Let's Dance

La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet is a 2.5 hrs documentary by Frederick Wiseman exploring all the ins and outs of the Paris Opera Ballet playing at the Royal. It primarily focuses on the dance practices and classes leading up to the full-dress performance. But it also dwells on all the minutiae that is required of any large institution: the management, the PR, service people (janitors, cafeteria cooks, etc.), and so on. Some thoughts as I was watching this:

First, I love the shots of Paris. What a magical city. Why did I never followed up on my half-articulated desire to move there after University?

Second, the dancers are quite amazing ... and so thin. Most people don't have that level of fitness or coordination. I think the girl a few seat over in my row is a dancer. Not only is she wearing ballet slipper-style flats but only a dancer can be that thin and look lithe instead of anorexic.

Third, I wonder why Wiseman is showing mostly modern, contemporary dances during the full-dress performance. Is it him or the Paris Opera Ballet? I wonder what the mostly silver-haired set watching this thinks about this? I'm not sure they want to hear that electronic music or see fake blood being splashed around. (Apparently, some don't)

Fourth, it's full of white people. Oh, there's 1 Asian ballerina. Woman who irons the costume: Southeast Asian. Cashier at the cafeteria: black woman. Maintenance staff covering up a hole in the wall: black man. Cleaning staff picking up trash and vacuuming after a show: another black man. Management, choreographers, dancers, chefs, head seamstress, costumes, lighting, etc: white, white, white, white, white, white, white. I'm sure the juxtaposition was merely coincidental but it's interesting isn't it.