Oh my, I saved this for when I had time to take it in. This is a beautiful review-essay, Martha. God, why are the perfect body, perfect execution moments wasted on the healthy and young? To feel that embodiment and wholeness, finally, but only after we've spent our bodies--or disease has spent so much of our strength. I haven't seen an episode of this. I thought it would hit a little too close. My mom was diagnosed with cancer at 43--a long time ago now, but it still makes some things hard to watch. Sounds like I should. This and, on a much lighter note (but maybe not without its problems--I need to see what they did with La Bayadere) Etoile, now streaming. Well, thank you again for this!
OK, I just HAD to reply here, Martha. I was at a friend's house over Mother's Day (a holiday that, for me, means I get to bask in my motherhood from afar!). My friend, like me, is a recovered ballet dancer. (We both tapped out after serving as trainees for a regional company.) We excitedly sat down to watch the first few episodes of Etoile together. (I won't regurgitate the Guardian's review that aligns with my thoughts.) Beautiful dancing but a mess of a show. Kind of unbelievable to me, also, the glaring inaccuracies about what it means to be a professional ballet dancer in the U.S. (sabbaticals!!???, for just one example). Sure, it's supposed to be light, but the French/U.S. comparisons, especially with regards to employment/unions/protests could be really interesting (and probably funny with the right actors). I'll get off my soapbox now. I wonder what your take is. Side note, I knew I remembered your name. I've loved Belt Mag for a long time (am from Cleveland and own a longstanding blog, Rust Belt Girl, so that is my other lane).
Oh god it's such a hot unwatchable mess. I only made it through two episodes! I was going to try to write something but I can't even gin up the enthusiasm for that. It made me sad :(
Exactly! Sad and so disappointing--the world of professional ballet is such a closed one. I really thought that, through dramedy or whatever it's supposed to be, they could shine a light on some of the truly bizarre aspects, stuff that would just never fly in run-of-the-mill corporate America. It could have been The Office x Balanchine (I digress!)!
A beautiful write-up of a beautiful show.
Oh my, I saved this for when I had time to take it in. This is a beautiful review-essay, Martha. God, why are the perfect body, perfect execution moments wasted on the healthy and young? To feel that embodiment and wholeness, finally, but only after we've spent our bodies--or disease has spent so much of our strength. I haven't seen an episode of this. I thought it would hit a little too close. My mom was diagnosed with cancer at 43--a long time ago now, but it still makes some things hard to watch. Sounds like I should. This and, on a much lighter note (but maybe not without its problems--I need to see what they did with La Bayadere) Etoile, now streaming. Well, thank you again for this!
I’m watching Etoile now!
OK, I just HAD to reply here, Martha. I was at a friend's house over Mother's Day (a holiday that, for me, means I get to bask in my motherhood from afar!). My friend, like me, is a recovered ballet dancer. (We both tapped out after serving as trainees for a regional company.) We excitedly sat down to watch the first few episodes of Etoile together. (I won't regurgitate the Guardian's review that aligns with my thoughts.) Beautiful dancing but a mess of a show. Kind of unbelievable to me, also, the glaring inaccuracies about what it means to be a professional ballet dancer in the U.S. (sabbaticals!!???, for just one example). Sure, it's supposed to be light, but the French/U.S. comparisons, especially with regards to employment/unions/protests could be really interesting (and probably funny with the right actors). I'll get off my soapbox now. I wonder what your take is. Side note, I knew I remembered your name. I've loved Belt Mag for a long time (am from Cleveland and own a longstanding blog, Rust Belt Girl, so that is my other lane).
Oh god it's such a hot unwatchable mess. I only made it through two episodes! I was going to try to write something but I can't even gin up the enthusiasm for that. It made me sad :(
Exactly! Sad and so disappointing--the world of professional ballet is such a closed one. I really thought that, through dramedy or whatever it's supposed to be, they could shine a light on some of the truly bizarre aspects, stuff that would just never fly in run-of-the-mill corporate America. It could have been The Office x Balanchine (I digress!)!
(Thanks for making the Belt connection! My personal brand as a writer is kind of all over the place, lol)
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!