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Royal Ballet London Documentary Analysis

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This 2016 documentary depicts Royal Ballet London’s youngest male principal’s life and the toll ballet took on it. Sergei Polunin, one of the most famous ballet dancers in the world, struggled his whole life devoting his time to ballet to bring his broken family back together. Polunin’s mother pressured him to dance to escape the small, poor Ukrainian town he resides from. Overtime, Polunin became extremely depressed, partying, doing drugs and becoming the ‘bad boy’ of ballet. However, his amazing talent bought him a ticket to success, despite how controversial his actions were. At first, I was skeptical to watch “Dancer” because I was not sure just how controversial the film would be. I soon became connected to Polunin’s emotion and soul as I saw him struggle mentally throughout the entire film. He performs with such emotion, it is hard not to become tranced in his charisma. Polunin’s technique portrays his maturity in ballet; preparing for leaps with such strength, then following through with such ease. It is easy to see how easy …show more content…

It does not matter how talented one is, one will become successful due to the amount of commitment and determination they have to be better than their competition. I now fully understand how expensive it is to dance professionally and/or competitively because the dancers have to pay for training, lessons, coaches, costumes, shoes etc. Also, it takes a physical toll on one’s body. Going to classes all day, then rehearsals, and performances all in one day. It must be so difficult to have your life solely focused on just dancing; I cannot imagine literally living just for ballet; it is no wonder why so many dancers become depressed. In consequence of having a life of just ballet, there is no chance of having personal or social time. This is what caused Polunin to become so outrageously

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“[My dance instructor] Cindy believed that ballet was richer when it embraced diverse shapes and cultures. There would be times in my career when I would struggle to remember that, but I would eventually come back to that conviction, that the stage on which I performed was brighter for having me, even if some in the audience or dancing beside didn 't always agree” (“Misty Copeland

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This role has diminished through the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, but the need to be masculine remains in countless men. Makeup, tights, and ballet shoes are not considered manly. Therefore, a subsequent stereotype has become prevalent. Persistently, people erroneously believe all danseurs to be gay, weak, and feminine. Frequently, male dancers are left to feel inadequate and are discouraged from their art because their manliness is questioned.

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The word “ballet” brings to mind words such as “grace” or “beauty” when heard by many people. The definition itself states that it is a form of dance that uses precise steps and light, graceful motions. This definition was in the minds of those who attended the Théâtre des Champs-Élysèes in May 1913, but rather they were greeted with the complete opposite. When Igor Stravinsky’s ballet Rite of Spring opened, the audience was greeted with swift, chaotic music that quickly became a whirlwind of sound. The music softened and the curtains opened to a primitive dance, causing mass hysteria throughout the theatre.

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According to Ramamurthy, “The stereotypical and highly coded representations of women in popular culture have been given attention by many critics” (846), which remains true for both men and women in ballet. Women must have a slender body, dainty arms, and a look of poise and grace. Men look almost similar, in that they must have a slender masculine physique but also a gentle appearance. Although male dancers can appear masculine, they often receive criticism for appearing too feminine and not manly. This judgment occurs often, no matter if dancers appear different from the stereotypical view, they will endure endless criticism.

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