A scene from Frederick Wiseman's La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet. (Courtesy of Zipporah Films)
We are shown the physical apparatus, the vast, opulent 19th century Palais Garnier, which houses numerous rooms for various uses. There are generous-sized studios, for dance classes and rehearsals, workrooms for seamstresses and others who lend technical support to the purpose of the enterprise—which is, of course—La Danse. The beautiful theater offers 2,200 scarlet velvet seats.
The major content of the film displays snippets of rehearsals and performances, taking us intimately into the day-to-day workings of a major ballet company. The ballets represented include “Genus,” by Wayne McGregor; “Paquita,” by Pierre Lacotte; “The Nutcracker,” by Rudolph Nureyev; “Medea,” by Angelin Preljocaj; “The House of Bernarda Alba,” by Mats Ek; “Romeo and Juliet,” by Sasha Waltz; and “Orpheus and Eurydyce,” by Pina Bausch.
Arguably, some of the more fascinating moments were portions of “Medea,” first seen in preliminary rehearsal, then later displayed onstage in full rehearsal, replete with costume and makeup. The sequence showing Medea’s murder of her children was spine-chilling.
Rehearsals are both compelling and entertaining, as we, the viewers, are made privy to comments of the director/choreographers as they sometimes remark on the dancers they’re watching. “She doesn’t bend,” one director whispers critically to his colleague, while smilingly—encouraging the dancer to continue her work.
The work is painstaking. The dancers are carefully coached, in great detail, by the choreographers, and must repeat their efforts time and again until the choreographer is pleased.
The results are often breathtaking, as these well-trained dancers perform the most exquisite and complex movements. They are arguably among the finest in the world.
Wiseman’s camera roams the great silent halls of the Palais Garnier. We soon find ourselves in the costumer’s room, where a seamstress painstakingly, by hand, sews beads onto a costume. Later, another costumer is shown dyeing fabric in a large tub. One senses an army of workers practicing various crafts in order to later present perfection on the stage in performance.
Who is controlling this mass of energy? Who is pulling the puppet-strings? It is the remarkable artistic director of the Paris Opera Ballet, Brigitte Lefevre. Formerly a principal dancer herself, she relinquished performing at the company’s retirement age of 40 and took on this major and demanding post.
Scenes show her tactfully advising a young dancer how best to move her career forward. “One can gain a lot by studying the star dancers at rehearsal and in performance,” Mme. Lefevre counsels.
In a more poignant moment an older dancer visits the artistic director, hoping she will be relieved of some of the roles assigned her, as the dancer feels she has been given too heavy a load at this time. Mme. Lefevre tactfully adapts to the dancer’s request.
Money plays a big part in running a major ballet company. Like most performing arts organizations worldwide, proceeds from ticket admissions do not suffice. A very interesting sequence displays a small group of company fundraisers devising an enticing program for visiting tourists, most particularly Americans, to induce them to pay large sums for the privilege of seeing rehearsals, special performances, and enjoying lavish dinners.
The dancers’ needs for employment protection and insurance is addressed by special company representatives at a meeting which artistic director Lefevre also attends.
In sum, filmmaker Wiseman has covered all the important bases of the life of a major ballet company, in addition to showing some exquisite dancing. One minor quibble—subtitles indicating the names of the ballets and performers displayed would have been helpful; however, a complete list is projected at the end of the film.
“La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet” represents yet another major contribution to Frederick Wiseman’s long list of notable documentary films.
The film opens Nov. 4, at Film Forum and shows through Nov. 17. Check back next week for Diana Barth’s interview with Paris Opera Ballet Artistic Director Brigitte Lefevre.
Diana Barth regularly covers theater and film in these pages and publishes “New Millennium,” an arts newsletter. For information more information, please contact diabarth@juno.com
