by Anna Sirota reflected that, but the story has been distorted by Norwegian director David Kinsela to please the project producers. The tragedy was in social isolation of Oxana caused on one hand by jealousy to Oxana’s ability to work and her born gifts, , on the other hand by the fact that her relatives were very far away. It’s extremely difficult to be number one in profession! Does anybody really believe that it’s possible to really force somebody become very good and successful dancer?! What can force a girl to work on her improvement 10 hours a day, how it practices Oxana now being a Mariinsky Theater artist?
What is the most important here:
She is a very strong and whole – hearted person since she was born. She works very much and very focused. That’s why she is successful! Every occupation, if you try to become perfect in it, demands to sacrifice.
Everybody has right to see in this film what he wants to see… But it’s a pity that somebody’s negative associations hurt Oxana, her instructors who put into her so much efforts, and her mother…
I suspect the previous post was written by the abusive woman herself. If that is the case she is in denial and being self defensive without taking responsibility for her actions as is usually the case with bullies. The teacher in the film acts like a Nazi; we see it with our own eyes. The damage she is causing to those children outweighs any value her teaching might offer. She should leave the profession or be removed by those responsible for putting her there. In the United States we take a very dim view of this sort of behavior around children. This ballet should not be welcomed here.
Post a Comment