WHAT is 10 years old and has a small head, a slender figure and long arms and legs?
The ideal Russian girl hoping for a career in classical ballet.
That tidbit is contained in “Ballerina,” a documentary by Bertrand Normand that goes inside St. Petersburgh’s Mariinski Theater (formerly called the Kirov) to study the dancers – male and female, although the emphasis is on women – who study and perform there.
Normand, a 36-year-old Parisian, concentrates on five ballerinas, ranging from neophyte to veteran, including one woman trying for a comeback after being injured.
We see the women performing, rehearsing and hanging at home. You can’t help but realize how difficult the life of a ballerina can be, both physically and psychologically.
“Ballerina” will be of interest mostly to balletomanes, but even folks who don’t know their right foot from their left will find inspiration in the lives of these devoted dancers. Besides, who isn’t moved by “Swan Lake”?
In Russian and English with English subtitles. Running time: 77 minutes. Not rated (nothing objectionable). At the Quad, 13th Street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues.