A Life for Ballet

Documentary about the immensely talented Pierre Lacotte, the elite French dancer, detailing his passion for the artform as well as his love for fellow ballerina Ghislaine Thesmar.

"Pierre Lacotte is an artist with a strong passion for all aspects of his craft as a dancer, choreographer and director; everything he does is calculated and well-researched. His youthful experiences under the instruction of important figures in ballet like Lioubov Egorova shaped his passion and education as a young dancer. Ghislaine Thesmar is similarly an extremely talented dancer with an unusual aptitude for dramatic performance. The success of her career offers a very worldly perspective to the film and she becomes the force that draws the narrative outside of France."

"By exploring exclusive archive footage, Ionesco captures a unique snapshot of this fascinating art form and couple. Featuring extensive extracts of ballet performances by Rudolf Nureyev, Agnès Lestestu, Svetlana Zakharova and Michael Denard, A Life for Ballet is the ideal film for all lovers of dance and performing arts." (French Film Festival 2012)

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