Keswick Film Club - Ballets russes

Synopsis

What began as a documentary of the once-in-a-lifetime reunion of the Ballets Russes dancers in 2000, soon turned into the map of the rich history of the ballet company of Russian refugees who never danced in Russia.

Over 50 hours of delightful archival footage was uncovered by Geller and Goldfine and together with idiosyncratic stories given by the dancers, Geller and Goldfine had the daunting but thrilling task of editing this down into the tale of the ballet company.

The result follows the company's history from the turn-of-the-century in Paris, its halcyon days touring the States in the 1930s and 40s to its demise in the 1950s and 60s; fusing archive footage with poignant and revealing interviews.