Spellbinding movie about the cut-throat and sometimes unstable world of a ballerina

Rating: 9/10 (6 January 2011)

Ballerinas appear on the stage: graceful, strong, beautiful, and above all, simply effortless. This movie jolts you into the real world, the real work, the very real insecurities of these fairytale dancers. The harsh reality of being a prima ballerina being replaced through no fault of your own; your body just won't take the constant abuse, the long hours, and the mental strain of trying to grasp perfection. The pressure of being the new ingénue. Work harder, be stronger, DO NOT crack under the pressure of trying to be perfect, yet trying with all your heart to make this dance uniquely your own. Never trusting your comrades because even though you are the up and coming star, there is always someone waiting in the wings to fill your slippers. Push push push have to be the best no matter how much it hurts no matter how tired I am, I WILL BE the number one prima ballerina! This movie gave a very real sense of the pressures professional ballet dancers go through. They may not hallucinate or go crazy as in this most excellent movie, I am most delighted that this movie did not candy coat the profession. Bravo and I gave it a 9 star rating. Would have liked to see Winona Ryder a little more, then it would have been a 10!