Produced by Scream star and former dancer Neve Campbell, this affectionate documentary delves into the demanding and pressured world of ballet. Cameras follow the lead up to The National Ballet’s 2022 production of Swan Lake, intended to be the final work of artistic director Karen Kain, a hallowed figure in the ballet world. Having been significantly delayed due to Covid, the dancers and creatives wrestle with various obstacles to make opening night.
There are a lot of documentaries about the process of putting a show together, and newcomers to the world of ballet may not get the significance of the event in the same way as enthusiasts. However, what Swan Song does brilliantly is convey the impact the pandemic continues to have on all areas of the arts. Dancers are out of practice; masks are commonplace backstage. However, the activism that the period inspired is also present in moments such as a black dancer pushing to remove the tradition of white tights for all performers.
There is an interesting cast of characters, ranging from young hungry dancers to icons of the art. Shaelynn Estrada, a 19-year-old dancer from a non-traditional background (“not white trash, but eggshell”) is charmingly unguarded, keen to point to the mental and physical scars ballet demands. At the other end of the scale, Kain reflects on a life that saw her become the toast of the ballet world and a muse of Andy Warhol. She never comes across as grand, but the gentle satisfaction turns to quiet determination as the premiere date looms.
Swan Song does a terrific job of showing the grittier side of ballet, something still dismissed by many as too gentile and cosseted. It may not inspire anyone to pirouette, but you leave the film with a new respect for what the dancers go through.
• Swan Song is in cinemas from 16th August