Steven McRae

Steven McRae, principal dancer with the world-renowned Royal Ballet, is 33 years old and at the pinnacle of his career when he severely damages his Achilles tendon in the middle of a show attended by 2,500 spectators.  This is the story of his amazing rehabilitation and the nerve-racking days leading up to his triumphant return to the stage.

One of the most famous and significant works of Russian literature will be retold in the language of Dance, Music and Light.

Pame returns to the ballet academy where she danced when she was three. Reflecting on her own childhood, she looks for answers within the girls that dance there now. Ultimately, she tries to answer the question: Why did I quit ballet?

Stephen Dwoskin brings together members of the Ballet Negres dance company, founded in London in 1946.

16mm film close-up of a ballet shoe being untied.

Frederick Wiseman observes the ins and outs of the Paris Opera House, including the processes behind seven of their operas: Genus (Wayne McGregor), Le Songe de Médée (Angelin Preljocaj), La Maison de Bernarda (Mats Ek), Paquita (Pierre Lacotte), Casse-Noisette (Rudolf Nureyev), Orphée et Eurydice (Pina Bausch), and Roméo et Juliette (Sasha Walt).

Stories about young Ukrainian dancers and their hasty flight to the Netherlands. You see their new life as refugees. The former conservatory in The Hague is a shelter for them where they collect their lives and find refuge in their profession: dance. The formation of a new ballet company, The United Ukrainian Ballet, is an important foothold in winning back their lives. They find comfort in each other and close friendships develop. In addition, there is the great love for ballet, for the dancers the best way to express themselves.

This programme is dedicated to the work of the outstanding choreographer Kasyan Goleizovsky. Featured ballet dancers include Natalya Danilova, Olga Pavlova, F. Gil'fanov, M. Rativosyan, Natalia Bessmertnova, Alexander Lavrenyuk, Natalya Bolshakova, Vadim Gulyaev, Natalia Kasatkina, T. Varlamova, Shamil Yagudin,  Semyon Kaufman, Ekaterina Maximova, Vladimir Vasiliev, T. Cherkasskaya, Viktor Kasatsky,  Yelena Ryabinkina, Vladimir Romanenko, Mikhail Lavrovsky, M. Gorodskaya, Ella Kosterina.

Shannon Davidson and Ashley Shaw at the iconic Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, delving into their thoughts and feelings about the timeless classic "The Red Shoes" to celebrate its 75th anniversary.