So, the Kirov is the Soviet name for the St. Petersburg troupe of ballet dancers who perform in the Mariinsky Theater. It is regarded as one of the top ballet troupes in the entire world. As you can imagine, getting into the Mariinsky is a dream for most young girls. This documentary follows five young ballerinas who have achieved that dream.
The youngest, Alina, has just graduated from Vaganova Ballet Academy. The entrance exam starts at 10-years-old and school lasts for the next 8. Seniors are required to dance at the year-end graduation gala, with scouts from all the major ballet companies. Alina was granted the lead in that production, and won a spot at the Kirov...where she was immediately relegated to the corps de ballet, the lowest echelon of ballerina.
Immediately above that is coryphee, then soloist, then prima ballerina. Evgueya is a 19-year-old coryphee who is working on becoming a soloist. Diana is a prima ballerina who takes international roles in Paris, Los Angeles, and New York. Uliana was a promising soloist until an ankle injury and subsequent surgery forced her to put dance aside for a couple of years so she's trying to work her way back up to solo roles. Svetlana is a prima ballerina who has just landed the lead in Swan Lake for the Kirov.
All five of these girls are gifted, extremely dedicated dancers in a profession that demands constant perfection. Surprisingly, they seem quite normal despite this.
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