Ballets Russes
Those who are well-versed in dance — ballet, in particular — will obviously find the documentary "Ballets Russes" of interest. The dancers here reigned for more than 30 years as the most revered ballet troupe in the world.Those who are not as knowledgeable about the subject may still enjoy the movie, which is given a boost by each of the profiled dancers having a good sense of humor.
About halfway in, this nearly-two-hour film starts taking on a rather dry, academic quality. But the interview subjects keep things moving by joking about themselves and their fellow dancers.
Much of "Ballets Russes" is a history lesson, tracing the troupe's beginnings back to early 20th-century Russian entrepreneur Sergio Diaghilev. Rene Blum and Wasily de Basil took over the troupe after his death and renamed it the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, which is where most of the refugee Russians were living at the time.
But as its popularity grew, so did the egos of those involved. That resulted in a bitter feud between de Basil and choreographer/dancer Leonid Massine, who tried to take members from each other's troupes. (Massine kept the "Monte Carlo" name, while de Basil billed his as the "original.")
Co-directors Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine make ample use of archival footage, which not only includes portions of Ballets Russes performances, but also some behind-the-scenes snippets and footage from Hollywood film productions that featured Ballet Russes members (such as Marc Platt in the 1954 film "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers").
They've also made a smart choice of narrator with Tony-winning stage actress Marian Seldes, whose voice-over is never intrusive and always dignified.
"Ballets Russes" is not rated but would probably receive a PG-13 for a brief glimpse of male nudity, as well as some nude artwork, some mildly vulgar sex talk and sexually suggestive dance moves, and use of a few racial epithets. Running time: 118 minutes.
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