La danse - Le Ballet de l'Opéra de Paris

Title: La danse: Le Ballet de l'Opéra de Paris
Country: France, USA
Release date: 2008
Runtime: 159 minutes
Director: Frederick Wiseman

Content
The Paris Opera Ballet is one of the world's great ballet companies. The film follows the rehearsals and performances of seven ballets:

Genus by Wayne McGregor
Le Songe de Medée by Angelin Preljocaj
La Maison de Bernarda by Mats Ek
Paquita by Pierre Lacotte
Casse Noisette by Rudolph Nureyev
Orphée and Eurydice by Pina Bausch
Romeo and Juliette by Sasha Waltz

The film shows the work involved in administering the company and the coordinated and collaborative work of choreographers, ballet masters, dancers, musicians, and costume, set, and lighting designers.

Reviews
"If you don't already swoon over this art form, [La Danse] will make you wonder what took you so long." -Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
""La Danse," however, does more than offer intimate access to great dancers. It showcases performers like Nicolas Le Riche and Agnès Letestu and choreography by Rudolf Nureyev and Pina Bausch, but it also ventures beyond the stage and studios and into sewing rooms, cafeterias and administrative offices. Like most of Mr. Wiseman's movies it is above all a portrait of an institution." -Dennis Lim, The New York Times
"Yes, this is one of the finest dance films ever made, but there's more to it than that." -A.O. Scott, The New York Times

DVD specs
Soundtrack: Dolby Digital 2.0
Aspect ratio: 16:9 anamorphic