Ballet is an ambitious but not ideal series about Russian theater

On May 18, the premiere of the first episode of the series "Ballet" took place. Despite not the most successful start, it remains interesting.

Directed by Evgeniy Sangadzhiev (“Happy End”). Alexey Kiselev and Anastasia Koretskaya ("Happy End"), Lev Murzenko ("Trigger"), Serafim Orekhanov ("Headshot"), Vladislav Kaptur ("Happy End" editor) worked on the script. A large team of co-authors can be explained by a long period of production - "Ballet" was prepared for three years, during which time even the leading role was changed.

Instead of Ingeborga Dapkunaite, they shot Alla Sigalova, the head of the Department of Modern Choreography and Stage Dance at GITIS, who has not played in films since 2012. The secondary characters were played by Marusya Fomina ("Container"), Igor Gordin ("Challenge"), Fyodor Bondarchuk and others.

Ruta Myers is one of the most famous choreographers in the world. As a young Soviet dancer, she stayed in the US while on tour, after which she built a successful career in America. After 40 years, she is invited to the main ballet theater of Russia to stage a performance. Considering that her creative path has come to a standstill, Ruta Myers accepts the invitation. She has to fight not only with the bureaucracy that interferes with creativity, but also with former friends and acquaintances who have become big people.

The first episode is questionable

After the premiere of the first episode, it seems that the trailer was more interesting. Given that the series will be released once a week, the prospects for the series are vague. The slow pace of the story, as well as a huge number of minor characters, slow down the development of the plot. If you watched the trailer or read the description, then you know everything about the first series.

It is not entirely clear who Ruta Myers is. What she wants, what she will do, how she feels about her return - the first episode ignores these questions. It turns out an empty, albeit effective character.

The first episode is very poorly develops minor characters. What they do, what they want is not at all clear. There is a rather strange hero (the husband of Ruta's assistant) who constantly goes to auditions, but they don't take him anywhere. A vile careerist, with no talent - in general, this is a negative character. In the first series, he does not affect what is happening at all, but he is shown very often - it is even somehow strange that so much time is devoted to him.

"Ballet" begs to be compared with the TV series "Actresses", released in April. Both projects show what happens behind the scenes of the theater. However, "Actresses" struck from the very first episode. The gigantic number of characters didn't become a problem due to the excellent script and lively dialogues. The first series of "Ballet" is spent on a very sluggish buildup. It is not a fact that a viewer who has spent an hour on the pilot will remember the release of the second episode in a week.

Conventions ruin the plot

There are many elements in "Ballet" that must be taken on faith without asking too many questions. For example, it is never explained why Ruta Myers is so good. She is a great modern choreographer, but what is special about her? Why is she valued, how does she differ from other masters? Throughout the first series, it seems that her main achievement is the very fact of working in New York.

It is completely unclear under what conditions Myers agrees to work in Moscow. Only a dialogue is shown in which she is offered a position, but the negotiations and discussion of her subsequent activities remain behind the scenes. Given that she is so famous and respected, it is unlikely that she agrees to everything. Therefore, she had to make demands. But further events show that no one is waiting for her and does not want to listen.

For example, when Ruta Myers asks to show her all the dancers of the theater, the workers begin to resist - they say, no, watch only the best. It would seem that a superstar has come to you, do not interfere with her work. In addition, she has a fairly understandable requirement - she wants to know who is at her disposal. As a result, Ruta is forced to break through this wall, which arises for no reason.

The theater itself, in turn, is focused on profit. And the arrival of Ruta Myers worries many because she does not fit into the repertoire - she puts on modern ballet, not classical, and this seems to be a problem. However, it is mentioned through word that she is a superstar. What is the problem then? She will not gather spectators? Will collect. Doesn't fit into the repertoire? But the theater already puts on modern ballet (this is mentioned in the dialogues).

The problems that arise before Myers look far-fetched and artificial. And they are solved not by intellect, but by repetition of words. When Ruta Myers is turned down, she simply says, "Show the whole troupe," but this time successfully. Such is the overcoming. It's like Rambo saying "Stop hunting me" and they stop being hunted.

Serious topics are raised too casually

The series very gently (almost lovingly) talks about soft censorship, that is, topics that are better left untouched in the repertoire. It is mentioned several times that high-ranking officials and intelligence officers go to performances, and therefore you need to be more careful. At first, the series seems to be making fun of the bans in the Russian theater. However, all this is unimportant and almost irrelevant - the characters talk about it as if they are discussing technical problems like the need to change a light bulb. The writers seem to want to speak out about censorship, but cut themselves off in mid-sentence. It looks strange - it's better not to start such a conversation at all.

At the same time, the series hits the USSR much harder. The KGB persecutes dancers during international tours, and they are followed inside the Soviet Union. There is no talk of freedom (as such or creative), which is why Ruta Myers becomes a defector. Here the scriptwriters show that they are ready to talk about serious topics without hints, and it turns out great.

Sometimes the objects of satire look quite strange. In the very first episode, the scriptwriters sneer at the family ties of the theater workers - here one father added a son, here another father added a daughter. Everything would be fine, but only in the first roles Liza Yankovskaya and Fyodor Bondarchuk (and his son is one of the producers).

Great picture makes me happy

All questions and claims that can be addressed to the "Ballet" are somehow related to the script. Everything else is top notch. This is another Russian project with an excellent visual range. Large rooms are filmed using panoramas, the static camera is hardly used, so each scene is interesting and independent. Considering that everything is fine with the series and with the costumes, it turns out a very pleasant picture. Fans of ballet (or dance) will also enjoy the choreography - there is a lot of it in the series.

Curious and Alla Sigalova in the title role. It hardly matters her actual experience as a choreographer, rather it helps that she is a really good actress. Of course, she was not lucky that the film "Tar" was released not so long ago, so one involuntarily wants to compare her with Cate Blanchett (it is clear in whose favor), however, Seagalova adds status to the series. She looks and acts like a superstar.

Before the release of the first series, "Ballet" looked like one of the most interesting novelties of the spring. The premiere lowered expectations and raised many questions. The project still deserves attention, but there is a risk that the script problems that appeared in the first episode are common to the entire series. In this case, Anna Sigalova, excellent camera work and beautiful dances will not save him.