Dancer — Trailer

added: Tue, May 10th '16

After earning a reputation as the "bad boy of ballet," tattooed Ukrainian dancer Sergei Polunin gained considerable notoriety last year when he performed a passionate solo dance routine in the David LaChapelle-directed YouTube video, which featured the song "Take Me To Church" by Irish rocker Hozier. The 4-minute clip, posted in February of 2015, has since been viewed more than 14.8 million times.

That same video is showcased in an upcoming documentary that chronicles the 26-year-old ballet dancer's rise to prominence; who, at 21, became the Royal Ballet's youngest principal star in the company's history, only to abruptly quit two years later after succumbing to self-destructive impulses.

"Dancer" is directed by acclaimed documentarian Steven Cantor, who previously helmed ESPN's "30 for 30" Mike Tyson-Vs-Evander Holyfield documentary "Chasing Tyson" and also co-directed the Pixies reunion doc. "loudQUIETloud."

IFC Films recently acquired the U.S. rights to the ballet documentary but has yet to announce an official release date. In the meantime, however, you can check out a newly-released trailer for the film, above.

synopsis:
Blessed with astonishing power and poise, Sergei Polunin took the dance world by storm and became the Royal ballet's youngest ever principal. But at the peak of his success, he walked away, driven to the brink of self-destruction by stardom -- his talent more a burden than a gift.

Here is an unprecedented look into the life of a complex young man who has made ballet go viral. Urban rebel, iconoclast, airborne angel, Sergei is transforming the shape of ballet as we know it. But virtuosity comes with a high price. How can you be free to be yourself when you are ballet's "hottest property"?

directed by Steven Cantor

release date 2016