Dark - A Ballet by Carolyn Carlson

Je danse autour du monde

Behind the curtain with English National Ballet and their world premier of a brand-new production of Nutcracker

The Australian Ballet has evolved to become our nation's most treasured performing arts company and an icon of dance. 'And We Danced' looks back to reveal what has shaped this world-class institution and made it uniquely ours.

Channel 4 is joining forces with Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB), and Youth at Risk for the first time to set Birmingham and Black Country youth a challenge of a lifetime. Do they have what it takes to perform the MacMillan production of Romeo and Juliet live on stage, to a packed audience, with a cast of professional dancers?

The Parsons Dance Company

Following the May 1968 civil unrest in France, a deaf-mute and a con artist simultaneously stumble upon the remnants of a secret society.

“Stage Fighter” is a survival program in which male dancers from ballet, contemporary dance, and Korean traditional dance genres will compete against each other in a ranked battle. The dancers will combine their unique dance styles with modern and popular dance elements to present spectacular group performances.

Yulia is a young ballerina trying to live up to her mother's expectations. Tired of the pressure, she attempts suicide. The tragic event turns into a meeting that will forever change her life.

This young student will do whatever it takes to become the world's best ballet dancer: the Danseur noble!

Princess Tutu follows Duck, a duck who was transformed into a young girl and takes ballet at a private school. She becomes enamoured of her mysterious schoolmate Mytho, and transforms into Princess Tutu to restore his shattered heart. Mytho's girlfriend Rue transforms into Princess Kraehe to frustrate Tutu's efforts, and Mytho's protective friend Fakir discourages Mytho's burgeoning emotions. When it becomes apparent that Duck, Rue, Mytho, and Fakir are meant to play out the characters in a story by a long-dead writer named Drosselmeyer, they resist their assigned fates and fight to keep the story from becoming a tragedy.

Claire, a talented but emotionally troubled dancer, joins a company in New York City, and soon finds herself immersed in the tough and often cutthroat world of professional ballet. The dark and gritty series will unflinchingly explore the dysfunction and glamour of the ballet world.

At Sydney's National Dance Academy, a few talented youngsters are recruited for the excruciatingly tough course. It follows Tara Webster, a sheepfarmgirl who's ambition is to be the next best ballerina. Jewish long line of doctors' heir Samuel 'Sammy' and minor juvenile offender Christian are the outsiders but gradually fit in, making new kinds of friends. Star ballerina's daughter Kat also introduces them in the circle of last-year brother Ethan, who already aspires a career as choreographer. Also Abigail, a smart young girl who'll walk over dead bodies to reach the stars tries to sabotage everything and everyone.

In Tokyo, there is a place called Velude Way. It is a district notorious for its performers and theatrical groups. Izumi Tachibana, who was previously a stage actress, arrives with a letter that reads, "Full of debt! Zero customers! Only one actor!" It describes the current state of the once-popular theater group Mankai Company. Her task is to rebuild the company to its former glory as the new owner and chief director.

Fashion Ballet

Michelle, a Las Vegas showgirl, impulsively marries a man, moves to his sleepy coastal town, and takes an uneasy role at her new mother-in-law's dance school.

Anna Pelzer has a dream She wants to become a ballet dancer. But after a car accident, everything seems to be over. The pretty schoolgirl can no longer move her legs and feet. Her family threatens to break apart as a result of the tragic accident, especially as Anna's brother was driving without a license. But then Rainer rolls into Anna's life - a boy in a wheelchair whom the girl meets at the sanatorium. Rainer himself was on the brink of a great career Two years earlier, he was a youth skiing champion until he was ruthlessly knocked down on the slopes. Despite his disability, Rainer is full of energy. He gives Anna new courage to face life, encourages her to learn to walk again and to pursue her dream of a dancing career. Step by step, Anna fights her way back into her old life. At her new school, she meets dance student Jakob and the prominent teacher Irene Kralowa, whose dance group she eventually joins.

Kobayashi Hassei, 29, is a narcissistic ballet dancer who belongs to the Komorigawa Ballet Company. In order to make men's ballet more popular and to promote himself, he is actively engaged in activities such as video distribution. He is in a close trio with veteran dancer Moriyama Masanobu and his classmate Sasaki Mashiro, who are from different generations but somehow get along together. Hassei and his friends spend their days casually rehearsing with the ballet company during the day and teaching at a ballet class at night, but one day on the way home, a problem occurs. After that, Hassei makes a shocking confession: "I'm quitting ballet at the end of this year." Why did Hassei decide to "quit"? The curtain rises on Hassei's "last year facing ballet," who loves ballet more than anyone else.

Maiko Misono, who had been working abroad to become a professional ballet dancer, gave up on her dream and returned to Japan. With nothing else to do but ballet, she starts working as a Japanese language teacher at a high school near her parents' home. But for Maiko, who has just given up on her dream, high school is an ironic place full of dreams and hopes. In addition, she is made the advisor of the volleyball team, a position she has no experience in, and her homeroom class is full of unique students, which only adds to her anxiety.

Goes behind the stage curtain for an intense, unfiltered look at one of the most competitive ballet companies in the country, Ballet West, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Beneath the beauty and glamour of the dance and costumes is a gritty dog-eat-dog world of extreme athleticism, focus, dedication, passion, pressure and, of course, the hunt for the unattainable... perfection.

Black & White