Dancers (1987)

Synopsis:

A world-renowned Russian ballet dancer (Mikhail Baryshnikov, White Nights) is immersed in his latest project, a new version of the romantic ballet Giselle, which he wants to record on film for posterity. The arrival of a new dancer (Julie Kent, Center Stage) creates unexpected problems for the famous dancer.

Reaction & Thoughts:

“You don’t understand a thing about a woman in love.”

This is what I call a noble failure. Written by Sarah Kernochan (What Lies Beneath) and directed by Herbert Ross (The Sunshine Boys and The Goodbye Girl), Dancers has mighty aspirations, but the end result leaves you wanting a bit more.

Dancers is an overly-ambitious production. It revolves around a dance company preparing an adaptation of the classic ballet Giselle. The film’s storyline parallels the story within the ballet: Giselle is about a young woman who dies of a broken heart, and the movie tells the story of a ballet dancer who is jilted by her lover.

The film isn’t as engaging as it could have been, though. Some characters are ill-defined, the editing is a bit choppy, and the plotline felt rushed (it’s a relatively short movie). Flaws aside, there is something appealing, even endearing about a movie that tries to say that ballet, or any art form for that matter, is a mirror-image of life itself.

Dancers also explores in great detail the idea of acting being as important as dancing in a ballet piece. This is something that, quite frankly, I hadn’t considered until now. Baryshnikov’s character is consumed by the things mostly associated with straight plays, like blocking, character motivation, etc. He is, in fact, more worried about projecting the right emotions than about executing perfect dance movements!

Finally, there is a father interesting subplot regarding the protagonist, an acclaimed dancer, trying to rediscover his passion for ballet. He can do the steps, but the emotions are not there. The film once again insists that ballet is a physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually demanding profession (more food for the thought). All in all, this is an intriguing movie despite its imperfections.

Conclusions & Final Thoughts:

Dancers was clearly made by people who knew a few things about ballet. It reunited most of the team responsible for the classic ballet film The Turning Point. Director Ross, actors Baryshnikov and Leslie Browne, producer Nora Kaye, editor William Reynolds, they all participated in both movies. The backstage atmosphere is vividly captured by Ross and his team. Unfortunately, the script let them all down. Despite its flaws, this is the kind of movie fans of ballet don’t want to miss. You also get to see Baryshnikov dance up a storm. Color, 99 minutes, Rated PG.

Theatrical Trailer: