Where the World comes to Dance

Martin Mydtskov Rønne

The Danish Royal Ballet's Gudrun Bojesen in 'La Sylphide,' which will come to the David H. Koch Theater *next week*.

It's been seven months since the movie "Black Swan" came out, and in that time it has scooped up awards and critical praise—and sparked everything from disdainful sighs to vitriolic revulsion from the ballet community. By now, one might expect that anger to have faded away.

But on May 22, the Los Angeles Times ran an interview with former New York City Ballet principal dancer Nikolaj Hübbe—who is now the artistic director of the Royal Danish Ballet—in which he said of the film: "It's the worst piece of hideous crap I've ever seen. I just thought it was scintillatingly awful."

Ballet does not forgive and forget easily. But Mr. Hübbe's comments point to a broader complaint: If you thought you were watching brilliant choreography and a realistic backstage portrayal, well, you weren't. It was the popcorn version. Despite the movie raising awareness for ballet, it essentially boiled a grand tradition down to sex and starvation.  

For those who love an art form that is often treated like a dead language, this causes a descent into near madness (see "Giselle") because there is so much more to ballet. What is that "more"? With five of the world's most historically significant ballet companies in New York this season, this is the summer to find out.  

Read More:  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304474804576367642405436636.html