Edition:
We use cookies to tailor your experience and present relevant ads. By clicking “Accept”, you agree that cookies can be placed per our Privacy Policy
ACCEPT
avatar image
Advertisement

How Prime Video ballet drama Étoile keeps it real by mixing ballerinas and dancing actors

Amazon Prime series Étoile, which follows two ballet companies from New York and Paris, shows the athleticism and dedication of ballerinas

Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
0
The creators of Étoile went to great lengths to keep the Amazon Prime ballet drama realistic. Photo: TNS

Ballet is beautiful. Ballet is ethereal. Ballet is mysterious. Can ballet also be cool?

The creators of the new Amazon Prime Video show Étoile – Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, of The Marvelous Mrs Maisel fame – are betting yes.

The show is split between New York and Paris as it tracks the story of two ballet companies joining forces to attract audiences and stay afloat.

And “afloat” is a good word to describe the chief appeal of the show: real lifts, not to mention turns and leaps, by real ballet dancers, many of whom are in the cast.

Sharp-eyed viewers might notice several New York City Ballet stars in supporting roles. A mixture of the Palladinos’ series Bunheads, Emily in Paris – with way more leg warmers – and classic ballet film The Turning Point, Étoile lives and dies by the quality of its dancing.

And that is because, as actor David Alvarez says, “Ballet is one of those things you can’t fake”.

Directors, writers and creators Daniel Palladino and Amy Sherman-Palladino at the premiere of Amazon Prime Video’s Étoile at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
Directors, writers and creators Daniel Palladino and Amy Sherman-Palladino at the premiere of Amazon Prime Video’s Étoile at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2-3x faster
1.1x
220 WPM
Slow
Normal
Fast
1.1x